1413 Magazine #8
240 x 315 mm, 156 pages
Beijing, China (Chinese and English-language)
First published 2015
Editors-in-chief and design: Echo Wu and Lisa Zeng
‘A tickle fight with Chinese culture’
Named after the number on the door of the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology classroom it was first conceived in, bilingual magazine 1413 offers a unique glimpse of contemporary China, filtered through a nostalgia for 90’s visual culture and a healthy dose of humour. It’s unlike anything else out there at present.
Issue eight explores the theme of ‘Destiny’, celebrating the magazine’s tenth year in print. Central to the issue is the Chinese concept of ‘yuan’, an expression without a direct English translation that loosely encompasses the phenomenon of predetermined fate or, as editors Echo and Lisa put it in their closing remarks, ‘a kind of optimistic surrender’. Opening with an earnest montage, piecing together cinematic imagery with subtitles to form a touching narrative around the theme, the issue combines thoughtful reportage on the impact of modern technology on traditional Chinese matchmaking practices with parody dating ads. This mix of moods is presented with a graphic attitude referencing social media, gaming and print media.
On the Journal
At work with Echo Wu: ‘I like the idea that as a graphic designer I can do something to document my culture in any way. It feels meaningful, like I’m doing something more than just making things look nice.’
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