Merge Magazine

What’s going on?

Bo — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:21:12 +0000

After 10 years’ support from the Kulturrådet (The Swedish Art Council) we did not receive any funding this year.
We are investigating and debating new strategies.
We will inform you as soon as we have decided on the new directions for Merge.

Merge #14-15, Revisited

Bo — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:59:32 +0000

Yes it’s an old old issue, but now it’s available on the net. Originally, all the texts for this issue, save some headlines and captions, were published on CD. You may admire this issue of Merge for its good looks, but you can’t exactly read it. Here you find them in mp3 format, downloadable for your listening pleasure. We did get some nice reviews for this one, download and find out why.

here is also the pdf file of the issue

Download: PDF #14-15

3 notes on the image
By: Sven-Olov Wallenstein
Read by:E.G. Lewis

island
By: Bo Madestrand
Read by: Gary Fabbri

No place like home
By: Håkan Nilsson
Read by: Tim Anstey

Why orange
By: Janet Sarbanes
Read by: Janet Sarbanes

Frozen Photography
By: Tyrone Martinsson
Read by: Bill Rubino

Arctic sublime
By: Urban Wråkberg
Read by: Ben Loveless

Dusk dawn
By: Lotta Lotass
Read by: Kristina Riegert

Cute
By: Debra Riely Parr
Read by: Debra Riely Parr

Uglycute
By: Tor Lindstrand

Andy Warhol
By: Ethan Spigland
Read by: Ethan Spigland

Merge #20

Bo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:25:20 +0000

You could say that the next issue of Merge is about ourselves, or at least about the business we’re in. What would be more appropriate when heading for the 20thissue-celebration than focussing on the core of publishing? The very arteries that transmit knowledge, knowhow, even (dare we suggest) the know-it-all to all those who do know, as well as those who don’t?

Merge # 20 focuses on DISTRIBUTION. We have set our minds on scrutinizing hardcore neoliberal interests that masquerade as Friendly Fred, while filling a global society with identical films, fine art, furniture and frustration. We take a deep dive into the art scene in the outskirts of the Commonwealth, and partake thereby in the global spread of local agendas. Furthermore, we remind you of the days of Mr Music, an era when music distribution could equal getting cassettes in the mail.

Distribution is not only about sharing, dealing out and scattering, as the first entries in the dictionary inform us; the concept also means arranging, classifying and dividing into parts. Merge prefers overlapping arrangements and classifications that are unstable enough to open up for new divisions of its parts. Consequently, we will distribute to you an issue with texts and images that withdraws fixed categorizations and merge into new fields of art and knowledge.

Dear readers: Fasten your seatbelts. You are soon to be propelled through the rhythmical pulse of Merge # 20, the magazine with the most heart-throbbing layout that was ever spread over the world.