Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Diary
blog

Acute Art director Daniel Birnbaum's latest move 'is almost like a thriller'

The Art Newspaper
19 July 2022
Share
Dr B., the story of a German-Jewish journalist who escapes to Stockholm in the 1930s, draws on the real-life story of Birnbaum's grandfather Courtesy: Harper Collins

Dr B., the story of a German-Jewish journalist who escapes to Stockholm in the 1930s, draws on the real-life story of Birnbaum's grandfather Courtesy: Harper Collins

Daniel Birnbaum, the director of the technology company Acute Art, is not just a familiar face on the art-world circuit. The former director of the Moderna Museet in Stockholm is now also a novelist, having penned the book Dr. B., which, according to the publishers, is “a riveting story of émigrés, spies and diplomats that shines a light on a forgotten corner of World War II history”. His literary debut tells the story of Immanuel Birnbaum, a German-Jewish journalist based in Warsaw who escapes to Stockholm in the 1930s.

Crucially, the book is based on the author’s own grandfather. At the end of the tome, Birnbaum explains more: “It was never my intention to create a psychologically accurate portrait. In my account [Immanuel] is at the centre of a labyrinth of astonishing interconnections and exposed to fiercely hostile powers.” So, do fiction and truth mix in the book? “This is a piece of fiction but it is close to things that did happen. The story is almost like a thriller,” Birnbaum adds.

DiaryFictionAcute Art
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Diaryblog
1 July 2021

More Sir? Cold War Steve serves up Boris Johnson as odious workhouse master in Oliver Twist

The Art Newspaper
Diaryblog
22 June 2021

Nature is healing: New York Botanical Garden finally opens Yayoi Kusama Infinity Room

The Art Newspaper
Diaryblog
25 May 2020

Wear art inspired by the Met Museum—take the #MetMaskChallenge

The Art Newspaper
Diaryblog
24 June 2021

You ain’t nothing but a pound dog—€100,000 needed to pep up Jeff Koons’ pooped puppy

The Art Newspaper