'Print After Party' Celebrates Death of Print in Old Newspaper Boxes

"The Death of Print." We remember a few years back when this phrase just signified some impending yet inconceivable nightmare, like Y2K or 2012. Now, of course, we live in a world where newspapers are shrinking from sight, and Roland Emmerich rakes in $65 million in one weekend by peddling more visions of the apocalypse. For those of us who have worked in print, or have colleagues who still do, these are sad, sad times.

With that in mind, artists Jason Eppink and Posterchild (known for his 'Mario' question mark blocks) have collaborated with 'Print After Party,' a series of pranksterish, unauthorized installations inside abandoned newspaper boxes. With the aid of mini disco balls, blaring radios, flashing LEDs, and cut-out silhouettes of post-print revelers, Eppink and Posterchild transformed these banal but comforting street totems into tiny raves, astonishing passersby. (Check out the video after the break.)

On his site, Eppink writes, "When the last vestiges of a collapsed empire litter the landscape, there's only one thing to do: throw a bumpin' party and dance on the ruins." We don't totally agree, since some of us aren't ready to let print go gentle into that good night. But the installations themselves are fascinating, as they make us interact with public space in a novel way -- while reminding us of a time before ethernet. [From: Jason Eppink, via: BoingBoing]

Tags: art, deathofprint, journalism, newspaper, top