Daniel Weissbach aka COST aka DTagno

528 pages
Edited by Dirk Gössler, Steffen Köhler and Matthias Hübner
30.8 x 22 cm
Language: German, English
Hardback
Publisher: Ruttkowski;68
2024

Daniel Weissbach started writing graffiti in 1988. During the 90s he developed an individual and recognizable personal style as TEKNO/TAGNO, which came to perfection in the next decade when he switched his writer name to COST. With an unmatched flow in his tags, throw-ups and pieces he became one of Berlin’s top notch stylewriters. Besides being founding member of the reknown DIAMONDS crew in the mid 2000s, he also started experimenting with different forms and tools to create artworks, mainly under the alias DTagno. On top that a successful career as an artist emerged from 2010 on as Daniel Weissbach with international exhibitions.

In 2020 Daniel tragically passed away. Daniel Weissbach aka COST aka DTagno is the attempt to create a reminiscence to one of the most creative writers and artists of his generation. The book balances the trinity of his identities and respectfully allows the reader to get to know Daniel Weissbach, COST and DTagno and the various works connected to the three aliases. Although treated as separated by him, it is able to follow an ongoing interaction in between these names.

His full body of works in spotlighted in different alternating chapters, chronological and reverse chronological parts, as well as in statements from Weissbach. The content ranges from sketches to canvas works, legal and illegal pieces, scribbles and exhibition views, tags, outlines, or handwritten notes. His famous Das Gerät (the gadget) productions are featured next to his iconic Stellen (places) series, but also lesser known topics as Timelines, cave paintings in Crete or traditional writing works can be found in the book.

A broad variety of his œuvre is displayed in this beautiful produced hardcover and accompanied by texts and essays from Vincent Grunwald, Gregor Jansen, Olga Hohmann, Thomas Max Waldmann, Jöran Bellin-Lindberg, Robert Kaltenhäuser and Iris Hempelmann. Daniel Weissbach aka COST aka DTagno is an 528-paged exhibition catalogue, blackbook, collection of works, archive and tribute at the same time. Each section of the book invites us to engross the passion and love Daniel did put in his craft.