A Global Tour of the Analog

Something about the warm flicker of film, the crackle of a needle on vinyl, and the grooves of prose in print engenders intimacy. The physical experience of a work of art is a means of connection, a human need often undermined in the Age of Information (for all its myriad conveniences, the technological revolution is equally characterized by its pervasive loneliness). While the digital transformation of creative industries has increased access to art, the experience of it is somewhat diffused, and there persists a communal yearning for touchable culture. Cinematheque artistic director and curator Shaun Inouye calls this “an appetite for elevated appointments with art.”

At the Vancouver theatre, which also houses the West Coast Film Archive, audiences pack into seats all days of the week to watch films projected in 35mm, seeking to witness what Inouye describes as “a visual splendour unmatched by zeros and ones.” The curator finds it difficult to divorce cinema the art from cinema the place of exhbition. “The sensorial immersion of a theatre, that shared aesthetic experience with friends and strangers in the dark,” Inouye muses, “It’s akin to an art installation…. The space is integral to the receipt of the work.”

The Cinematheque is one of many institutions tending to the flame of the analog. Before writing an obituary for print or lamenting the loss of Blockbuster, look first to the resurrectionists and archivists around the globe making space for physical media. Their devotion to preservation serves as balm for nostalgia.

Biblioteca Vasconcelos in Mexico City, Mexico

A geometric “megalibrary” sprawling among lush gardens in the Buenavista area of Mexico City, Biblioteca Vasconcelos is both a marvel of contemporary architecture and a striking knowledge repository. Designed by Alberto Kalach, the labyrinthine structure comprises an intricate network of stacks, hanging shelves, and balconies, each centred around a skeletal cetacean sculpture by artist Gabriel Orozco.

Shreeji Newsagent in London, England

Established in 1982 by Sandeep Garg, Shreeji has evolved from a traditional newsstand and tobacconist to a cutting-edge concept café. Minimalistic interiors designed by Gabriel Chipperfield invite multiple uses of the space, reading chief among them. On display is a collection of print magazines, ranging from obscure to established, special interest to general. Shreeji is a Marylebone staple and an international bastion of print preservation.

Studio Mule in Shibuya, Japan

Toshiya Kawasaki, owner of the Japanese dance label Mule Musiq, combined his passions for viticulture and good music with this hi-fi listening bar. Located in Shibuya, a city known for its vinyl culture, Studio Mule draws in a low-key crowd of audiophiles and oenophiles alike. The lounge, designed by architect Koichi Futatsumata, is dark and earthy; the tunes, clear as water.

Bay Street Video in Toronto, Ontario

This long-standing DVD rental shop, tucked at the back of a highrise residential complex on the edge of Yorkville, is decidedly unfussy. See the sans-serif neon sign and return slot at the street entrance. Walk inside and step back in time. Outfitted with overhead fluorescent lighting and aged carpeting, this no-frills establishment houses Toronto’s largest DVD collection, which is thoughtfully cataloged for a streamlined browsing experience. Here is the Criterion Collection, there’s the for-sale section, and at the back corner you’ll find rows of international television series. Indecisive customers can refer to a clever corkboard chart of new releases, which indicates each title’s ratings according to critics, review sites, and staff.

Independent Publishing Resource Centre in Portland, Oregon

Housed in an industrial building in Southeast Portland, the Independent Publishing Resource Centre is a nonprofit community hub for DIY culture. Locals congregate to create poetry zines, collages, and myriad other paper-based crafts using the studio’s resources (a letterpress, screen printers, coil binders, risograph printers, and more). The space itself is enough to inspire creativity, with colonial-style grid windows, lofted ceilings, and artwork on display.

The Metrograph in New York, New York

The Metrograph only opened in 2016, but the two-screen theatre is already regarded as a Lower East Side institution. Projecting both first-run features in digital and archival restorations on 35mm, the cinema is reviving and perfecting the art and ritual of moviegoing. Patrons can savour the experience with elevated snacks (like cacio e pepe popcorn), director talkbacks, an upscale commissary, a film bookstore, and craft cocktails.

Munro Books in Victoria, British Columbia

Canadian author Alice Munro founded this bookstore in Victoria’s Old Town with her husband. Formerly a Royal Bank of Canada, the store has maintained the heritage building’s neo-classical elegance. Stained-glass windows, paired with the smell of paperbacks, renders book browsing a holy sacrament. Inside awaits a moment of discovery, each book a sort of portal to the divine.

SHARE