One weekend of self publishing goodness at Motto, Berlin
First weekend of September has been the weekend of publication madness in Berlin. Miss Read book fair at the well-known Kunstwerke, parallel to this across the street an exhibition of books related to Miss Read at doyoureadme?! and as well Motto bookstore in Kreuzberg hosted a self publishing fair “Unter dem Motto” (list of participants here).
JB. dropped by at Motto on Sunday to have a look, birthday child mono.kultur organized a little talk about “Alternatives in Editorial Design” with themselves speaking, plus NODE Design Studio (early 032c, Monopol) and Mario Lombardo, former art director of German music magazine Spex and Liebling Zeitung, presenting some great examples. Tons of self publishers showing their books and magazines from the big art sphere, too much to mention here, too much to explore but some outstanding examples from the likes of Nieves Books or illustration magazine Fukt, mono.kultur or Werkplaats Typografie. Not only for magazine freaks!
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Champfest Mag, Issue One / The God Bless Cut & Paste Issue
On my short trip to Frankfurt last week I went to see the highly acclaimed Dieter Rams retrospective “Less And More” and met my long-time friend Thomas for some beers and an extraordinarily good Schnitzel at Restaurant Mosebach. Awesome! During the sunny walk through the city earlier that day I stopped by the nice Azita store. As their rags would have hurt my pocket money really bad, I decided to spend the rest of my bucks on magazines from their small selection. Next to the really well done and very personal Aortica Magazine, an alternative city guide and their first issue features the hometown of the makers: Frankfurt (check the feature on magculture). I picked the new mono.kultur #24 featuring French artist Cyprien Gaillard. The issue is simply incredible, as always. But more on this in a few days.
That was actually the discovery of the day: Champfest Mag, by the sisters Joanna and Monique Kawecki, based in Melbourne and London. A great designed magazine with the charm of a fanzine, printed on matt paper in about A5 format, with some great features.
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Enjoy the ride …
The summer just started as the date told us, but we are all still waiting for the constant flow and a settled weather that is, at least sometimes, known for this time. (When I publish this, the summer has finally arrived.) Work and World Cup is keeping us away from delivering fresh goods here at JB. In the meantime we recommend another awesome read: The Ride Journal.
It’s a great magazine for people who love bikes and share that passion around cycling, to be honest: share an obsession with bikes. But as with a lot of independent mag titles these days, there is no need to be another tired target group to find things here. Great storytelling, beautiful and particulary loads of illustrations, stunning photography. A plain and literally linear approach keeps you focused … text, picture, text, picture … nothing distracts the reader, it’s all very engaging. The whole magazine is extremely well curated and art directed from beginning to end. Love that! See some pictures below …
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Monkeys presenting the new issue of 032c
To ENERGIZE the reader…”
A simple reason for why I think this magazine is brilliant, I really admire the work and the radical approach of the
032c makers. I guess it is the same with e.g. music, art or design, whether it is about research, entertainment or just consuming, I am really into a story, digging for it to find that one extraordinary something. It corresponds to my nature that I scrutinise a piece of music that unifies a wide range of listeners, or a piece of art that is understandable to any viewer. When most of it is easily digestible, made for everyone to be understood, I am asking, has this art failed? And not rarely it gets boring and loses excitement. Not to be misunderstood, I think I have a soft spot for edgy things or in this case a magazine that is engaging with a certain approach far beyond the mainstream. And that’s where 032c is located … “We went so far underground that we came out on top of the other side of the new mainstream.”
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"Come into my kitchen…" — apartamento #05
Some more printed goodness for this week. As we love music on vinyl (showed in our other column) we also love magazines. Art and things and stories printed on paper for the haptic experience, for the sweet slowdown, the focus.
Issue #05 of interior magazine apartamento proves the approach of personality that underlies each story, the (meanwhile) known aesthetic of pictures showing residencies and some of its private details of the inhabitants, feels familiar but still offers new surprises. Once again, the mixture of paper and colours in addition to its well-selected content makes this publication a very special editorial piece.
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Filled with an awesome selection of work — It's Nice That #03
That’s nice, caring for the creative and their art is what the folks of It’s Nice That from London are doing with their valuable printed good. They create an archive of work of artists they feature on their website in a bi-annual publication. They give respect and put value to the work that it deserves and giving it as well a history that otherwise could get lost in the quickness of the internet. On top of this, most of the work they feature online actually is designed for print. Their meanwhile third issue has been sent out early April and for all pre-orders, they put a black and white print by Parra to it.
JB. talked with editor and co-founder Will Hudson about the linkup of editorial content using both channels digital and print, magazine issue #03 and sustainability of graphic design. The interview will be soon online. Until then, follow their daily news on the website and have a look at the goodness inside the mag right here …
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The new 032c is out, with 284 pages full of mad things from the wide world of art and culture. As a Berlin resident I am delighted to have great places like do you read me?! and Motto Distribution to engage in my (other) obsession: edgy magazines. I guess, I am a fan of 032c, so I will pick up my copy of #19 early next week and add some shots of exciting spreads here. Look at the incredibly cool composed (or better: photoshopped) cover with these little monkey dudes. They make me not look closer at this class lady. Awesome!
