(This is) Air is a publication by Mess Books documenting architect Nic Brunsdon's 2023 NGV Architecture Commission of the same name. Expanding on the installation, the book brings together essays, conversations, project documentation and photography to examine the ecological, civic and political dimensions of air, inviting reflection on breathing as both a biological necessity and a shared social condition.

Designed as a compact softcover with a dust jacket, the book balances commissioned writing with technical documentation and visual essays. The material and graphic language of the publication echoes the lightness and movement of air. Printed on a lightweight, pulpy stock, the book has an intentionally delicate and ephemeral quality. The typeface, with its softened, rounded forms, recalls the spherical artwork.