Terra Firma magazine set to launch 2023 diary at London event
Independent magazine ‘Terra Firma’ is set to launch their 2023 diary accompaniment at a launch event in London this October. The Photobook Café in Shoreditch is set to play host to the launch event, held on Thursday 13th October. The event is held between 6pm and 9pm and you’ll have a chance to buy a copy of the diary on the night. Tickets are completely free, you just need to RSVP via Eventbrite here.
Now in its 6th year of publishing, the ‘Terra Firma’ diary offers a range of artworks from a curated theme. Overleaf spoke with ‘Terra Firma’ owner Sophie Willison about the launch of the diary. You can read the short interview below.
Moving into 2023, what does the diary aim to project?
For the past six years, alongside the magazine, we have published the Terra Firma diary, a collaborative journal comprising images and texts from a small selection of artists under one central theme. The TF diary is a great way to keep track of important meetings and future deadlines and a source of inspiration to brighten your day. Compact and functional, it sits nicely between your hands and comfortably in your pocket.
What’s the theme of the diary, has it evolved from this year’s?
We are launching the 2023 edition this week under the theme Art vs Craft. For this edition, we wondered, what’s that space between them? Is it a crack, an interlude, an aperture, or a void?
“Utility” has been the pivotal element that has distanced Art from Craft for a long time. Traditionally, crafts have been distinguished for having a particular function and being valued for their use. Conversely, art has been set on the other end, claiming the right not to have a particular utility. But as times have changed, and the line between the two has started to dissolve, we wonder to what extent this is true. We suspect that crafts are valued beyond their use, and art can be useful in more abstract terms. For instance, we could say that looking at art helps you connect with yourself, improve your critical thinking skills, or allow your mind to wander without any particular goal. I guess this leads to questioning what is “useful” for us. If we think in productive terms, it is probably not, but if we look at the concept with other parameters in mind, then it probably is.
"We suspect that crafts are valued beyond their use, and art can be useful in more abstract terms. For instance, we could say that looking at art helps you connect with yourself, improve your critical thinking skills, or allow your mind to wander without any particular goal."
Sophie Willison, ‘Terra Firma’ magazine Founder
Can you discuss the collaboration with artists in relation to artworks shown?
We have had the opportunity to question the boundaries of art and craft through the insights of 6 artists who, besides widening our curiosity, have raised fascinating matters. We have explored this through a series of conversations and photographs from Tommy Smits, Maria de la O Garrido, Pina San, Nam Tram, Campbell McConnel and Letty Houldsworth, talking about their practice and where it sits among this topic.
After some fantastic discussions, we have engaged with the many pressures and possibilities that these two concepts hold. Here are some excerpts as a sneak peek:
“I am very intrigued by the idea of utility which connects all objects like an all-encompassing line that goes from pure function to the complete disappearance of any apparent use. Through the vases, I am exploring how with an almost zero degree of intervention, a minimal aspect of utility can emerge. It fascinates me how such an insignificant gesture, such as adding a hole into a surface, can have this radically transformative quality.” – Pina Saan
“It feels like you have to fill every gap by doing something useful. It is then that I think that we need to do useless things. Take your time to do something that is for nothing. Do it as resistance against everything you know. Time is like money, and we don’t have much. So, what you do with it is a statement. Doing unuseful things is useful.” –Maria de la O Garrido
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Diary Specification
Format: A6 size, 164 pages
Bright pink and green for the Cover: 250 gsm, silk, soft touch finish Paper: 130 gsm uncoated matte
Limited edition of just 200 copies.
Artists include: Tommy Smits, Claudia Pina Saan, Letty Houldsworth, Maria de la O Garrido, Nam Tram and Campbell McConnel.
Not able to make it? You can purchase a copy for £12 here – please note that is a pre-order link and diaries will ship in November 2022.
Useful Links
Here are some useful links for this event. These may include social media links only.
Terra Firma – Official Website
Terra Firma – Official Web Shop
Event RSVP link – Eventbrite
Photobook Café – Instagram
Correct at time of writing.
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