Named after Richard Schlagman, an influential figure who is well known for reviving Phaidon Press, the eight new awards are designed to highlight the fertile relationship between the art world and publishing.
Held annually at London’s Whitechapel Gallery, the awards celebrate a diverse genre that not only encompasses art, but also covers the best in architecture, design, graphics and art history.
Challenged to create a new visual identity for the awards, Pentagram has produced a clear and instantly recognisable design. Led by a bold, typographical motif it is a brand that is both flexible and elegant in its simplicity. Recalling and inspired by the image of book spines as they sit upon a bookshelf, this subtle approach also conveys a timeless quality.
Encompassing easily-recalled elements from the art, design and printing worlds, Pentagram’s new identity can stretch across the diverse genres recognised by the awards yet is malleable enough to fit alongside and complement the Whitechapel Gallery’s longstanding brand identity. For the design of the trophy, Pentagram collaborated with the Swedish industrial designer Björn Dahlström.
