The "Most Beautiful German Books" awards ceremony was held in a glamorous atmosphere at Frankfurt's Museum Angewandte Kunst at the weekend. One of the 25 award-winning titles stood out in particular: "Shell Reader", designed by Canell / Watkins Studio, won the coveted Stiftung Buchkunst prize. The Berlin art book publisher BOM DIA BOM TARDE BOA NOITE was delighted to receive 10,000 euros in prize money.
Mother-of-pearl and textile
In times when digital media often take center stage, the annual award for the "25 Most Beautiful German Books" by the Stiftung Buchkunst reminds us of the value and aesthetics of special printed objects. This year's award winners also impressively demonstrated with their works that the book as an art form can fascinate again and again. From a total of 603 submissions and the 25 award-winning books, a five-member jury finally selected the winner of the Stiftung Buchkunst prize, which is endowed with 10,000.
The book "Shell Reader", commissioned by the Berlinische Galerie, was published to accompany the impressive installation "Muscle Memory" by Swedish artist Nina Canell, which consists of several tons of shells. "The work aims to open up a haptic understanding of how closely some of our ubiquitous building materials such as concrete, sand or even glass are related to biomineralization," says the artist about her proverbially multi-layered installation.
The book itself is also a work of art, it even seems like an extension of Canell's work and not least the architecture of the Berlinische Galerie. The milled edges of the pages are reminiscent of the feel of shells, as is the mother-of-pearl shimmering endpaper; the pages look like textiles and transport readers into a world of sensuality and aesthetics.
In total, the book presents over 300 full-page close-ups of shell fragments that look like portraits; skeletonized molluscs that captivate viewers and bring the hard protective shell of the soft sea creatures into focus. It was realized by Manuel Raeder and Elena Malzew from the Berlin art book publisher BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE, with graphic designer Robin Watkins responsible for the design.
The jury agreed that the incredibly coherent overall concept, the interplay of fine, sustainable papers and the attention to detail should be particularly recognized. Perhaps all the more so in a fast-moving, chaotic time like the coronavirus pandemic, which preceded the exhibition and confronted us in a completely new way with the roughness of nature - as well as our place in it.
Space for your own thoughts
The award ceremony itself was a festive highlight, with Carolin Blöink, interim director of the Stiftung Buchkunst, and Joachim Unseld, publisher of Frankfurter Verlagsanstalt and chairman of the foundation, presenting the prize.
"Paper has a special quality and feel. Printing on paper not only lasts for centuries, the stable materiality of paper offers a projection surface for your own thoughts. So let's read on paper."
Joachim Unseld, Chairman of the Board of the Stiftung Buchkunst
Our deputy editor-in-chief, who was allowed to give the laudatory speech as part of the jury, can only agree with this homage to paper as a material and the desire to think for oneself. "'Shell Reader' can be read as an invitation to gain access in the truest sense of the word, to follow the haptic, olfactory, visual and not least acoustic trail that the book lays down for you," says Sonja Pham. "To become aware of the proverbial burden that we humans are for our environment. But also to find space in it. To spend time in it. To engage in dialog with representatives of art and science alike."
In addition to the "Preis der Stiftung Buchkunst", the winners of the "Förderpreis für junge Buchgestaltung" were also honored. This prize honors innovative ideas and developments in the field of book design. The winners each received 2,000 euros for their groundbreaking works. The winners were Anna Wank ("Entblößen & Verdecken"), Shinichiro Shiraishi with Enno Pötschke ("Samsara") and Carlota Barberán Madruga ("Willkommen").
The award-winning books will now go on tour and be shown at various locations in Germany and abroad - a great opportunity for book lovers to experience these masterpieces of book art up close. The catalog with all the winners of the "Most Beautiful German Books 2023", created at Parat.CC, can be ordered now using the ISBN.
More about the work of the Stiftung Buchkunst
Further impressions of the award ceremony
Order the award-winning book "Shell Reader"
All other projects of the publishing house BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE
