This is the time for DIY
“Sometimes DIY isn’t just about the hands-on experience but about bringing to life unique ideas that can’t be mass-produced and must be realized by hand. In the more than a decade I’ve spent in book design, while there have been advancements in printing technology to make books look more refined, it has also brought with it subconscious production rules and assembly-line work patterns. When I started experimenting with DIY, it felt like a process of relearning, filled with pleasant surprises through trial and error. The thought process behind the DIY spirit involves breaking away from conventional norms and can enhance the creative drive – when you think of something, you just dive right in and make it happen.
Handcrafted items, despite inevitable rough details, convey the essence of craftsmanship, and they transmit the emotions and warmth that the work aims to express. So when creating DIY-ZINEs, using various techniques like collage, hole punching, threading, folding, and binding with string to refine the work is a way to find the most suitable presentation for inner ideas. Free from the constraints of rules, the final result appears even more unique.”
– Greenie
The sixth session of the Summer Book Club had Greenie, the organizer of “Many Phenomena,” as a guest speaker and workshop instructor. “Many Phenomena” is a ZINE culture research studio with extensive experience in conducting ZINE-making workshops. In this session, the event revolved around the theme of DIY-ZINEs, and “Many Phenomena” brought DIY practical technique-related books and books they had participated in, which incorporated DIY elements, to share with everyone. During the workshop segment, participants learned various techniques for making DIY-ZINEs, and there was plenty of time for hands-on DIY fun, where they created their own DIY-ZINEs.
Guest Speaker/Workshop Instructor
Greenie, Organizer of “Many Phenomena,” Book Designer
“Many Phenomena” uses design and imagery, employing ZINEs/small printed materials as the medium, to study a specific culture (phenomenon) in the surroundings. They organize offline ZINE workshops and sharing sessions across the country, involving discussions and DIY-ZINE production on various everyday themes such as gender, environment, and life.
Event Schedule
Date: August 26th Time: 14:00-17:00
Event Flow
- Sharing of DIY-Related Books – 40 minutes
- Introduction to DIY Tools & Hands-on Crafting – 20 minutes
- Free DIY-ZINE Creation – 90 minutes
- Exchange and Discussion of ZINE Works – 30 minutes
ZINEs Designed by “Many Phenomena”
“Born this Way: Returning to the Origin of Human-Land Relationships”
In “Born this Way,” BottleDream interviewed nearly ten individuals who are exploring human-land relationships in various ways. It includes the architect-designer who’s learning to live like a bird, the Fujian girl Xiao Yang who uses local food symbols to sustain human-land relationships, and Chu Xiao, who reevaluates “anthropocentrism” through the study of inclusive language… In these “unfinished” and “undetermined” dialogues and collisions, we unravel the overarching theme of humans and nature, dissecting it into a concrete, reflective, and sensory-rich relational question—our relationship with the trees on the streets, the dogs at home, the stray cats in the neighborhood, the small insects around the kitchen sink… and our connection with the land beneath our feet.
Artist Book “M1”
Before bidding farewell to the city of New York, the artist took a seat on the M1 bus, which shuttles between Soho and Harlem. Through the bus window, they captured the “scenes” of every street corner. Observing the city’s streets, pedestrians, and architecture in the direction of the M1 route. The information in the photographs, such as street scenes, locations, and directions, as well as the relationship between roads and buildings… Through the design of folding and display, the temporal and spatial relationships of these “scenes” are reconstructed, showcasing the unique composition of urban streets and the passage of time and space.
In the workshop, Greenie presented previous collage ZINEs, including her own, as references. Participants learned techniques using a wide variety of collage materials. After acquiring various DIY-ZINE skills, attendees had more ideas and could continue creating diverse ZINEs even at home!
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