Architectural Fanzines and Alternative Publishing Phenomenon Celebrated at the AA School
From photo-copied and print-on-demand newsletters such as Another Pamphlet, Scapegoat and Preston is My Paris, to beautiful magazines such as Mark, Spam and PIN-UP - ARCHIZINES is a new FREE exhibition curated by Elias Redstone for the Architectural Association School of Architecture that celebrates and promotes the recent resurgence of alternative and independent architectural publishing from around the world. The exhibition opens on 5 November and runs until 14 December 2011 at the AA School, 36 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3ES. [Press Preview and curator tour 4 November – details below]. ARCHIZINES showcases 60 architecture magazines, fanzines and journals from over 20 countries across the globe. [Full list below] From Australia and Argentina to the UK and USA, these independent publications are reframing how people relate to their built environment – taking comment and criticism out of just an architectural arena and into everyday life. The titles also provide platforms for architectural research and debate, and demonstrate the residual love of the printed word and paper page – providing an antidote to digital publishing. Each magazine is presented with video interviews with their creators enabling visitors to understand their approach to publishing architecture. ARCHIZINES began life as a personal collection of curator and writer Elias Redstone built from his international travels. He launched it as an online project, with art direction by Barcelona-based Folch Studio, at http://www.archizines.com. This website connected the titles, their readers and creators and enabled the collection to grow. The exhibition has been curated by Elias to capture this moment of publishing activity, allow people to view the publications – some of which currently have little international distribution – and encourage new editorial talent to emerge. Elias Redstone says: “I was surprised to come across independent publications in almost every country I visited that celebrate architecture and people’s experience of it. Many of these publications are only in their first few issues and, despite the increasing dominance of the internet, there is a real desire by architects, artists, students and others to express themselves through printed matter. From fanzines to academic and more professionally-oriented journals, these publications add an important, and often radical, addition to architectural discourse. I hope this project inspires more people to think critically about the buildings and spaces around them” To coincide with the exhibition the full ARCHIZINES collection will be transferred to the National Art Library at the V&A. By providing a permanent home for the publications collected as part of the ARCHIZINES research project, this period of publishing activity will be available as a public resource for generations to come. ARCHIZINES is part of the AA School’s ongoing programme of FREE talks, exhibitions and events enabling all those interested in architecture and the built environment to explore these subjects with the globe’s brightest thinkers and fore-most practitioners. The ARCHIZINES exhibition will tour internationally in 2012. An accompanying catalogue, published by Bedford Press, further explores the relationship between architecture and publishing with contributions from Pedro Gadanho (Beyond), Iker Gil (MAS Context), Adam Murray (Preston is my Paris), Rob Wilson (Block), Mimi Zeiger (Maximum Maxim MMX/loudpaper) and more. Themes addressed in a series of new essays include the role of publishing in academia and architectural practice, and the representation of architecture in fictional writing, photography, magazines and fanzine culture. Exhibition opening times: Monday to Friday 10am – 7pm, Saturday 9am – 5pm, closed Sunday.
Press Preview 4 November 10:00 – 12:00hrs: Tour of ARCHIZINES with Elias Redstone at the AA School, 36 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3ES. RSVP Maxim Bendall at Kallaway: 020 7221 7883 or email maxim.bendall@kallaway.com Further information: Kallaway PR
Praise for ARCHIZINES "An important cohesive resource for the design world." “The ultimate confluence of coolness” "This is a fantastic forum for an exchange of ideas and thoughts covering all aspects of the architectural realm. It sometimes takes an online platform like ARCHIZINES to demonstrate that the printed international architecture press is very much alive and kicking." "In an increasingly profit-driven, uncritical, image-ruled, and meaningless world, an initiative such as ARCHIZINES can never be valued highly enough." "After a few shows and historical recollections, finally there is an ongoing archive of those little magazines that, in architecture as in other cultural areas, are still popping up to reveal today's creative energy beyond an increasingly boring mainstream. For all reasons, ARCHIZINES is a project that Beyond is proud to support." “In a context where most mainstream architecture magazines do mainly mainstream architecture, publications which question the profession and the way we experience buildings and cities open up windows to other sources of thought and inspiration which can enrich the field.” The Architectural Association School of Architecture, is the world's most renowned international and influential school of architecture. Since 1847, it has pioneered a belief in architecture as profession, culture and form of human enquiry and is credited with fostering the creation of worldwide leaders of architecture. AA School alumni include architectural leaders Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Lord Rogers, Will Alsop and many others. Through its unique, year-long, unit based system of teaching, direct intervention in cities and its intensively collaborative team-based approach to learning, the school brings together disconnected worlds, fresh ideas and inspiring insights. The AA School is celebrated worldwide as an imaginative setting for architectural culture. The AA School, 36 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3ES, www.aaschool.ac.uk Folch Studio is a creative agency based in Barcelona. Launched by Albert Folch and Rafael Martínez in 2004 the Studio specializes in editorial design, art direction, publicity, exhibition design, website and video. National and international clients include Electric Youth! Magazine, Fanzine137, Fundació Miró, Mango, Metal Magazine, MUSAC, Peres Project, Tiger Magazine and TV3/C33. Bedford Press was initiated by the Architectural Association, London in 2008 as a publishing imprint that seeks to develop contemporary models of publication practice. The press aims to establish a more responsive model of small-scale publishing, nimble enough to encompass the entire chain of production in a single fluid activity, from initial commission to the final printing. Publications in the exhibition include :
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