Carl Ander (b. 1991) is a photographer based in Gothenburg, Sweden, working across both commercial assignments and artistic projects for books and exhibitions. His work has been published in Die Zeit, The New York Times, d la Repubblica, and The Atlantic, and he has exhibited in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Oslo, and across Italy. His previous book, Constructs, was published by Heavy Books in 2020.

For over a decade, Carl Ander has been obsessively collecting manuals illustrated with photographs on the subjects of sports, health, and self-help. Aspiring to teach everything from how to wrestle or ski to how to stretch or give a massage, these books encompass a broad range of topics and cultural contexts. Over time, Ander’s collection has grown to include hundreds of volumes published across the span of a century.

Static Motion, published by LL’Editions, is the result of a close collaboration between Carl Ander and Lundgren+Lindqvist. The book presents a carefully curated selection of photographs drawn from Ander’s archive. Removed from their original instructional contexts and didactic purposes, the images invite new interpretations—at times absurd or humorous, at others unsettlingly violent or erotic—revealing latent tensions within the material.

This absence of context is reinforced by a deliberate rejection of conventional book structure. Static Motion is presented without a cover, title pages, foreword, or other traditional paratextual elements. Instead, the reader encounters an uninterrupted visual sequence that begins on the front and flows continuously through to the back.

Lundgren+Lindqvist was actively involved in the selection and sequencing of images across the book’s 328 pages. All decisions were guided by the overall rhythm of the sequence. The book preserves a high degree of variation—across subjects, gestures, body parts, genders, colour, and layout—ensuring a dynamic flow that reflects the diversity of the source material. Certain spreads rely on direct visual echoes, while others unfold through more subtle continuities. In many instances, images without an obvious connection acquire new meaning when combined.

The layout prioritises optimal representation, alternating between singular images, pairings and sequences. A flexible grid system allows for variation in scale and placement, enabling each image or grouping to be composed according to its specific role within the narrative. Many visual relationships operate across long distances within the book, sometimes hundreds of pages apart. These extended connections form an integral part of the project’s underlying study of movement.

The only interruption to the sequence occurs at the book’s centre, where an index provides information on the source material. The colophon is placed within this central break to avoid introducing a secondary interruption at the end of the book. An eight-page central section printed on Olin Colours Cloud (120 g/m²) introduces a distinct material shift, clearly marking the structural break.

For the inlay, the paper Munken Premium Cream 17.5 (90 g/m²) was chosen, lending warmth to the object while offering a degree of transparency that allows images on preceding and subsequent pages to subtly register, reinforcing the book’s emphasis on a continuous sequence rather than isolated spreads.

For the outer material—what would traditionally be described as the cover—the initial intention was to use the same paper as the book inlay. However, extensive testing showed that the required grammage was incompatible with the chosen binding techniques. This constraint led to an extensive search for a material that would match the tone and transparency of the inlay paper as well as the production requirements.

Neobond was ultimately chosen not only for its tonal similarity but also for its peculiar surface quality, which evokes a sense of moisture, subtly reinforcing the book’s themes of physical exertion, sports and movement. The initial technical limitation ultimately strengthened the project, adding an unexpected layer of meaning to the final object.

The spine features twelve images drawn from Ander’s collection. At first glance, these appear as a straightforward visual reference to the book’s material; on closer inspection, each image depicts a body posture or object resembling a letter, collectively spelling out the title Static Motion.

The book becomes a study of the body in motion, unfolding as a continuum. By rejecting the medium’s conventional structures, it derives meaning from rhythms and visual dialogues, mirroring the fluidity of movement as a perceptual rather than instructional experience.

The book is available for purchase through LL’Editions.

“For me, the best book I’ve seen this year. Great inspiring edit, super design, and made with a sense of humor. A beautiful compilation of images that show how weird human beings can be.” —Erik Kessels (Artist, Designer, Curator, and PhMuseum CURAE Head Professor), written for PhMuseum Loved Photobooks 2025