an exhibition at printed matter: “out of the grid: italian zines (1978–2006)”

Printed Matter is pleased to present Out of the Grid: Italian Zines (1978–2006), an exhibition (also from a —sadly sold-out— book) bringing together a selection of historical underground publications that exemplify the aesthetic language and approaches of various subcultural movements across Italy. The exhibition is developed by artist Dafne Boggeri and photographer Alien, drawn from the research for the publication of the same name. The publication, published by Les presses du réel (2023), was created by Boggeri for SPRINT and O’ non-profit association, in collaboration with Sara Serighelli and Marta Zanoni.

The work on view—including original fanzines, facsimiles, in-progress materials and related tools—traces the ways in which independent publishing in Italy was shaped by social, political, aesthetic, and technological shifts across three decades. The zines are of an era characterized by Boggeri as ‘post-movement to pre-internet3.0’—a period of time shaped by the loss of collective political purpose following the uprisings of ‘68, the subsequent rise of 80s punk mentality, and a lively print culture that thrived before digital space became a primary mode for communication and the dissemination of ideas. This outpouring of creativity was captured by mimeographs, photocopiers and offset machines, resulting in printed works that articulate a shared language around subcultural identity, as well as an evolving visual and typographic sensibility, often grounded in cut-and-paste.

The publications on display include projects like the Metal zine Fireball, queer productions Fuck bloc, PH+TXT and Clit Rocket, and role-playing game zines like Spell Book and Crom! alongside their original paste-ups. Also on view are some international publications that played a pivotal role in shaping local movements and served as precursors to the emergence of a distinct Italian scene.

On the walls, metal offset plates from the printing of Out of the Grid offer insight into the materiality of industrial print production in contrast to a DIY zine-making.

A selection of posters draws attention to scanned fragments from the zines themselves—amplified illustrations, slogans, and typographic experiments that convey the raw energy and attitude of the movements they represent.

On occasion of the presentation, Printed Matter releases ‘Mattone,’ an A2-sized poster by Boggeri available for free takeaway. The work features a brick-texture borrowed from a found 1980s Letratone sheet, once used by architects and graphic designers for dry transfers of letters, numbers, and motifs. The wall is reminiscent of typical gathering spots for young people across Italy, known colloquially as the ‘muretto’ (‘small wall’) and evokes references such as the iconic 1976 Ramones album cover and historic divisions like the Berlin Wall, serving as a potent symbol of rebellion and counterculture.

Special thanks to Roberto Di Meglio and Roberto Rog Gigli for lending their original material.

This exhibition is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

The exhibition graphic uses a cropped image from the cover of the zine Clit Rocket n.03, 2004, edited by Veruska Outlaw.

https://slowforward.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/out-of-the-grid-zines.pdf
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