Arkitip

With the release of Arkitip Issue No. 0053X X: Mark of Collaboration, the art based magazine- has gone ahead and focused its latest work on the new collaborative field. In specific reference, the use of X in Japanese and now worldwide subculture is to signify two artists, brands or entities coming together to create something new. Curated by Alex Calderwood of Ace Hotels and John C Jay of W+K branding, this issue features an impressive list of people from varied backgrounds who have come together to showcase a collaboration they worked on.

The poet Ryunosuke Satoro said, “Individually, we are one drop. Together we are an ocean.”

This philosophy is the inspiration for this issue…an exploration, celebration, commentary on the joys of collaboration through our own personal lens. People collaborate on many levels. It occurs in nature, technology, science, art, music and politics. For this issue of Arkitip, we asked artists, technologists, writers and friends to show us a recent collaboration or to create something new. Creative work for this issue originated from New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, San Francisco, Shanghai, Seattle, Paris, Miami, Cape Town and Portland.

Tokyo in the 90’s was in what seemed to be an eternal funk. As usual, it was the young people that offered hope and creative juice to society, thus a highly entrepreneurial subculture began to discover it own influence. These new creators and designers were born from a tight group of friends, so although they were perhaps competitors, they often joined forces to create new products and identities for the young.

Only in Tokyo does consumerism have such spiritual power. Thus the emergence of double brands, where products were able to take on dual characteristics and unique personalities. Soon the “X” in Japan’s subculture became a symbol of personal collaboration. A good collaboration starts with an inspired idea, a desire for unexpected results and mutual respect or pure love of another’s work.

A great collaboration occurs at that nexus of unforeseen possibilities and positive friction. Grace, openness and honesty can achieve extra-ordinary results. The most satisfying experiences in our careers, as a Cultural Engineer and a Creative Director, have been these moments. – Alex Calderwood + John C Jay

Featuring:
Gus Van Sant x Paige Powell
John Maeda x Becky Bermont
Akio Iida
Aaron Koblin x Takashi Kawashima
Apolis Activism x Filson x Invisible Children
Bruce Wolf x Ying
Coleman x Goldkrand
Howie Pyro x Z-Trip
Jeremy Pelley x Fritz Mesenbrink x Mathew Foster
Lisa Chacón x Jared Lovejoy x Jason Harler
Matt Black x Alex Asher Daniel
Roman Alonso x Carlos Morera
Shawn Wolfe x Houston
Wei Wei x Don Hui
Ambra Medda x Silvia Fendi
Yves Behar x Ethan Imboden
Tom Sachs x Camilla Deterre

Editors + Creative Directors:
Alex Calderwood
John C Jay

Producer + Editorial:
Caterina deCarlo

Art Directors:
Stephen Giem
John C Jay

7.5 x 10 In. (19.05 x 25.4 cm)
96 pages + covers
Four color offset printed, perfect bound
Hand packaged & numbered ltd. edition of 1500

Packaged with:
John Maeda and Becky Bermont hand numbered print piece
7.5 x 10 in. (19.05 x 25.4 cm)
Black imprint, 130 lb. cover stock
Hand numbered in a ltd. edition of 1500

$20.00
This issue edition is not currently in stock
You may pre-order it now and we will ship it to you as soon as it arrives
Estimated ship date: 28 December 2009

-via Hypebeast.com