“Funzel” <-, -n> [ˈfʊntsl̩] SUBST f – in English: a dim light / a fleeting sparkle
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Dear readers,
let’s face it – this Funzel volume is thick. Indeed, it is the thickest volume that we (and you) may have held in hands since our debut two years ago. Back in those days when we printed 85 modest copies, we could have never imagined that two years later we would be getting more submissions than we actually can publish. So, when you’ve finished reading all of them and you still feel like you didn’t get enough – we continue publishing our weekly articles on our Funzel-blog (some of them of course are written in English as well).
Nevertheless, Funzel is more than a growing number of editions and pages. During the last two years, our spark was carried to other places, to new projects and a first state of renown. Yet, no definitive conclusion was reached as to what Funzel actually is at its core. Just like in any exciting experiment, we do not try to predict the results. So far, the only element that has been revealed is that we remain out of the box. Out of the box in terms of traditions, historical sequences and academic discourses. We do this concisely – and we have fun. But let’s keep it short.
In this new summer edition, we’re conducting a style criticism. What kind of times do we live in? And, what kind of life are we leading? Contrary to the dark premonitions of what the future holds, we believe that everything could actually be quite different. This edition offers an intricate tapestry of threads ranging from the reconquering of a self-determined way of life to the wrath of data collection, from the technological to the tactical, from mondanité to mundanity and from self-optimization to political engagement. Our conclusion: in spite all the conflicts that may arise, one can still dispute the status quo with leftover time for some stargazing.
Of course, in the midst of the pandemic, our questioning of Lifestyle acquired even more significance. Moving away from the daily structures led us to realize the fragile ground that our ways of life are standing on, and the importance of reflecting upon this. As always, the breaking of old structures enabled an unexpected breeding ground for the new. This edition, for example, was, for the first time, conceived solely through digital procedures. Conspiring seminar flirts and smoke-filled cellar bar discussions were replaced by intertextual virtual collaboration which is now finally culminating in the analogue format. Thus, there are no single editors which could sign responsible for this fifth issue of Funzel, but instead a digital coordination-council, which, after all, wishes a ninefold enjoyable reading experience,
Lena Güldner, Hannes Pfeiffer, Cornelius B. Kopf, Philipp Neudert, Maximilian Priebe, Jonas Riedinger, Tizia Rosendorfer, Hannah Schey, Lea Würtenberger
P.S.: Was there smeotihng left ucnealr? Wree we ginog too fsat? Mybae both? Reading from left to right is not enjoyable for anyone. Ever read a text in Arabic? What has been the leading trend in regards to reading in the Middle East can now also be found in Funzel – reading from right to left! For those who go against the grain, the ones who come from somewhere else, for those readers who have a left dominating eye, for those who simply want it. The same but different: Funzel Lifestyle – the mirrored printed edition.