Rachel Rose: Wil-o-Wisp

Presenting an ambitious new project by Rachel Rose (b. 1986) commissioned jointly by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin, this book offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on one of the most striking emerging voices in contemporary art. In the commissioned work, titled "Wil-o-Wisp", Rose has created a fictional narrative set in 16th-century agrarian England. Following the life of a healer-whose fate is marked by love and loss, the practice of magic, and the consequence of persecution-the work ruminates on the ways that perception and coincidence affect our experience in the world. This intimate look into Rose's creative process highlights the artist's interest in storytelling, scene-setting, and visual effects by including storyboards, production stills, script excerpts, and on-set photography. In a new interview, Rose discusses the core concepts behind this work and offers a revelatory firsthand account of how the commission evolved from conception to realization.