Cornish Family Prize for Art & Design Publishing

Established by the National Gallery of Victoria with the generous support of the Cornish family, the Cornish Family Prize for Art & Design Publishing was the first international prize of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region. Launched in 2017 as part of the Melbourne Art Book Fair, the prize recognized excellence and innovation in art and design publishing, awarding $15,000 AUD to the winning book and $1,000 AUD each to up to five finalists.

Unlike other publishing awards that focus on specific elements such as graphic design or print production, the Cornish Family Prize considered the book as a whole, celebrating its conceptual, editorial, and material contributions to contemporary art and design discourse. Open to publishers, artists, designers, writers, curators, and organisations worldwide, the prize aims to highlight publishing as a critical and experimental practice.

Each year, an expert panel assessed submissions based on their originality, design, production quality, and contribution to the field of art and design publishing. The winner is announced during the Melbourne Art Book Fair, which brings together an international community of publishers and practitioners in a weekend of book launches, talks, and exhibitions.

Previous Winners & Finalists

2020

Winner

Title: Perception [an A.I.-driven machine-reading of Magdelen D. Vernon’s The Psychology of Perception, first published in 1962]
Authors: Karen ann Donnachie and Andy Simionato
Publisher: Karen ann Donnachie and Andy Simionato

Finalists

Title: Cosmo-Eggs
Authors: Hiyoyuki Hattori, Motoyuki Shitamichi, Taro Yasuno, Toshiaki Ishikura, Fuminori Nousaku
Publisher: Case Publishing

Title: Real-Time Realist #2 (Typeface Don’t Care Typefaces Do Care)
Authors: Kasia Fudakowski, Paul Haworth, Carla & Karlis, Arvo Leo, Angharad Williams, Jaakko Pallasvuo, Lieven Lahaye, Nolwenn Salaün, Mikko Varakas, David Bennewith, Anders Frederik Steen and Jean-Marc Brignot, Josse Pyl, and Jungmyung Lee
Publisher: Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

Title: Mariana Castillo Deball: Replaying Life’s Tape
Authors: Hannah Mathews and Melissa Ratliff (editors), Mariana Castillo Deball (artist)
Publisher: Monash University Museum of Art and BOM DIA BOA TARDE BOA NOITE

Title: Is This Tomorrow?
Authors: Edited by Lydia Yee, with Cameron Foote and Trinidad Fombella
Publisher: Whitechapel Gallery

Title: The Clearing – A Report From The Future
Authors: Alex Hartley and Tom James
Publisher: Alex Hartley and Tom James

2019

Winner

Title: STUFF: Catalogue Archaeological Finds Amsterdam’s North/South Metro Line
Authors: Jerzy Gawronski and Peter Kranendonk.
Publisher: Van Zoetendaal

Finalists

Title: The Spots That Never Went
Author: Roelof Bakker
Publisher: Negative Press London

Title: Polly Borland: Morph
Authors: Polly Borland & Sibylla Phipps
Publisher: Perimeter Editions

Title: The Architecture of Closed Worlds: Or, What is the Power of Shit?
Author: Lydia Kallipoliti
Publisher: Lars Müller Publishers & Storefront for Art and Architecture

Title: Mutual Assured Destruction: Tony Garifalakis – Surpllus
Authors: Edited by Brad Haylock & Stuart Geddes
Publisher: Surpllus

Title: Gemma Smith: Found Ground
Author: Mark Gowing
Publisher: Formist

2018

Winner

Title: To Note: Notation Across Disciplines
Authors: Edited by Hannah Mathews, designed by Ziga Testen and Stuart Geddes
Publisher: Perimeter Editions

Finalists
Title: Celine Condorelli: Bau Bau
Authors: Nick Aikens, Céline Condorelli, Maria Lind, Andrea Lissoni and Marco Scotini, and designed by James Langdon
Publisher: Mousse Publishing

Title: Open Spatial Workshop: Converging in Time – Monash University Museum of Art
Authors: Bianca Hester, Terri Bird, Scott Mitchell, as Open Spatial Workshop, with contributions from Saskia Beudel, Kathryn Yusoff and Matt Poll, designed by Paul Mylecharane and Žiga Testen
Publisher: Monash University Museum of Art and Open Spatial Workshop

Title: Room
Authors: Edited by Laura Lord, texts by James Cahill, designed by Fraser Muggeridge studio
Publisher: Fraser Muggeridge studio and Sadie Coles HQ

Title: Erwin Polanc – Mariazell 8630
Authors: Erwin Polanc, Christian Hoffelner and Ulrich Tragatschnig, designed by CH Studio/Christian Hoffelner
Publisher: Fotohof and Erwin Polanc

Utopia/Dystopia: A Paradigm Shift in Art and Architecture – EDP Foundation
Authors: Pedro Gadanho, Joao Laia and Susana Ventura, designed by Mousse/Massimiliano Pace
Publisher: EDP Foundation

2017

Winner

Title: fecund lacuna / lacune féconde
Author: Marc Johnson
Publisher: Analogues

Finalists
Title: Episodic Urbanism
Author: Peter Elliott
Publisher: Uro Publications

Title: Nicholas Mangan: Limits to Growth
Author: Designed by Žiga Testen
Publisher: Monash University Museum of Art and Sternberg Press

Title: The Gentle Hand + The Greedy Eye: An Everyday Baroque Practice in Architecture
Authors: Rachel Hurst and designed by Catherine Griffiths
Publisher: Self-published by Rachel Hurst

Title: SPECIALISM
Authors: David Blamey and designed by Jonathan Hares
Publisher: Open Editions

Title: House is a House is a House is a House is a House: Architectures and Collaborations of Johnston Marklee
Author: Reto Geiser and designed by MG&CO, Noemi Mollet & Reto Geiser
Publisher: Birkhäuser, Johnston Marklee and Reto Geiser