The collection of Artists' Books held by the Herzog August Bibliothek was founded in the 1950’s with contemporary works of art by well-known French painters, known as “livres de peintre”. Artists have approached the medium of the Artists' Book in both traditional as well as experimental ways and these developments can be traced in the library‘s internationally renowned collection.

The international request for submissions is aimed at established book artists as well as the next generation of artist practitioners. It invites them to submit a concept for an Artists' Book that relates to the holdings or thematic focuses of the Herzog August Bibliothek. The Artists’ Book Prize includes prize money amounting to €6,000 and offers the recipient the opportunity to take part in a four-week research stay at the Herzog August Bibliothek. The new Artists' Book, which is to be completed over the course of one year, will be presented at the official awards ceremony in honour of the awardee.

Current awardee: Clifton Meador

Meador has been awarded this year's Artists' Book Prize by the Herzog August Library Wolfenbüttel and the Curt Mast Jägermeister Foundation for his project that takes the Thirty Years' War as the starting point for an artistic examination of the consequences of war up to the present day.

Press release...

The jury:

The award is decided by a jury made up of the following individuals:

• Peter Burschel, Wolfenbüttel (Director of the Herzog August Bibliothek)
• Nikoline Kästner, Staufen (Conservator of Works on Paper)
• Dr Johannes Mangei, Wolfenbüttel (Deputy Director of the Herzog August Bibliothek)
• Manja Puschnerus, Wolfenbüttel (Executive Board Member, Curt Mast Jägermeister Foundation)
• Dr Sabine Solf, Wolfenbüttel (Chair)
• Dr Stefan Soltek, Offenbach (former Director of the Klingspor Museum)

Awardees:

2018: Hyewon Jang, Halle, Ordnung im Wissen – Zusammenfluss der Bestände (= Bringing order to knowledge - Combining holdings)

2019: Marshall Weber, New York, The Wolfenbüttel People’s Library. The results of the project were shown in an exhibition. An interview with the awardee is available at HABlog.

2020: Ulrike Stoltz, Berlin, "Caro Giordano. A Search for Traces". Click here for the recording of the award ceremony. An online exhibition of the artist's book is also available.

2022: Beldan Sezen, New York and Amsterdam, Spielraum. Click here for the recording of the award ceremony.

2024: Clifton Meador, Vilas, North Carolina, USA