Formist Editions

A Late Afternoon Return to Natural Order With Dangar Barin Smith⁠ ⁠ 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.⁠ ⁠ 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.⁠ ⁠ 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.⁠ ⁠ Natural Order is available now at Formist Editions and all good bookshops. Link in bio.⁠ ⁠ Natural Order by Dangar Barin Smith⁠ Editor @mccartneyk ⁠ Publisher @formisteditions ⁠ Distributed by @perimeterbooks ⁠ Landscape Design @dangarbarinsmith

From the author of Bodybuilding: Melanie Cobham @melcobham - 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. - Available via Formist Editions website, link in bio and all the good bookshops. - Interview and edit by @hybridcorp.llc B-roll by Francisco Sánchez-Varela and @andrewgrune

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.

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.

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

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.

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 — 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.

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.

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

Join the launch of Shifting Ground: The Evolving Role of Art in the Australian Public Domain by Felicity Fenner @flisf this Thursday Nov 20 6pm at @btwn.lns Felicity will be joined in conversation with the City of Sydney’s Glenn Wallace, Special Projects Program Manager (Public Art). Refreshments: @drink.framer @thegrifterbrewingco . Artists, curators, architects, developers and commissioners, don’t miss this one. Shifting Ground is available online at @formisteditions and the good bookshops, distributed by @perimeterbooks – 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 artist and curator Tony Albert and essays supported by case studies written by leading industry practitioners, the book charts the changing landscape of public art in Australia. Featured projects include works by Tony Albert, Daniel Boyd, Megan Cope, David Cross, Keg de Souza, Mikala Dwyer, Claire Healy & Sean Cordeiro, Mike Hewson, Callum Morton, Linda Tegg, Judy Watson et al among others internationally. Felicity Fenner is a curator of contemporary art and Chair of the City of Sydney’s Public Art Advisory Panel. Her curations include the 2008 Adelaide Biennial, Australia’s group exhibition for the 2009 Venice Biennale and the 2017-2019 Perth Festivals. She is also the founding director of UNSW Galleries. 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.

Big thanks to everyone who braved the rain and came to @perimeterbooks for the launch of ‘bodybuilding’ on Saturday 💘 This whole process has been beyond anything I could have dreamed of. Thank you to @evi_o.studio & @formisteditions for the epic design and publishing; to the @cityofyarra for generously supporting the project, to @perimeterbooks for hosting the launch, to @catlincatlincatlin and @laing.damien for their excellent writing and to @laing.damien for sitting down for a chat on launch night. Thank you to all the friends across continents who have contributed to this project with time, words of advice and general support. This book has been in the works for a long time, and I am very happy to see it out in the world 🥲 If you missed the Melb launch, we are continuing celebrations at @btwn.lns (Sydney), this coming Saturday the 15th Nov at 1pm. Really keen to hang out so please come along! Photos by @evi_o & Fran

Gadigal/SYD: Join us celebrating the launch of Bodybuilding by @melcobham at @btwn.lns Newtown, 1pm this Saturday. Artist @melcobham will be in conversations with publisher @evi_o sharing process and memories of a body of work that is created during a strangely familiar time. Refreshments will be provided by @lukeavenue @drink.framer and @thegrifterbrewingco Booksigning and limited edition prints will be availabe on the day. Everyone is welcome, see you there. Bodybuilding is available on all the good bookshops or online at @formisteditions website. —- Flâneuring the strangely familiar 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. The photographs reflect the perspective of the modern-day flâneur, observing and examining her surroundings with an intentional sense of detachment; one that allowed Cobham to immerse into the city experiencing an urban standstill. The result is an introspective and deeply poetic observation of a city through a pair of unfamiliar eyes, transforming solitude with curiosity and wonder. Cobham’s studies include Design, Fine Arts, Filmmaking, Communication and Silversmithing, having recently completed a Master of Contemporary Arts at the Victorian College of the Arts. Texts: @melcobham @catlincatlincatlin @laing.damien Design: @evi_o.studio