SOUTH AS A STATE OF MIND #6: DOCUMENTA 14

South as a State of Mind has taken on a new role, a temporary one, mind you, but one of importance nonetheless. After five issues of being ‘just’ South their sixth issue is their first as the host of Documenta 14. Slightly larger than A4, with over 250 pages, and for a rather surprising ten euros, the latest issue creates a nice BOOM, and not just because of its bright yellow cover.

Filled with various contributions by artists, poets, scholars, architects, and film-makers, South tells the story of the Documenta 14 to come - taking place in Athens in April 2017, and in its birthplace Kassel two months later. With its clean layout and the publication of works by people such as Stefan Zweg, Jonas Mekas and Hannah Arendt, the magazine is a near-perfect mix of scholarly articles, theoretical essays, loaded poetry and opinionated visuals printed on various types of gorgeous paper. Pleasing academics and artists alike.

It’s not a coffee table mag, or an I’m-on-a-commute-and-need-something-to-read kind of publication. Quite the contrary, it’s a food-for-thought proper sit-down kind of magazine, discussing the crisis during the time it’s been made in Athens – economic as well as Syrian, the flaws of urbanism as well as cosmopolitanism, debt and architectural decay. On a happier note, there’s a lad with coins on his face on the cover. With striking fold-out visuals by Miriam Cahn and the most haunting poetry by Brandon Shimoda South has managed to make the wait for 2017 even longer.

http://www.athenaeum.nl/boek/?authortitle=/south-9-9772241390004