The Dead Tree Stands Tall

The bell has tolled countless times for the death of print culture. They must feel dumb for writing that obituary so many times. Sure, it’s suffered a dramatic fall from towering redwood heights when the world depended on the printed word. But that doesn’t mean the culture can’t thrive closer to home on a smaller scale. To show off the wealth of DIY creatives working with print in Thailand, the Tye Zine boys organized the Papers & Peers event bringing together a collection of artists, writers, photographers, and even some DJs to round out a good party.

On the rooftop of the very chill JEDI Cafe & Bar in Old Town, under the warm glow of the Wat Saket temple, everyone gathered over beer and spirits to dance and chat. On display were posters, zines, and mags covering everything from graffiti to photography to illustration. Disembodied hands with braided hair extensions sat next to pins declaring, “I hate you, please stay!”

There were posters declaring the total collapse of society and the inaugural Tye Zine featuring coverboy Kanrapee Chokpaiboon. The Top Down collective had a bunch of xerox style art zines and the Arc Press crew dropped off some of their recent publications, like Krerkburin Kerngburi‘s Quarantine Report, and Ebb, the photo book documenting Bangkok’s recent protests.