‘Homes are a mirror of ourselves’: Annie Leibovitz joins Ikea as inaugural artist in residence and mentor
As part of Ikea’s Artist in Residence Programme, Annie Leibovitz will spend 2023 travelling the globe to capture how people live in their homes, also leading a mentoring programme for five aspiring young photographers
During Milan Design Week 2023, Ikea announced Annie Leibovitz as the first creative to take part in the Swedish company's new Artist in Residence programme.
It was also announced that Leibovitz will lead a new mentorship programme offering guidance to five aspiring young photographers aged 18 to 25 (available to enter until Friday 30 June 2023).
Maybe it’s the filters, the plethora of interiors influencers and the mistrust of the media more generally, but according to Ikea’s 2022 Life at Home report, almost half of us do not feel like our home lives are reflected accurately in the media. And of the 37,000 respondents, 61 per cent say their household budgets will be affected by the cost of living crisis.
‘We've been in this industry for 80 years, so maybe we need someone else to look at what life at home could be for the future,’ says Marcus Engman, chief creative officer at Ingka group (which controls the bulk of Ikea stores). Enter the legendary American photographer as the company’s first artist in residence.
Annie Leibovitz and Ikea: Artist in Residence programme
Her brief? To photograph the nuances of real life at home. For the rest of 2023, Leibovitz will travel to the UK, Japan, the US, Germany, Italy, India and Sweden – seven of the 37 countries that took part in the Life at Home survey – capturing normal people doing normal things in normal homes. Leibovitz could not be more excited: ‘I have such incredible respect for Ikea; one of one of my houses out in California has nothing but Ikea furniture in it,’ she says at a press conference during Salone del Mobile, where she has just returned from shooting three Italian subjects for the project. ‘Ikea is like a world in itself, and it doesn’t take in how ahead of the game and important it is.’
So, can we expect images of overflowing bins, empty fridges and tatty upholstery? Probably not. Leibovitz is not known for gritty photorealism: her shoots have graced magazine covers from Vogue to Vanity Fair to Rolling Stone; they are big-budget portraits of A-list stars artfully executed with Hollywood levels of production. But, she explains, ‘I learned very early on in my portrait work that you should start with your subject at home because they're going to sit in a chair a certain way. You're going to see who they are at home. On some level, our homes are mirrors to ourselves.’
But there’s a big difference between capturing regular folks at the kitchen sink and celebrities. She counters: ‘For the longest time, I really fought the whole idea that there was a difference. A well-known person is still a person, after all. But actually, with someone famous, the biggest difference is that there are already many photographs of that person out there; for example, when I photographed the late Queen of England (in 2007), she was probably the most photographed person in the world.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
What makes this assignment different? ‘Home is now more important than ever,’ she says. ‘Especially since Covid and the hybrid model of working from home.’ But why do people feel like they're not represented in the media, that they’re left out? ‘In the same way that there has been a typical idea in the fashion industry about what size a woman should be, there's been a typical idea of what a home is,’ wagers Leibovitz. ‘But now we've opened up in all sorts of ways, and there’s a difference between a home and feeling at home. And the latter can happen in many different places and maybe that's more important now than an actual home.’
With 50 years’ experience behind her, capturing these societal and psychological shifts in her subjects does not faze her. ‘More challenging is how to narrow the images in the series down.’ Some may be Hockney-style collages; some may not be one, but two, images. Some may appear in a book. Exactly how, when and where they will be shown is top secret. And all will be revealed at the end of the year.
Aspiring photographers aged 18 - 25 are invited to enter the mentorship programme via lifeathome.ikea.com until Friday 30 June 2023
Emma O'Kelly is a freelance journalist and author based in London. Her books include Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat and she is currently working on a UK guide to wild saunas, due to be published in 2025.
-
Two new books examine the art of the logo, from corporate coherence to rock excess
Pentagram’s new book reveals 1,000 brand marks, while the art of the band logo is laid bare in Logo Rhythm
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Art, culture, watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver’s gift guide
From a Beryl Cook cushion to an offbeat diamond ring, there's something for everyone on this Wallpaper* editor's gift guide, embracing art, culture and style
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Feldspar makes its mark on Mayfair with a festive pop-up at Corinthia Hotel
Devon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
By Ali Morris Published
-
Rescue dogs and cats model Ikea's latest pet collection
Ikea Utsådd pet collection features cats and dogs essentials, modelled in their latest catalogue by rescue pets from the Woodgreen Pets Charity
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea meets Japan in this new pattern-filled collection
New Ikea Sötrönn collection by Japanese artist Hiroko Takahashi brings Japan and Scandinavia together in a pattern-filled, joyful range for the home
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Ikea introduces its first gaming furniture collection
Brännboll is the first Ikea gaming furniture collection, unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 and designed to swiftly transform a domestic space into a gamer’s paradise
By Jasper Spires Published
-
Ikea and Raw Color deliver a collection of vibrant crafts to cheer up your living space
Ikea and Raw Color present ‘Tesammans’, a collection full of playful designs, vibrant textures and an eye-catching colour palette
By Yoko Choy Published
-
Designing for Ikea: Gio Tirotto on the process of creating an Ikea chair
The first Italian designing for Ikea, Gio Tirotto tells Wallpaper* about the process of creating furniture for the most democratic design company
By Maria Cristina Didero Published
-
Ikea Life at Home Report imagines life in 2030
The latest Ikea Life at Home Report includes imagined scenarios to paint a picture of the Swedish company’s predictions for how we will live in 2030
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
2024 horoscope: design for every star sign
For the Wallpaper* 2024 horoscope, we asked Italian astrologist Lumpa what the year has in store, and what design objects each star sign will love
By Lumpa Published
-
Ikea Dajlien marks the company's home wellness and training equipment debut
During Miami Art Week 2023, Ikea presented the Dajlien collection, comprising 19 new wellness products and marking the Swedish company's training equipment debut
By Maria Sobrino Published