Naked Punch
The engaged review of contemporary art and thought
Philosophy, art theory, and social criticism the main strands.
London, UK
82-102 Hanbury Street, E1 5JL
Email: info@nakedpunch.com
- Category: Art, Philosophy
- Periodicity: Quarterly
- Language: English
- Format: 176 × 250 mm
- Circulation: 8,000 copies
- Price: £ 24.99
- Web: http://www.nakedpunch.com
Founded in 2002
Originally founded by the now-dissolved "Postanalytic Group", a philosophical collective established in London in 2002.
Exclusive Interview
Naked Punch will always be independent, or it will not be.
What is your magazine about?
Naked Punch is an engaged, inter-disciplinary review of contemporary art and thought.
A distinguishing feature of Naked Punch is its contemporaneity . The review aims to actively
engage with current developments in, broadly, three deeply connected areas.
The first concern we aim to address is the philosophical or, more generally, theoretical impasse that characterises much of contemporary discussion. Torn between a highly self-conscious \"European\" difficulty to surpass the deconstructive rhetoric and an English speaking philosophy that has divorced itself from fundamental cultural and social engagements, the current state of theoretical thought is in need of a new direction that actively surmounts the risk of a purely self-referential, quasi-aesthetic philosophy, and the risk of an escape to an \"ivory tower\" characterised by exquisitely technical concerns and \"professionalized\" philosophising.
The second concern may be termed social or political . In times of great political turbulence, where the classical categories of political understanding and social division prove their inefficacy daily, a renewed interest in and engagement with the course our global society is taking is vitally necessary. Aside from political figures, we aim to pose the question of the shape our society ought to take to philosophers and artists alike, inaugurating a platform of social debate between different and varied currents of thought.
The third concern we may call artistic. By treating artists and film directors as serious thinkers, we aim to put into communication contemporary artistic currents with the developments of society at large. We believe in the power of art to render more intelligible the reality one dwells in, or \"the spirit of the age\", to use such a term.
Who’s behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
Naked Punch originates from a collective, now dissolved, called “The Postanalytic Group”, that in 2002 met for a series of weekly gatherings. Essentially a federal, \"non-institutional\" project, Naked Punch is the spontaneous collaboration of thinkers and artists residing in different cities of the world. Naked Punch is run by a large editorial collective headed by three editors.
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
The Editorial Board, composed by the three editors, is in regular contact with the Editorial Collective to assemble each new issue, which is composed as a “collage” representing the sensitivity of the different voices working with the magazine.
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
The first important step was the decision to mix young, up and coming voices with more established writers. We have therefore approached several personalities in the fields of art, politics, and philosophy, building important links for the publication.
The second step was the decision to embark on a series of events in the London area, transforming the magazine into an active producer of cultural activities.
Which are the key ingredients for the success of your magazine?
Each issue needs to be well balanced between different disciplines and different geographical areas.
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be “the” thing to help the magazine to improve?
The main difficulty, as always when working in an independent cultural context, is founding. We strive to increase the print run and distribution of the publication, to increase its reach, and better its printing quality.
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
The magazine is marching at an increasingly fast pace towards morphing into a full fledged cultural organisation, active in the areas of philosophy, visual art, cinema, poetry, and politics.
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
Readers with a broad, inter-disciplinary interest, ready to make connections between the different cultural presentations of our society. At the same time, a keen interest in the global social and cultural framework, and an eagerness to understand contemporary cultural output from remote regions of the world.
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
Naked Punch will always be independent, or it will not be.
What’s your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
We strive to keep advertising to an absolute minimum (around five pages), and anyway we only accept advertising of a cultural kind. Advertising bears absolutely no influence on the content, and it never features within editorials or other writings.
Do you think that magazine readers still need to watch TV?
No-one needs to watch TV.
Which is your relationship with your printer? Does he play a main role in your development?
Our printer is fantastic, and well understand what we are doing and the financial difficulties we encounter.
Which magazines did influence you most? What are you looking for in other magazines?
We feel a connection to Cabinet Magazine, because of the inter-disciplinary nature of their content and their involvement in the organization of numerous events. At the same time, we feel the necessity of a more significant theoretical grounding to the articles featured.
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
It was all there, albeit in all the wrong ways.
What question did you never ask in your magazine but would have liked to?
We ask too many questions, not too few.
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself a maniac?
Less then you would expect.
E-mail interview from “03.07.2006”. © Colophon2007.com – Mike Koedinger Editions SA (Luxembourg)
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