The Duch arts magazine Wendingen (roughly translated as “Turnings”) was a unique endeavour. The first issue was published in 1918, when the world was still recovering from the onslaught of the First World War and its shockwaves prompted various arts colonies and artists to explore new venues of expression in the hope for a better society. These utopian ideals were reflected in the uniqe proposition of Wendingen. The magazine was initially meant as a monthly publication. All in all, 116 issues were published till 1932, when European culture was gearing up for another major conflict. Wendingen was the initiative of the Amsterdam Architectura et Amicitia society, its editorial team consisting of arcitects and designers. Each issue was devoted to a particular theme in the fields of arts, architecture and design.
Wendingen had a unique and highly influential typography and format; each issue was 33 by 33 centimeters (the size of a Japanese Tatami mat) with the cover illustration going from front to back. The magazine was usually printed on rice paper, one side only. Prohibitively expensive these days, I sometimes see copies of this beautiful publication at select secondhand bookstores or antiquarian book fairs. Thankfully, one can appreciate the beauty of this magazine here.
