Printnoiz / Mangaro – New Age – All the Best

Forget about easily explainable concepts, non-contradictory definitions, unambiguous artistic practices. The tradition of graphzines firmly resists precisely such attempts. The best thing about this polymorphic phenomenon, aside from its resistance to easy classification, is that it emerges from studios, living rooms, and kitchen tables, from those who have embraced the idea that neither formal education nor a vast printing and distribution network is necessary for creation and publishing; from those who have chosen to turn the lack of virtuosity and technical refinement into an advantage, a principle, and an adventure. A graphzine refers to graphic publications derived from fanzines (a term denoting publications created by fans and enthusiasts of a particular topic, intended for a specific community or thematic focus). Graphzines prioritize the visual over linear narrative. They are typically produced with modest means, in a craft-based and collective manner, using special paper and mixed printing techniques: photocopying, screen printing, risography, or offset printing. Their content rarely includes the names of authors, publication years, or page numbers, and their print runs, as well as their price, are easily countable.

The Printnoiz exhibition, originating in Marseille and reaching us via Paris through unpredictable routes, showcases the works of most artists active in the realm of graphzines from the 1970s to the present, spanning from printmaking to screen printing. It presents a panorama of independent and underground graphic publishing activities made possible by artists and collectors. As part of the Novo Doba festival, we will host artists from this scene: Pakito Bolino, Jean-Adrien Arzilier, and Craoman, who will introduce us to the Dernier Cri collective and their collaboration with Japanese artists. Dernier Cri is an international collective that emerged from the underground movement, dedicated to publishing screen prints, specializing in drawings, graphic art, and comics. It was founded by Pakito Bolino and Caroline Sury in 1992.

The exhibition also features the 2010 film Underground by director Francis Vadillo.

Photo: Subsite Zagreb