Shelf Life Shelf Life

Shelf Life

Project by: Self-initiated

Designer: Adriaan Van Leuven

Pages: 152

Format: 150 x 225 mm mm

Price:  16,00

Shelf Life is a special publication with thoughts and texts and images by Jin Kwang Kim (and Paul Elliman). Jin’s work falls between a twin interest in spirituality, which can refer to the search for meaning in present life, and spiritualism, which often refers to a communication with a non- living spirit world from the past or the future. Both terms are formed by the word spirit, which itself derives from Latin spiritus “breath”, and therefore usually relates to non-physical substance in contrast with material things or the corporeal body. In this publication Jin follows his interest in language and graphic design as something that exists in both material forms and as part of a more ethereal or metaphysical spirit of life.

The structure of the book is turned inside out: beginning and end are placed next to each other in the middle of the book. This situation allowed to insert pages between the title page and the colophon that, however, remain outside of the narrative. It’s a paradoxical space that is created, physically part of the book but logically external to it.