Decoding creativity with Mister Twister magazine

by Grace Wang in December 2017

How does creativity work? In an attempt to find responses to this impossible question, Mister Twister magazine traverses graphic design, contemporary art, photography, and beyond to sift out the “sweet spot of absurdity within creativity”. Published by Berlin-based studio The Adventures Of, it’s a refreshing piece of print that comes with a 7-inch vinyl record.

This issue interprets ‘space’ through a variety of unexpected ways, from the gap teeth grin on the cover to the galactic sounds emitting from the record. We got in touch with founders Leila El-Kayem and Sophie Mayer, and assistant editor Julia Gröschel to find out more.

What do you mean when you say the magazine covers “the absurdity of creativity?”
Creativity in itself, is absurd. There are no right and wrong ways to create. There are no tools or methodologies with which to produce original thought. We all have our own unique influences and ways of looking at the world, which affects how we make things. Simply put – creativity is problem solving. And how you get there, that’s where the magic happens. It’s ugly. It’s crazy. It’s messy. It’s always and never the same. And sometimes it’s beautiful. And that right there is the sweet spot of absurdity within creativity.

The city infographics (below) are great — what was the thinking behind this feature?
We wanted to explore the geography of space. So, we collaborated with designer Kenzo Mayama Kramarz to create a stylised visual representation of urban spaces in Berlin, London and Tokyo. Our infographics seek to explore themes such as redevelopment, foreign investment, property prices and gentrification, which have resulted in massive changes in their respective urban environments, and consequently in our own relationship with these spaces.

How did you come across Paa Joe, and why did you decide to showcase his epic coffins (below)?
On our travels around the internet in search of the unseen, we heard about the fantastic art project Paa Joe and the Lion. The title intrigued us from the start, and after learning more about it we thought about the space we take up when we are no more, bereft of life, ceasing to exist, dead as hell. Dead space. Where we end up when we exit this earth is interesting because it’s where we’ll physically spend the rest of all eternity. Paa Joe has beautifully explored this thought by connecting art to life and death in Ghana, which is something we wanted to celebrate.

Marie-Laurence Carrière’s Vacant series says so much with such quiet photography. What drew you to her work?
Vacant is a photographic essay taken in hotel rooms, all representative of the space as it is, once we have left our own unique traces in them. This is exactly what drew us to her work, it’s raw, intimate, personal and unique. Most of what we see online is curated, hashtag-ed, standardised and photoshopped. Marie-Laurence’s work is in defiance of our post-internet world and we wanted to salute that!

The space brownie recipe, paired with the ingredients orbiting in space made me laugh! Tell us about working on this feature… (below)
This feature was created, baked and tested with a friend in Amsterdam. The space brownie image is mesmerising and had us thinking what else we’d find if other types of food were opened up – the galaxy of a Big Mac could be simultaneously fascinating, nauseating, horrifying and delicious, and the perfect munchie follow up to our space cake recipe.

Lastly, do you have any advice for people publishing their first magazine?
Be fearless! Find and share the world’s untold, unseen and unheard stories.
In the words of a dear friend and talented designer, the late Boris Brumnjak, “Print is not dead.”