Once again this year, the Best Books from all over the World competition was held by the Leipzig-based Buchkunst Foundation. An international jury examined approximately 500 books from 30 countries, all winners of national competitions. In Switzerland, 19 books were selected at the 2020 The Most Beautiful Swiss Books awards and two beautiful books printed by Musumeci were among them.
So, which of our company’s books won prizes in 2020?
The first is entitled Dimension of Two, a publication that brings together some of the most important projects by Norm studio, founded by designers Dimitri Bruni, Manuel Krebs and Ludovic Varone. The book, self-produced by Norm, is an in-depth yet manageable compendium of their many years of graphic research. The nine chapters are devoted to topics such as proportions, page layouts, graphic objects and letters. The presentation contains many drawings, mostly in black and white, as well as the cover, and diagrams of various types illustrated with minimal text. The work, which can also be considered an atlas of the Norm world, moves from an overall perspective to a close-up examination. Not by chance, the title Dimension of Two recalls Powers of Ten by Charles and Ray Eames.
The second book printed by Musumeci to be counted among the most beautiful Swiss books of the year 2020 is entitled Sympathie. It is the first catalogue from the new management team at the Centre d'Art Neuchâtel (CAN) and it stands out especially for its unusual organisation of the material. Not your standard exhibition catalogue, therefore. The uneven quality of the photographic material – anecdotal snapshots, Instagram images, etc. – demanded a layout that gave more weight to the sequence of events and plurality than to individual images: each image is dated, arranged chronologically and inserted in varying sizes and quantities on each page. The result is a linear yet rhythmic documentation that creates an evocative atmosphere. The inviting title, flexible black and yellow cover and mere 90 pages give it a nice, informal and understated feel.
We are very proud to have contributed to the production of these two splendid books, which once again demonstrate that Musumeci's uncompromising pursuit of quality always pays off.
