The Archive of Fictive Landscapes is the project of a print magazine of annual release.
“Archive”
Encyclopedia and Atlas are role models for The Archive. Specifically, Aby Warburg’s “Mnemosyne” (a 1924-29 visual atlas that offers a research on the mechanisms of memory and symbolism and that is assembled through thematic associations), Gerhard Richter’s 1964 “Atlas” (4000 photographs and illustrations in relation to his paintings) and Batia Suter’s “Parallel Encyclopedia” (a collection of images) and “Surface Series” (an evocative assembly of found images that explores geology).
“Fictive”
Fictive is a French word that means fictitious. I came across it in 2012 at Cyprien Gaillard’s “Rubble and Revelation” exhibition. The last work exhibited was called “Real Remnants of Fictive Wars V (2004)”. I’ve improperly used the term from then on, thinking that it was the English for something related to fiction. Even so, it is so phonetically pleasant, that I’ve decided not to change it.
“Landscapes”
That same exhibition displayed an amazing research on landscapes. Cyprien Gaillard is in fact a French artist that works with abandoned landscapes, crumbling structures and decay, between minimalism, vandalism and Land Art, history, architecture and nature.
Similar effect (to C.G. work) on me had the very recent SuperSuperstudio exhibition in Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea (Milan). Superstudio was a 1960s architects union that reflected on utopias, creating and applying a white checked pattern to images of existing cities and natural landscapes.
The Archive is not a magazine in its ordinary definition, and it is also not a journal. Its purpose isn’t that to inform the reader of what is going on in the world, nor it is to provide critical thinking through long, elaborated essays.
i.e., if, when researching, the editor/contributor comes across a suspicious source, he should not worry. The Archive will not question a submission for its risk of being misleading, on the contrary it will reject plain and average work.
The Archive is to nourish, inspire and challenge the reader in relation to his creativity process (and not just for the good of his knowledge).
The attempt is made on the subject of landscapes.
The Archive is to recall existing fictive landscapes (and surroundings) as ideals, and to offer a collection of real landscapes with potential to play on. It will hopefully create, in its entirety, a Wunderkammer of pseudo methodically arranged landscapes.
The purpose is not to be a trustworthy reference, The Archive will sometimes play with what is fictive to make it sound real and with what is real to make it sound
fictive.
All issues will present a theme, in the form/name of a landscape.
All landscapes will be explored and developed from unusual and appealing angles, with an interdisciplinary approach.
The Archive will have a very strong visual identity, in between minimalism and surrealism. A neat but spicy, irrational aesthetic.
The Archive is primarily visual in its appearance, but words have also importance as they integrate images to convey a lively, provocative attitude.
The tone will always be impersonal but sharp humor will be regularly used.
The Archive aims to be a four dimensional medium. It will encourage the reader to enrich and further his creative exploration with interaction., i.e. “watch this movie”, “visit this place”, “play this game”, “describe this image”, “draw this…”
Also, games and challenges will be hidden throughout each issue.
While researching for the first issue, I’ve been looking into treasure hunts, as they were related to the thematic of pirates.
I came across ”Armchair treasure hunt”, an activity that requires solving puzzles or riddles and then using clues hidden either in the story or in the graphics of the book to find a real treasure somewhere in the real world.
This is the type of interactive requests that I have in mind, a sharp entertaining challenge, which would undoubtedly strengthen the identity of the magazine.
Readers of The Archive will be young artists, novelists, creatives, anyone working within the arts (design, graphics, fashion, cinema…)
The magazine will be distributed in galleries, independent libraries and markets.
An Instagram account and a website will be activated to promote the magazine but there won’t be a digital version of The Archive.
The Editor will decide in advance the theme of the following issues of every issue released, in order to find eventual contributors, on the scheme of magazine San Rocco (an Italian magazine on architecture).
The Archive will not work with advertising unless advertising works with The Archive. The advert will not be an ordinary page of advertising but will be created from scratch and will be developed to satisfy the objectives of the Archive.
The first Issue will be on Islands. The second Issue will be on Deserts. Third Issue may be on Space.