A celebration of print: the Archizines exhibition tour comes to a close

Architectural Association's gallery
The Archizines exhibition kicked off its tour in 2011 with a show at the Architectural Association's gallery space
(Image credit: Sue Barr, AA School)

The Archizines exhibition currently on display in Moscow at Tsvetnoy Central Market features 100 magazines, fanzines and journals from over 20 countries around the world and is the largest survey of this subject to date. Moscow is also the final destination for the touring exhibition that was originally launched at the Architectural Association in London in November 2011. The exhibition has now visited 34 cities around the world including Tokyo, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Shanghai to become one of the most extensive exhibition tours ever, reaching an audience of thousands. 

I started collecting these publications in 2005 and curated Archizines to celebrate the resurgence I was noticing in publishing that was providing new platforms for architectural commentary, criticism and research. Interestingly this was taking place at a time when the world was going digital and these publications, resolutely passionate about print, were launched against the backdrop of the internet, blogging and social media. 'Against the haze of digital distraction, we crave an object to hold our attention - something to touch, to fold, to tuck in our back pocket, to discard,' said the editors of Another Pamphlet. 

The interest in the Archizines exhibition, and the publications included in it, has been phenomenal. Along with the Architectural Association, Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York had originally agreed to host the exhibition. However, as soon as the exhibition launched in London requests came flooding in to tour the show. As the show traveled new bespoke displays were designed by architects and designers such as Emilio Marin in Santiago de Chile and Sibling in Melbourne. Along the way new publications were discovered and added, and different events brought together editors, architects and critics to explore this contemporary relationship between architecture and publishing. 

It is now time for me to bring this project to a close. As a legacy for Archizines, the full archive is being transferred to the National Art Library at the Victoria & Albert Museum so the publications captured at this particular moment can be available now and for future generations.    

Man reading a book

A New York show soon followed in 2012

(Image credit: Naho Kubota)

Art and Architecture

The exhibition was held in the city's Storefront for Art and Architecture.

(Image credit: Naho Kubota)

Irish architecture foundation

Archizines also paid a visit to Dublin in 2012, at the Irish Architecture Foundation / NCAD Gallery

(Image credit: Eoin Kirwan)

books in the exhibition hall

Travelling east, Archizines made a stop at Osaka.

(Image credit: Kenta Hasegawa)

Three books on the table

The city's design museum hosted the show.

(Image credit: Kenta Hasegawa)

books on the timber Stools

...which was elegantly mounted on specially made timber stools. 

(Image credit: Kenta Hasegawa)

book show in Tokyo

Of course, the tour wouldn't be complete without a show in Tokyo.

(Image credit: Kenta Hasegawa)

Art books in the hall

Archizines were part of the Tokyo Art Book Fair in 2012.

(Image credit: Kenta Hasegawa )

Wooden stair and books hanging on the wall

Moving west, the tour went through Chicago in 2013.

(Image credit: Wallo Villacorta)

Public works gallery

Archizines showed at the Public Works gallery of Chicago.

(Image credit: Wallo Villacorta)

Three persons working on the exhibition

This was a true world tour - next stop, Sydney, Australia. 

(Image credit: Jessica Clarke-Nash)

Australian Design Centre in 2013

Archizines were displayed at UTS / Object: Australian Design Centre in 2013, in a design by Anthony Burke and Amanda Clarke.

(Image credit: Jessica Clarke-Nash )

Books show in venice

A show in Venice in 2013 brought the tour to Italy.

(Image credit: Gian Paolo Guacci)

people at new Archizines exhibition

A new Archizines exhibition opened this month in Moscow.

(Image credit: Tsvetnoy Central Market)

Final stop of exhibitions tour

On show now at Tsvetnoy Central Market, this is the touring exhibition's final stop.

(Image credit: Tsvetnoy Central Market)

Installation view of books

A specially made installation by The Ship was used to display the print material.

(Image credit: Gian Paolo Guacci)

woman reading the book

Visitors at Archizines Venezia could browse through the different titles

(Image credit: Gian Paolo Guacci)

Elias Redstone is Wallpaper’s Australia editor and an acclaimed arts leader. He is the founder and artistic director of Photo Australia / PHOTO International Festival of Photography, Melbourne. Previously, Elias was senior curator of The Architecture Foundation, London. He has curated exhibitions for museums and galleries internationally including Barbican Art Gallery, London; Storefront for Art and Architecture, New York; and Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne. His book Shooting Space: Architecture in Contemporary Photography is published by Phaidon.

With contributions from