Flaneur #8
The eighth issue of the nomadic Flaneur magazine was made in, and dedicated to Kangding/Wanda Road in Taipei – a road so long that its name changes halfway down. Once again Studio Yukiko have provided their winning graphics, this time inspired by the bright street signs on Wanda Road; the result is a cacophony of colour. We break it down here in five pictures.
ONE: Artist Zhang Xu Zhan has illustrated ten pages with his signature combination of photography, text and digital drawings. Photographs of dead fish at the market are accompanied by a surreal story; it’s a punchy and multi-layered introduction to this issue.
TWO: Some wonderful photos of artist Yu Cheng-Ta are under the headline ‘DOUBLE FANTASY’. A story about Taiwanese geishas, in particular Wang Xiangchan (1886 – ?) inspired Yu to study their hand gestures and body movements, documenting his own self-transformation in the process.
THREE: Every colour under the sun has been included in issue eight. Oranges, yellows, reds, greens and blues especially dominate, with neon pink a constant feature throughout. These pages are a great example of how Flaneur magazine utilises space; everything fits together so well. Information almost takes a back seat, while colours and shapes are considered first.
FOUR: The textual journey down Kangding/Wanda Road is continued every 20 pages or so under the subtitle ‘GHOST MONTH’, a reference to the traditional Buddhist and Taoist festival that was taking place during the assemblage of this issue. This issue is fully translated, and the English text slots in nicely around the Chinese.
FIVE: I think this is Flaneur’s best cover yet. Taking visual inspiration from Taiwanese newspapers, Studio Yukiko’s Johannes Conrad and Michelle Phillips have organised every piece of information into boxes. Outlined in blue and red that clashes with the bubblegum pink background, they resemble the neon signs you’ll find at smattered all the way down Kangding/Wanda Road.
Publisher: Ricarda Messner
Editors-in-chief: Fabian Saul and Grashina Gabelmann