WOMEN represent the Quintessence of life and the epitome of beauty. The delicate skin of women is one of the strongest existential concepts: a conjunction of many meanings, attraction, sensuality and protection. Everything that surround us has some sort of skin, including our bodies and thoughts, they are covered by many types of skin, a link between a mysterious interior and our perception. Architecture (in spite of recent, violent attempts of destroying the idea of materiality) becomes real only... if a skin or veil protects it, setting inner and outer states. Perhaps we might find, in the details of that woman's hand, a complete Universe... Picture: Woman's hand (fragment) Copyright © Uwe Ommer 1995, from "Black Ladies", courtesy of Venedikt Taschen.