If it had lasted for years, The Newsstand probably wouldn't have been as special. There’s something about things that have short lives and don't overstay or wear out their welcome.
Existing below the streets at the Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Avenue L/G stop for a 6-month stint in 2013, The Newsstand became a creative outpost, event space, gallery and marketplace for handmade goods by anyone who would happen to stop by (MTA estimates a whopping 15,000 people a day pass through that station). Items for sale ranged from tshirts, records, VHS tapes, patches, comics, calendars and a whole lot of zines by both recognized artists and hobbyists alike. There were rap shows, poetry readings, DJ sets and an assortment of performances, along with one night only pop-up exhibitions. What made the location truly unique aside from being in an actual subway station was the fact that there was absolutely no cell phone reception. It was a place where if you congregated, loiter or mingled, you were more inclined to engage than pretend to look busy looking at a glowing screen. Two years after its existence down below, The Newsstand was reincarnated several stories up inside the well lit walls of the MOMA New York. To document and encapsulate the story, The Newsstand book was published by Rizzoli in February, with assistance from Alldayeveryday and Lele Severi who helped curate the project. Inside you find a massive collection of scanned zines, Polaroids, tagged dollar bills, stories and much more, predominantly printed to replicate the esthetics of a Xerox copy.
Need DIY inspiration? This is a tactical starting point. You can pick up a copy here.