, a solo life magazine for different cities, is published.
On the last Friday night of August, those who want to enjoy time on their own flocked to the multi-cultural space Sounds Hannam. They were visiting the Sounds Hannam’s independent bookstore, Still Books. The small bookstore that welcomed them told a special story. It was a book talk concert to commemorate the publication of the solo life magazine . Here’s a summary of the dense, quiet time we had with the readers, escaping the busy and loud streets outside.
A nighttime bookstore for people who love the silence.
Come see the 1st edition of the magazine and its related products!
You open the door, and the first edition of is right there. Still Books, which announced the first release of magazine, selects and displays books for each of its floors according to different themes. On the 1st floor, you have magazines from Korea and abroad that talk about special ‘tastes’. You can find not just the paper publications but also lifestyle items that embody the sentiments of the magazines here. You can also see products like sweatshirts collaborated with a fashion brand like Champion or eco bags that show off the characteristics of the magazine.
is an independent magazine that talks about the solo life in different cities in each edition.
The actual book talk concert took place on the 4th floor of Still Books, which is filled with books that concern ‘humans.’ It was the perfect place for Venue magazine which talks about solo life in different cities. magazine talks about people who pursue their own happiness in various places, including their homes, work and city.
Book Talk Concert was conducted with editor Park Ji-ho(left) and space designer Choi Go-yo (right).
The concert was carried out by the former editor in chief of men’s fashion magazine and the current director of magazine, Mr. Park Ji-ho. Editor in chief Park Ji-ho has carried out a talk concert titled ‘Night Bookstore’ every last Friday night of the month, where he talks about the hottest book at the moment and invites renowned people to chat with. On this particular book talk concert, space designer Choi Go-yo was invited, as the main interviewee of the 1st magazine edition.
Space designer Choi Go-yo participated in the magazine as the main interviewee.
How would the space designer Choi Go-Yo define solo life? ‘Venue’, which is the title of the magazine and the name of the new Hyundai Motor Company car means ‘place’. ‘Home’ is the most personal space for an individual and also a place that would show off the characteristics of a solo life. Space designer Choi Go Yo talked about home, as a place that can bring about pleasurable effect onto everyone’s life.
After the talk concert, everyone freely talked about their solo lives.
The magazine book talk concert was carried out for a full hour without a break. It ended with the readers’ flying paper airplanes that contain their questions and book signing. It was a great opportunity to once again freely talk about ‘solo life and space’, which was the theme of the interview.
An independent magazine for everyone living on their own
is an independent magazine that talks about a form of lifestyle beyond the time, ‘solo life.’
is an independent magazine planned and published according to the launch of SUV ‘Venue’, automobile for people living on their own. It holds the concern of Hyundai Motor Company about starting from SUV and expanding ‘Venue’ as a lifestyle brand.
The experts from various fields including marketing, publication, editing, etc., were part of the project. The magazine was published with joint participation of Hyundai Motor Company, INNOCEAN Worldwide and Urban Books. The magazine explains the taste and lifestyle of the main SUV Venue customer group, people who lead solo lives, with the phrase ‘solo life.’
Solo life refers to the lifestyle pursued by the Millennials who were born in the early 1980s throughout early 2000s. magazine takes a deep look into solo life as not a short fad but as a culture that exists in every city.
The publication market is decreasing, but small publications are taking up the market more and more.
In its first edition, solo life is introduced as a form of life that spears through Seoul city under the title ‘Sleepless Seoul.’ It is filled with happy solo life stories including Gentle Monster visual editor Park Seon-ah’s rules on sole life living with pets, model Ji Hyun-Jeong’s solo life, Baedaleuiminjok marketer Lee Seung-hee’s solo drinking, and magazine’s CEO Yoon jin’s praise of 1-person table, among many others. In the second edition, Shanghai will be the city of background, and in the third edition, Berlin, taking about the ‘solo lives’ of cities we are unfamiliar with.
But why a paper magazine? When we are able to look up contents with our smart phone, the publication market is definitely shrinking. Even magazines from well-known, big publications that you’ve heard about are closing. According to the ‘Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea’s publication industry trend research in the first half of 2018,’ the publication of new books has been decreased by 0.4% compared to the same time in 2017. But despite all this, small publications that publish less than 10 books are taking up 86.9%, which is growing every year.
The birth of magazine is closely related to the growth of independent magazines (Photography by magazine).
The birth of magazine is not about delivering standardized information, but it’s related to independent publication that deals with a certain type of taste, especially to the growth in independent magazines. Bookstores that sell independent publications always have a special place for independent magazines, which actually greatly affects the overall sales of the bookstores. For example, , which contemplates on films, , which talks about cultures seen through the women’s perspectives, and , which suggests a new direction for dads, are some of the most prominent independent magazines loved by the readers as they handle such extensive interests as wide as the readers’ lifestyles.
You can look up more information on the magazine on its Instagram account (Photography by. Venue magazine Instagram @venuzine.official).
Now readers don’t regard a paper magazine as a one-off, ‘insignificant record’. On the contrary, they will treasure it on their bookshelf with time passing. It’s because an independent magazine is like an artwork that reflects the ego and identity of ‘who I am.’ The early steps of magazine are not much different. It doesn’t talk about loneliness or solitude, the usual misconceptions, but a life that’s better on your own. Do you wish to know more about the authenticity of ‘being alone’, captured by? Drop by your nearest bookstore then. The magazine awaits everyone who’s enjoying their solo life and everyone who’s dreaming of their solo life.
Photography by Kim Yoon-hee
