12/09/2022
Quick recap: DE PRESS started in 2016 because I wanted to do some zines, possibly with my friends and I liked the name. Just out of art/publishing ed, I was shocked by the cutting edge, weird works from people like colorama, breakdown, canicola, lagon, 2d cloud etc... At first DE PRESS was just something to put on the cover to make the zines look cool and that didn't work that much out (the first zine didn't sell out). Then I involved my friends more and more, we would do tables and stuff together, and also that didn't work out, mostly because I was not good at sharing, rushed decisions, and couldn't nurture a community. Then I switched to a micropublisher's framework, scouting interesting work, getting into photo/art books, championing newcomers, and also that, to be honest... I stand with everything me (and my friends) did with DE PRESS but that's just one side, the other being the feeling that I've never done enough to actually "publish" especially other people's zines - working on my stuff being so much easier, why's that uh- and feeling like I wanted to work with people so bad that I could also potentially harm or sabotage them? So I stand here thinking about six years of practice to state again with the openest of hearts the truth: that DE PRESS is a rebellious lab of failure and discontent, primarily aiming at making all the mistakes - especially in this new and upcoming performative, self-branding algorithm environment. DE PRESS is over as it was just until today and I've thought a lot about simply giving thanks and kill it. Even though I start to feel the weight of six years of mistakes, I get a feeling of lightness for all the things that I still haven't said, the mistakes yet to commit, and the possibilities that come from trying to actually be a positive player in the weird no-mans-land that stands beyond regular, serious publishing. DE PRESS will keep sort of publishing stuff of uncertain nature but mostly try to help and assist valuable artists roaming the land. See you soon, andrea
