Poster by Meghan Forbes and Connor Frew (image courtesy Meghan Forbes)
It seems that zines, periodicals, and small presses have become more visible and popular despite, or even because of, the internet. On the one hand, publishers are using digital platforms for archiving their materials and reaching wider audiences; on the other, our digitally oriented lives have left us with a craving and special appreciation for physical projects.
This Thursday through Saturday, May 11–13, the Institute for Public Knowledge at New York University is hosting “Summoning the Archive,” a three-day symposium and festival dedicated to printed matter and digital archiving. Organized by Meghan Forbes, a visiting scholar at the institute and founder of the small press harlequin creature, the event positions periodicals and magazines as “a leading platform for social and political engagement, and artistic innovation.” You can learn more about the political history of independent printed projects at the symposium, where there’ll be panels dedicated to radical collage and feminist and queer periodicals from the ’60s and ’70s.
The programming will culminate on Saturday with the print fest, which includes a rich range of exhibitors. I’m especially looking forward to checking out J. Expressions, a pop-up library that spotlights art and writing from southeast Queens, and La Liga Zine, which publishes writing about cultural identity by Latinxs, Chicanxs, and Latin Americans.
When: Symposium: Thursday, May 11–Saturday, May 13; Print Fest: Saturday, May 13, 2–5pm
Where: 20 Cooper Square, 5th Floor (East Village, Manhattan)
More info here.
