Eline Benjaminsen, Dayna Casey

jury statement

★★
The Netherlands /// Niederlande
★★

A book with an extraordinarily distinctive visual language, teeming with energy and information that spills over the “riverbed” and beyond conventional page layouts, flooding the very edges of the book itself. Its design is as intricate as its content, executed with remarkable mastery, and stands as a striking example of how book design can create entirely new experiences, seamlessly uniting form and concept.

The work delves into the language and metaphors of finance – a universe inhabited by animals, myths, and curious ecologies. Drawing on financial slang, it illuminates the complex entanglement of economy, nature, and fiction, revealing how this specialised language shapes our perception of the world.

Historical illustrations are expertly positioned, combined, contextualised, and framed within a contemporary typographical system. Bold graphic choices command the reader’s attention, immediately drawing them into the book’s rich, multifaceted content. Despite the visual contrasts of the illustrations, the carefully considered graphic hierarchy prevents chaos, instead sparking curiosity and inviting readers to become explorers. The cover material also contributes to the overall interplay of design decisions. Combined with the illustration and restrained white typography, the olive-coloured surface provides an ideal counterpoint, situating itself naturally within the realm of contemporary design and archival practice.

Leafing through the book is akin to entering an evidence room. Structured as an assemblage of visual essays, photography, and texts, it features contributions by Amy Bride, Sami Hammana, Marie Storli, and Alexis Wright. Visually, the book evokes the contemporary Whole Earth Catalogue.