White Fungus

Taiwan-based independent arts magazine White Fungus returns to print for the first time since the pandemic with the release of its 17th issue. The new edition will be out in early June.

The issue features in-depth articles on bats, avant-garde jazz group The Art Ensemble of Chicago, plus an exploration of the world of Taiwanese folk religion and its connection to art, politics, tourism, and the criminal underworld.

There is video art from Brazil and a look back on composer Annea Lockwood’s London years in the 1960s and 1970s, during which she created her legendary Glass Concerts and Piano Burnings. The issue also features a look back on the life and work of Paul Celan, often called Europe’s greatest post-war poet.

White Fungus was founded in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2004 by brothers Ron Hanson and Mark Hanson. In 2009, the Hansons relocated back to Taiwan, where the magazine has since been based.

Every cover of the magazine is derived from a scan of a can of white fungus the Hansons discovered in their local supermarket in Taiwan. These covers provide few clues as to the content hidden within the magazine’s pages.

White fungus is a wild mushroom used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Today it is commonly served in soup as a local delicacy. It is believed to be good for immunity and the brain, heart, and skin.

White Fungus

Editor-in-Chief: Ron Hanson
Managing Editor: Peter Freestone
Art Director: Mark Hanson
Chief Designer: Johnny Hu
Publicist: Stacy Lipp
Release: June 2023
Language: English
Price: $ 15.– (USD)

More information here or on Instagram
Preorders are available here