Spectacle Book

“This book is a visual essay documenting the notion and history of spectacle, those public performances and happenings that galvanize hordes of people and, if only for a brief moment, express the culture of our time in mass participation. From the dazzling opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games to the surreal circus atmosphere of performance troupes like Cirque du Soleil, from holiday parades like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to religious events such as the Hindu festival of Kumbh Mela, which drew millions of pilgrims in 2001, this volume is a tribute to the art of celebration and ritual. As design impresario David Rockwell notes in the book’s interview, “the focus of this book’s journey is the value of being there. It’s not about something happening to you, it’s about participating…This is looking at things that are temporary and the power of something that can burst and happen and go away.”

http://www.phaidon.com/store/general-non-fiction/spectacle-9780714845746/