Berlin

The zine zone

This summer, two Russian photographers and zine publishers added another space to Berlin's vast creative specialty shop/event space landscape: Zoopark, this one focussing on print work and photography zines.

Image for The zine zone

Photo by Anastasia Christyakova

Flowing in as steady as the 4/4 beats that throb across Berlin at night is the influx of creatives, drawn by dreams of realising their niche passions in this uniquely fertile ground. The spaces they set up can be a mixed breed – studio-cum-stage-cum-shop-cum-bar. Besides giving the organisers a creative outlet they also sometimes serve as community aggregators. In June two Russian photographers and zine publishers added another of these spaces to the mix, Zoopark, located (you guessed it!) in Kreuzberg. Tatyana Palyga and Alexander Bondar, both 35, moved to Berlin last September from the Czech Republic, where they completed master’s degrees in photography. They both work in translation and photography to fund the bright and inviting open studio which exhibits their work in limited edition prints and self-published photography magazines, all available for sale. Palygra says the zine allows for more experimentation and that is clear in the visually arresting portraits of life in the New East. Their talent is in the details; in the zine So Cliché, Bondar manipulates his photos with playful textures which he explains “adds another layer to the surreal, post-Soviet world” depicted. They host free events and plan on opening up to submissions. The launch was soundtracked by an experimental trio and other highlights included an ambient concert, an artist talk by a Polish photographer and a reading group discussion on the philosophy of art. Fancy yet another pit stop location to kick your blasé imagination into gear? Looks like you’ve just found one!

Check Zoopark-studioberlin on Facebook for upcoming events!