Why Hong Kong artists and activists are turning to zines in the digital age
The independently published ‘pocket-sized works of art’ are undergoing something of a resurgence worldwide. In Hong Kong, with its rich printing history, youngsters have discovered a whole other avenue of expression
To the untrained eye, “zines” don’t look like much: pamphlets stapled crudely together, featuring disparate topics and a range of art forms, such as cartoons, illustrations and photography. To collectors, they are pocket-sized works of art, and tools of self-expression.
Zines have been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Museums, universities and institutions across the United States are championing them, and if any proof of their current popularity were needed, the fact that American rapper Kanye West has produced one – 64 pages of vintage-style photography – should suffice.
Hong Kong, too, with its restive youth, is proving fertile ground.
The word a contraction of “magazines” or “fanzines”, zines were first popularised in the 1920s, by science-fiction fans. From the 1960s to the ’90s, they found favour within punk, feminist, gay and other counterculture scenes. They were typically duplicated using a monochrome photocopying machine and this low-budget, lo-fi aesthetic became a part of their appeal.
