White Fungus is about to release its 18th print issue. The new edition contains an epic 80-page interview with poet and novelist Eileen Myles, accompanied by photographs from deep within their archive. The piece follows a tradition of visually immersive long-form interviews in White Fungus.
Spanning decades, the conversation traces key chapters of Myles’ life, from childhood memories to becoming a poet in 1970s New York, reading at CBGB, and writing the cult classic novel Chelsea Girls. Myles discusses their mainstream crossover in 2015, involvement in the hit television series Transparent, and travel to Palestine. They also reflect on overcoming alcoholism and their writing process.
The issue includes an in-depth exploration of the profound but long-suppressed role of occultism in modern art. It probes the centrality of esotericism to the work of Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky, and the often-overlooked semi-abstract paintings of 19th-century artist Georgiana Houghton—produced decades before the conventionally understood beginnings of abstraction. The article is co-written by Marina Alexandrova and Ron Hanson.
Taipei artist Yao Jui-Chung contributes a photo essay of wide-angle Polaroids capturing Madou Daitian Temple’s animatronic religious display, alongside similar depictions of hell across Taiwan and Singapore. The images are accompanied by a text discussing the mythological Chinese concept of hell and its resonance in contemporary Taiwanese life.
There is an interview with the Russian artist and novelist Pavel Pepperstein on the influence of children’s literature and hallucinogenics in conjuring his surreal futuristic landscapes—a style he calls “psychedelic realism.” The interview is accompanied by a text introducing the artist broadly, from his first LSD trip in Moscow’s Red Square near the end of the Soviet Union to his involvement in the conceptual art collective Inspection Medical Hermeneutics.
Yan Jun reflects on the life and work of the late Taiwanese noise music pioneer Dino (Liao Ming-Ho), who created electronic music using feedback from simple analog equipment. Dino was also a lover of traditional tea ceremonies, a seal engraver, and a player of the guqin, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument favored by the literati in ancient times. He is remembered not only for his artistry but also for his enigmatic lifestyle and unique mystical presence.
White Fungus began as an intended one-off political zine in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2004. The publication protested the construction of an inner-city motorway that would rip through the city’s arts district, leading to the destruction of heritage buildings and the eviction of artists from their studios. Produced anonymously, copies of the first issue were printed on a photocopier, wrapped in Christmas paper, and hurled through the entrances of businesses throughout the city.
After receiving a strong response, the publication’s founders, brothers Ron Hanson and Mark Hanson, decided to continue the project, gradually evolving it into an arts publication with an international readership. In 2009, White Fungus relocated to Taiwan, where it has since been based and active in the local arts scene.
The name of the publication comes from a can of “white fungus” the Hansons found in their local Taichung City supermarket in 2003. The can contained a pulped beverage produced in the city’s industrial zone. Each cover of White Fungus is derived from a scan of that can.
White fungus is a wild mushroom that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Today, it is commonly served in soup as a local delicacy. White fungus is believed to be good for immunity, the brain, heart, and skin.
The 18th issue of White Fungus will be released worldwide in late January, with presales available now. Interested stockists can place orders through Boutique Mags, while Taiwanese stores can order through The Affairs Circulation.
