The seed to set up JZZP was planted when Yan You worked for two magazines years ago. Yan started to run JZZP as a blog in 2007; four years later, he transformed it to an independent publishing house. When a library of JZZP opened in Ningbo in Zhejiang province in 2017, JZZP was finally positioned by Yan as an art institution focusing on image-related practices: publishing photo books and magazines, writing blogs, taking part of book fairs, and holding events and activities.

The highlight of JZZP is the publication of photo books. According to Yan, what is attractive about and key to JZZP is the “dedication to exploring the possibility of accessible photos”. Photographers’ works are perfect for printing, moving and touching. They allow viewers to see a great universe through various angles. It is easy for those who are fond of books and magazines to understand that while reading, the weight on their palms, the touch by their fingers, the details of the layout and even the smell of paper all help to improve the reading experience.

As a self-organized publisher, JZZP has many advantages by nature. They can freely select high-quality content, spend more time and efforts on a single book for better and more innovative presentation when cooperating with artists and designers. In the past decade, together with other institutions of its kind, JZZP has pioneered a new path.

Co-curated by Inside-Out Art Museum and JZZP, this exhibition is the sixth episode of the Inside-Out Practice. Texts on the windows come from the JZZP columns and the names of the books published by JZZP. These poetic phrases can be understood as key words or index for the show. On the shelves stand all the 28 books published by JZZP in the past eight years, including some that are out of print. We also transform the online exhibition of JZZP, “Virtual Exhibition”, into a real one at the museum space, where online viewing via mobile phones are replaced by the physical exhibition of photos.

The British rock singer Van Morrison sings in his song, “we will come and go in the forest”. At the empty space in the woods, visitors will stay and rest for more gathering and communication. The books in the exhibition constitute a spiritual land in the forest.