You don’t have to be an industry analyst to know that print publications have had an increasingly tough time of it since the internet really took off and advertisers took their money there. Of course, there will always be your fragrance producers and high-end watch manufacturers who are willing to pay for the value of association with a glossy fashion mag, but what about the indie publications who haven’t got the pulling power of Vogue, or the circulation?
Paper Weight, a new exhibition at Haus Der Kunst, is out to prove that the plucky underdog is not to be written off as merely a subversive bedroom hobby. When these independent magazines take off, they can be every bit as important as the glossy supermags from the giant publishing empires. Specially-created double-page spreads have been submitted by a wide selection of genre-defining editions from the 21st Century, summarising their output and philosophy. Among the contributors are the image-only, slightly nutty ones like We Heart favourite Toiletpaper, grown-up style for ladies (The Gentlewoman), men’s fashion and up-short specialist Fantastic Man, BUTT “for faggots” (their words, not ours, don’t start), hipster interior living from ever-brilliant Apartamento, and 10 others that have started up and gone on to make their mark since 2000.
Curated by the editor of architectural periodical Pin-Up, one of the magazines picked out for consideration, the exhibits come with a text containing behind-the-scenes insider information and an examination of these independents’ larger influence. The show runs until 27th October at the Munich gallery.
