Frieze, ArtReview & Colors
I planned to buy some decent clothes, but ended up buying three magazines. Instead of trying to hint the slightest taste with a nice outfit, I attempted to fill my brain with something that people can’t possibly see. I persuaded myself (in fact, there was no need to persuade. I have to think and rethink before buying clothes, but plug right to the bank for printed things) that I can live without new clothes, but I can’t live without a new mind. Not that I would really read them diligently to “have a new mind”. Quite the opposite, in fact. I read magazines because they are easy to consume, unlike books, which take greater duration and effort to finish and absorb. While purchasing the printed and bound products is also a form of consumption, whether the result is intellectual fulfillment or not, it is still better than holding emptily the piece of cloth that costs several hundred (don’t freak out. I live in Hong Kong, so it’s HK Dollars). You put it in the closet and cannot do anything about it, and after you do something (such as wearing it), its value immediately depreciates because the function is performed. It is supposed to add some dynamics to your everyday look, but wearing it makes it part of the everyday look. Then you’ll always need more. This happens to magazines too, but at least you read and seem to get something from them. And you can always give an excuse — they can be research materials or image collections for future use. So I bought them: Frieze, ArtReview and Colors (I’ve been looking for this issue for very long and am still puzzled why HMV doesn’t have it this time. I hope the topic is not too sensitive? It’d be absurd if it is…or maybe they were sold out too fast…).
