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Curious and critical art and design publications. All editions available online, get in touch for publishing solutions.

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Shifting Ground by Felicity Fenner @flisf designed by @evi_o @evi_o.studio is nominated for @bestdesignawards

Shifting Ground:The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain is an exploration into the recent shifts in the rationale, methodology and engagement with art projects in the Australian public domain. Addressing a history long dominated by former colonialist imperatives from voices of privilege, the publication examines a contemporary cultural resurgence that has embraced inclusivity, respect and activism in artistic and place-based storytelling. It captures the growing visibility and necessity of First Nations art, perspectives and history which has shaped our knowledge systems in ecological preservation and cultural justice.

Featuring a foreword by artist and curator Tony Albert, alongside four essays and eleven case studies by leading practitioners and experts, the book serves as a contemporary reference for understanding the evolving landscape of public art in Australia.

The design prioritises clarity of reading, with understated typographic systems paired with a varied and considered presentation of artwork imagery. The text is presented with quiet authority, reinforcing its role in articulating cultural change.

The brown cover is subtly embossed with a grid of small squares, referencing systems of mapping, while black and white oblong forms overlay, expressing tension, transition - a shift. by @formisteditions

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a month ago

Natural Order by @dangarbarinsmith @mccartneyk published by @formisteditions has made it to @bestdesignawards 2026 finalists. We’d like to thank the jury for its inclusion.

Natural Order is an exploratory study into the creative methodology of landscape design practice Dangar Barin Smith. Emerging from the practice’s close collaborations with architects, the project extends an inquiry into the evolving relationship between built environments and nature, as mediated through landscape design.

The outcome is a series of structured conversations and twenty case studies, presented in book form.

The designer’s focus is on developing a material system that reflects the rare and investigative nature of Dangar Barin Smith’s practice. The cover is composed of abstracted fields of natural colour printed on cloth, overlaid with white screen-printed sketch. These motifs continue across the page edges, creating a continuous visual field that connects front and back and establishes the book as a cohesive, object-like presence.

The rigour of the material demands a restrained typographic approach, allowing content to be articulated with clarity and precision. Formalised layouts structure the presentation of project photography, while distilled data sets enable each project to be understood at a glance. A limited colour palette further reinforces the discipline and coherence of the overall design system.

Annotated garden plans offer a deeper reading of each project, revealing layers of process and intent, while accompanying sketches introduce an interpretive, illustrative dimension that articulates the aesthetic sensibility of the practice. by @formisteditions

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2 months ago

Visit us @objectspace Book Fair in Aotearoa this Saturday.

We’ll be bringing a good range of art and design titles. Any special requests, don’t be shy to DM us, we’ll be sure to pack them in our suitcase!

11am – 4pm
Saturday 13 June 2026

Objectspace, Ockham Gallery, Ground Floor.
13 Rose Road, Ponsonby
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Objectspace book fair identity designed by @practisetheory by @formisteditions

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4 months ago

A Late Afternoon Return to Natural Order With Dangar Barin Smith⁠
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Months on from the launch, we gathered again with @dangarbarinsmith and @mccartneyk at the @bebitalia outdoor showroom at @spacefurniture for a late afternoon conversation on landscape, craft and the ideas behind Natural Order.⁠
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There is something fitting about returning to this book in an outdoor setting as the light softens. The work of Dangar Barin Smith has always been about that quality of presence, the way a garden holds its ground quietly and with great intention.⁠
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Thank you @leighton_clarke and the team at @spacefurniture @bebitalia outdoor for hosting and to @dangarbarinsmith and @mccartneyk for your always insightful and inspiring contributions.⁠
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Natural Order is available now at Formist Editions and all good bookshops. Link in bio.⁠
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Natural Order by Dangar Barin Smith⁠
Editor @mccartneyk⁠
Publisher @formisteditions⁠
Distributed by @perimeterbooks⁠
Landscape Design @dangarbarinsmith by @formisteditions

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6 months ago

From the author of Bodybuilding: Melanie Cobham @melcobham
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Created in a time marked by isolation and extended lockdowns, Cobham utilised photography to observe, make sense of and connect with her new surroundings. The photobook, as a result, portrays a quiet and contemplative view of Melbourne/Naarm’s urban landscape, devoid of people and filled with fleeting details, surreal reflections and architectural forms.

Bodybuilding by @melcobham has been shortlisted in photo book of the year by @photocollective_au . View the whole shortlist in person at @melphotobookfair this weekend, with winners announced on Saturday 21 March 5pm.
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Available via Formist Editions website, link in bio and all the good bookshops.
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Interview and edit by @hybridcorp.llc
B-roll by Francisco Sánchez-Varela and @andrewgrune taken in Melbourne, Australia by @formisteditions

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7 months ago

Join us to celebrate the launch of ‘Shifting Ground: The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain’, a new publication by Felicity Fenner, published by Formist Editions.

🕠 5.30–7.00pm Wednesday 18 March 2026
📍 UNSW Galleries
🔗 Register via the link in our bio

Hear from the author Felicity Fenner in conversation with Danielle Robson, Principal Curator at Urban Art Projects (UAP), as they discuss how plural knowledges, contested histories, and evolving civic imaginaries are shaping contemporary art in the Australian public domain.

The book will be launched alongside ‘close reader: complex notophyll vine forest’ by Clare Milledge and Ineke Dane. taken in UNSW Galleries by @formisteditions

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Congratulations @melcobham ! Bodybuilding has been shortlisted in photo book of the year @photocollective_au in great company of recent Australian and New Zealand photobooks.

Bodybuilding: Flâneuring the strangely familiar is the debut photobook of multidisciplinary artist and photographer Melanie Cobham which traces her early years in Melbourne/Naarm after relocating from Uruguay just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Created in a time marked by isolation and extended lockdowns, Cobham utilised photography to observe, make sense of and connect with her new surroundings. The photobook, as a result, portrays a quiet and contemplative view of Melbourne/Naarm’s urban landscape, devoid of people and filled with fleeting details, surreal reflections and architectural forms. by @formisteditions

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7 months ago

We’re excited to announce our new project, Soul of Chinatown: The Book.

We are embarking on a special journey with publisher @formisteditions to create a book about the people and places of Sydney’s Chinatown. With a history spanning nearly two centuries, Chinatown serves as the spiritual home of Chinese-Australians and now the wider Asian-Australian community.

What makes Chinatown special is its people. From the restaurant owners, shopkeepers, characters and community leaders – Chinatown would not be what it is today without their resilience, sacrifice and ultimately, success.

This is not just a history book: it’s a publication that will delve into the people and places of Chinatown, with a behind the scenes look at the area and the stories that make it tick. It’s a snapshot of Chinatown in 2026, with glances towards the past and the future.

Our core team:

Kevin Cheng (@kevincheng): Editorial Lead and Co-Author
Rosanna Chim (@rosannachim): Co-Author
Hayden Wong (@haydos.photos): Art Director
Evi O (@evi_o): Book Designer
Peter Wong (@petewongkee): Community Producer
Tyler Kang (@tks.studio): Video Producer
Formist Editions (@formisteditions): Publisher

We have chosen to partner with @formisteditions so we can fully tell the stories of Chinatown and do it justice, retaining full creative control. But we need your help in fundraising to bring this book to life: all proceeds will go towards producing the book, including its 100% Asian-Australian team of creatives. Fundraising link in the bio!

We can’t wait to bring you along on this journey.

Soul of Chinatown: The Book
Coming in 2027.

🖼️: @haydos.photos taken in Chinatown, Sydney by @formisteditions

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8 months ago

Give the gift of books this Christmas.
Order by Thursday, December 18th to get them on time.
Thank you for all the support this year.
It means the world to us. by @formisteditions

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10 months ago

20.11.2025 @btwn.lns : Thank you everyone who came and supported the launch of Shifting Ground by Felicity Fenner @flisf at @btwn.lns last night. It was a memorable evening with conversations led by Felicity and Glenn Wallace @glenn_wallace (City of Sydney’s Special Projects Program Manager) discussing the cultural influence art in the public domain can create, and the rare behind the scenes of their development. We had an inquisitive room of artists, curators and commissioners contributing thoughts - a reflection of the topics this optimistic title has explored. The conversation must continue.

Thank you once more to @btwn.lns who have kindly opened their space for us this year and our sponsors @drink.framer @thegrifterbrewingco

Shifting Ground is available online from @formisteditions and all the good bookshops.

Book design by @evi_o.studio
Photography by @hybridcorp.llc @andrewgrune

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Reframing art, reclaiming place and reshaping cultural memory.

Shifting Ground:The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain is an exploration into the recent shifts in the rationale, methodology and engagement with art projects in the Australian public domain. Addressing a history long dominated by former colonialist imperatives from voices of privilege, the publication examines a contemporary cultural resurgence that has embraced inclusivity, respect and activism in artistic and place-based storytelling. It captures the growing visibility and necessity of First Nations art, perspectives and history which has shaped our knowledge systems in ecological preservation and cultural justice.

With a foreword by contemporary artist and curator Tony Albert and four essays and eleven case studies written by leading industry practitioners and experts that have been at the forefront of this cultural shift, the book is a present-day reference in understanding the changing landscape of public art in Australia. taken in Btwnlns - Between Lines by @formisteditions

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a year ago

OUT TODAY: Shifting Ground:The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain is an exploration into the recent shifts in the rationale, methodology and engagement with art projects in the Australian public domain. Addressing a history long dominated by former colonialist imperatives from voices of privilege, the publication examines a contemporary cultural resurgence that has embraced inclusivity, respect and activism in artistic and place-based storytelling. It captures the growing visibility and necessity of First Nations art, perspectives and history which has shaped our knowledge systems in ecological preservation and cultural justice.

Congratulations to author Felicity Fenner @flisf , contributing authors Tara Heffernan @taraheffers , Alison Page @alison_joy_page , Amy Spiers @spiers_amy , Prudence Gibson @gibsonprue . We are thankful for Tony Albert @tonyalbert for the poignant foreword and all the artists and curators that have contributed to the case studies that made this book the present-day reference in understanding the changing landscape of public art in Australia.

Shifting Ground is available online at @formisteditions and all the good bookshops, proudly distributed by @perimeterbooks

Book design by @evi_o.studio @evi_o motion by @wooheong book photograohy by @hybridcorp.llc

We are celebrating tonight in Sydney @btwn.lns , Felicity Fenner will be joined by City or Sydney’s Glenn Wallace for conversations. Everyone is welcome. by @formisteditions

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Out this week: Shifting Ground:The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain by Felicity Fenner @flisf , with contributing essays by Tara Heffernan @taraheffers , Alison Page @alison_joy_page , Amy Spiers @spiers_amy and Prudence Gibson @gibsonprue , with foreword by Tony Albert @tonyalbert

Available online @formisteditions and all the good bookshops.

——

Reframing art, reclaiming place and reshaping cultural memory.

Shifting Ground is an exploration into the recent shifts in the rationale, methodology and engagement with art projects in the Australian public domain. Addressing a history long dominated by former colonialist imperatives from voices of privilege, the publication examines a contemporary cultural resurgence that has embraced inclusivity, respect and activism in artistic and place-based storytelling. It captures the growing visibility and necessity of First Nations art, perspectives and history which has shaped our knowledge systems in ecological preservation and cultural justice.

With a foreword by artist and curator Tony Albert, four essays and eleven case studies written by leading industry practitioners, the book is a present-day reference in understanding the changing landscape of public art in Australia. Public art examples include works by Abdul Abdullah, Tony Albert, Brook Andrew, Isabel & Alfredo Aquilizan, Badger Bates, Beastman (Bradley Eastman), Daniel Boyd, Craig Burton, Gary Carsley & Renjie Teoh, Megan Cope, David Cross, Keg de Souza, Dirt Witches Scrub Collective, Mikala Dwyer, Stevie Fieldsend/Douglas Annand, Chris Fox, Ghost Net Collective, Kate Golding, Agatha Gothe-Snape, Julie Gough, Tina Havelock Stevens, Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro, Mike Hewson, Callum Morton, Jacob Nash, James Nguyen, Tom Nicholson, Rose Nolan, Steven Rhall, Charles Robb, Linda Tegg, Judy Watson and Zakpage.

Felicity Fenner is a curator of contemporary art and Chair of the City of Sydney’s Public Art Advisory Panel. Recent projects include the role as curatorial advisor on Macquarie Group’s public art commissions for the Martin Place metro station, and as the state government’s curator of public art at Barangaroo.

Design @evi_o.studio by @formisteditions

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a year ago