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What is Pierre von Kleist?
Pierre von Kleist is an artist-run publishing house based in Lisbon, Portugal, founded by André Príncipe and José Pedro Cortes. It publishes photobooks and small-format editions, typically by contemporary photographers and artists, including its own founders. The catalogue on Pierre von Kleist mixes their work with titles by others such as Keiko Nomura, Nuno Barroso, Daniel Blaufuks, António Júlio Duarte, Augusto Alves da Silva and Pedro Costa.
What you'll find
- Photographic books and editions, often in modest page counts and formats
- A tight roster of recurring authors, with several titles by Príncipe and Cortes
- Some film-related notebooks or shooting diaries, such as the Pedro Costa cadernos
- Occasional sold-out items, which is normal for small print runs
Who it's for
- Photobook collectors looking beyond large trade publishers
- Readers interested in contemporary Portuguese and European photography
- Followers of the individual artists on the list
A useful next step is to browse by author rather than by price, since the value here is in the specific bodies of work. If you are new to the press, start with a title by an artist you already know, or compare a few listings to see which format and subject matter fit your shelf. Note that sold-out status on a title usually means a second printing is unlikely.
Who are the founders of Pierre von Kleist editions?
Pierre von Kleist editions was founded by André Príncipe and José Pedro Cortes. It is an artist-run publishing house based in Lisbon, Portugal.
Both founders are also practising photographers whose own books appear in the catalogue, which is a useful signal about how the press operates: the people choosing and editing the titles are working in the same medium rather than coming from a purely commercial publishing background. That tends to matter if you are looking for photobooks with a particular editorial voice, especially around contemporary Portuguese photography and its international connections.
A practical next step: look at the catalogue and note how many titles are by the founders themselves versus outside artists such as Keiko Nomura, Nuno Barroso, Daniel Blaufuks, António Júlio Duarte or Pedro Costa. If the balance leans toward the founders' own work, expect a strongly authorial, studio-like list; if it is broader, the press is functioning more as a curator for a wider circle. You can browse the list directly at Pierre von Kleist.
How can I purchase books from Pierre von Kleist editions?
You can buy directly from the publisher's online shop. Pierre von Kleist editions is an artist-run publishing house in Lisbon founded by André Príncipe and José Pedro Cortes, and its site functions as a storefront for its own titles. Browse the catalogue, add a book to your cart, and check out; the site shows a cart confirmation and a "Country/region" selector, which suggests shipping destinations are chosen during the process.
What the shop looks like in practice
- Books are listed with title, author and price in USD, for example Casa Capital by José Pedro Cortes and Mana by André Príncipe.
- Some titles are marked "Sold out," such as Vitalina Varela – Caderno de Rodagem and Familia Aeminium. These cannot be ordered while out of stock.
- Prices vary by title and format, so a small photobook may cost noticeably less than a larger or special edition.
A sensible buying sequence
- Open the shop and filter by what you actually want: a specific photographer, a series, or a format.
- Check availability before planning around a title; "Sold out" items may return, but there is no guarantee.
- Add the item to the cart and confirm the shipping country/region, since that affects cost and delivery.
- If you are outside Portugal, compare the total landed cost with a local or regional bookseller before ordering.
When to buy direct and when not to
Buying from Pierre von Kleist supports the publisher directly and is often the surest way to get its own editions. For out-of-print or sold-out titles, a specialist photobook dealer or a used-book marketplace is usually the better route. If you are ordering several books at once, buying them together from one source generally reduces shipping; if you only want one inexpensive title, a local stockist may be cheaper once postage is added.
As a next step, decide on one or two specific titles first, then check whether they are in stock and what shipping to your country costs before committing.
What topics or themes do Pierre von Kleist editions' publications cover?
Pierre von Kleist editions focuses on contemporary photography books, often with strong ties to Portugal and to artists working in film and visual culture. Its catalogue is artist-run, so the recurring themes are personal, documentary and place-based rather than general-interest publishing.
Recurring themes
- Portuguese places and landscapes — titles such as Anima – Encounters with Wild Animals in Portugal, Lisboa Cliché and Guiné-Bissau 1990 point to landscape, city and national memory.
- Photographic portraiture and the body — Patrícia and One's Own Arena suggest intimate, people-centred work.
- Travel and displacement — On Seeing Mr. Tang Leave to Tsinghai, Dragon Blue and Andarilho Marquês / Antas indicate movement, observation and encounters abroad.
- Film and moving image — Casa de Lava – Caderno, Vitalina Varela – Caderno de Rodagem and Familia Aeminium are connected to the cinema of Pedro Costa, so the list crosses into film production notebooks and related visual research.
- Artist books and editions — the emphasis on cadernos, small-format books and editions makes the object itself part of the subject.
A useful way to read the list is by format as much as by theme: some titles are straightforward photobooks, while the cadernos sit closer to film-making documents and working notebooks.
If you are deciding what to look at first, start from the creative connection you already follow. A reader interested in Portuguese documentary photography might begin with Guiné-Bissau 1990 or Lisboa Cliché; someone drawn to cinema would look at the Pedro Costa cadernos; a reader interested in contemporary portraiture might choose Patrícia. Availability varies, since some titles are shown as sold out.
Are there any limited edition or signed copies available from Pierre von Kleist editions?
The Pierre von Kleist storefront does not label items as limited editions or signed copies in the catalogue text shown. Listings appear as standard product entries with a title, creator and price, and some are marked "Sold out." If you specifically need a signed or numbered copy, treat that as a request to confirm directly rather than something you can assume from the listing.
H3 Practical ways to check
- Look at the individual product page: edition size, printing details and signature status usually appear in the description or specification block, not on the category page.
- Search the shop for terms like "signed," "numbered," "edition of" or "special edition"; if nothing returns, the shop likely does not separate these as a category.
- Note that "Sold out" on a title means the shop's current stock is gone; it does not tell you whether a signed or limited version ever existed.
- Email the publisher with the exact title and creator, and ask: is this a signed copy, is it numbered, what is the edition size, and is a reprint expected?
H3 Who this matters for
Collectors and photographers buying as an investment will care about edition size and signature, because those details affect resale and provenance. Readers who simply want the book to use will usually be fine with a regular trade copy, which is what the listings appear to represent. The trade-off is straightforward: confirming provenance takes extra time and may cost more, while buying the standard listing is faster but gives you fewer guarantees.
H3 A concrete next step
Pick the specific title you want — for example one of the Pedro Costa cadernos, which are film-related and often of interest to collectors — and ask the publisher directly whether any signed or numbered copies remain, and whether they can hold one while you pay. If they confirm, ask them to note the condition and edition details on the invoice so you have a record.
For broader context on artists' book publishing and editions, Tate and MoMA publish useful collection and publishing material, though neither sells this publisher's titles.
How does Pierre von Kleist editions support emerging artists through its publishing program?
Pierre von Kleist editions is a small, artist-run publishing house in Lisbon founded by photographers André Príncipe and José Pedro Cortes. Its model of support is less about open calls or mentorship programs and more about publishers who are themselves practicing artists repeatedly publishing book-length photographic work — including their own.
The catalog on Pierre von Kleist shows how that works in practice:
- Recurring relationships. José Pedro Cortes appears with Casa Capital, Ocean Rain, Patrícia and One's Own Arena; André Príncipe with Mana, Andarilho Marquês / Antas, Anima and On Seeing Mr. Tang Leave to Tsinghai. Publishers who keep returning to the same photographers give them room to develop a body of work across several books rather than a single debut.
- A wider circle beyond the founders. The list includes Keiko Nomura, Nuno Barroso, Daniel Blaufuks, António Júlio Duarte, Augusto Alves da Silva and Marianne [surname truncated in the source], plus collaborations around Pedro Costa's films. That suggests an editorial reach past the two founders' own circles.
- Small-format, affordable objects. Several titles sit in the lower price band relative to the rest of the catalog, which matters for readers who want to encounter an unfamiliar name without a large outlay. Some titles are marked sold out, a sign of limited print runs typical of this kind of publishing.
- Film-adjacent notebooks. The Caderno titles connected to Pedro Costa indicate a willingness to publish working documents and process material, not only finished portfolios.
How to use this as a reader or artist
If you are an emerging photographer, treat this as a model rather than a submission pipeline: the visible pattern is long-term editorial relationships, not a public application route. Study which photographers recur, what format their books take, and how the work is sequenced.
If you are a buyer, start with one lower-priced title by a name you don't know, then compare it against a more expensive one to judge whether the production quality justifies the step up. Availability is the practical constraint — check whether a title is in stock before planning around it.
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