*Mí: the pinyin of the Chinese character 迷, simply translated: ‘to be crazy about’ or ‘to lose one’s way’
Mí is deeply rooted in our life – the combination of our daily exclamations, the advertisement equals the sale – mí is both an adjective and a verb. Mí is also a noun, anyone can participate in it, or even become it.
Monday OFF Issue#1 Mí Mèi explores the following issues -
☻ #Fan Quan (fandom), a fangirl’s daily routine
∷ How to “raising” an idol - internet-based thinking and participatory star-making platforms
➹ The D8 Expedition and “Little Pinkos”
＊ The collective identity construction of the online subculture population within the context of the 3rd Cyber-nationalism in China
❧ Flesh Bots, inversed proxy politics, and realpolitik in the age of data flow
❈ The democratic election issues are involved in China’s 48-people girl/boyband productions
ஐ The creators and consumers in the age of UGC
◐ Alpha Beta Omega dynamics’ gender issue & fan literature
We also commissioned artists to create works on related topics. Such as the series of “Click On”, the artist LazyBackHome observes the daily activities of data fans, and converts idol images into ASCII Code, digitalizing and codifying our obsessions. Fang Yang carries out a series of visual creations using libido as a driving force for Mí. Chen Tianzhuo’s visual works depict the macro-microscopic biological peacock-boy. YE Funa’s artwork “Fan Filter” warping our fading realities until we completely accept the flaws of our idols.
In preparation for our theme “fangirls” in this first issue, we tried to dissect the ‘fan’ and their mí for you, but while we were in the process of exploration ourselves, we got trapped in our own mí. It was surprising and confusing, and at the same time, satisfying.
In the end, our answer is the magazine in your hand.
Hope Monday OFF becomes your Mí.
photo by 戴诚 Dai Cheng
Monday OFF, founded by curator BI Xin and artist YE Funa, is a creative brand focusing on the self-publication of zines and artist’s books, as well as the organization of themed exhibitions, workshops, and lectures under their sub-brand Mondayitis. In original, curated publications, Monday OFF highlights the ever-changing boundaries of urban society, juggling the popular yet mundane, the relaxed and the anxiety stricken, our cities’ fringe issues and the public’s consensus. Monday OFF is a zoom lens into our rapidly evolving youth culture. The publication consists of: 40% visual creation, 50% text, and 10% advertisement – the ads being a montage of both the real… and the spoof. Goodbye Blue Monday – it’s a day OFF. Monday OFF. A day served bittersweet.
And so we hope this publication leaves our audience smiling, in lasting reprieve, a lucid daydream to distant lands through better times, to any place other than – your Blue Monday.
