Bungee Space Makes Getting Lost Feel Good
The “mix space” founder Shisi Huang walks us through her kaleidoscopic counter to showroom minimalism — literary deep cuts, archival grails, and all — in this latest edition of Shop Talk
WORDS BY ERIN IKEUCHI
INTERVIEW & PHOTOS BY BRIAN NGUYEN
A book might bring you into Bungee Space, but you’ll leave with something you didn’t know existed: maybe a book pouch made out of a kitchen mitt, a pillow case that’s actually a skirt, or even a melty ceramic piece to christen your living room. For some, maybe it’s as simple as a good cup of coffee from a new go-to. Tucked on Stanton Street in the Lower East Side, the space rewards patient, curious eyes teasing through its rather expansive, rather eclectic selection.
“I like that the confusing mix makes people curious,” says owner Shisi Huang. Since setting up shop five years ago, Bungee Space has become a favorite amongst art book lovers and beyond. Part bookstore, café, publishing house, and clothing shop; it’s one of those rare places you love to get lost in — a cozy, much-needed pause from downtown fast life.
The store grew out of 3standardstoppage, an experimental studio and collective founded by artists Huang, Xiao Yong, and Nanxi Zhou in San Francisco in 2016. Named after Marcel Duchamp’s 1913 work, the platform marries art, design, and fashion, while challenging their respective traditions. By 2019, the project expanded into brick and mortars: POSTPOST in Beijing and Bungee Space in New York.
A kaleidoscopic counter to showroom minimalism, Bungee Space turns the dial way up on play. Sculptures hang from chains overhead, jewelry adorned with glass body parts sits in glass cases, while walls of candy-colored titles spill toward the coffee bar. On the racks in the back, pieces from Kiko Kostadinov, Paloma Wool, and Yoji Yamamoto sit alongside designs from the city’s up-and-coming designers.
Even at its most dense, the shop never loses its warmth. On a weekday stop in, visitors leaf through for new pick-ups, soundtracked by dream pop and soft rock. Others settle in with a cold drink, read, and chat outside.
Books, still, are at the heart of Bungee Space. The print selection carries its own constellation of artists, designers, musicians, and theorists, ranging from pocket zines to oversized art books. Image culture and criticism have always been the curatorial compass, and it’s this critical, creative spirit that ties all the disparate offerings together.
For this edition of Shop Talk, Hypebeast caught up with Huang to discuss the secret to standing out in an overcrowded retail landscape and must-buys for our book collection.
Hypebeast: What’s one question customers always ask you?
Shishi Huang: “What is this place?”
So, what type of store is this?
We call it a “mix space” — a coffee, book, and clothing shop combined. We also function as an alternative art space, and host a lot of programs and events.
What’s the origin of the name Bungee Space?
Years ago, I had an obsession with collecting bungee cords and just the image of them. They have different, interesting functions: I used to use one as a belt, and you see them used on the street to tie things to bikes. My first project in New York City was called “Bungee Project,” and the store continued the name after that.
What’s your favorite book right now?
Homographs: A Pictionary by Allegra Baggio Corradi. The book is full of images from a workshop with kids who have difficulties with languages, and immigrants using English as a foreign language. They use images as the study tool, not the text. It’s the opposite of how I learned language as a kid.
Why did you decide to expand beyond books?
I don’t want our selection to be limited to art book readers; I want the space to be inviting for everyone. That’s why we added the coffee bar. When they wait for coffee, they browse and may get curious about some of the books or clothing pieces.
What book do you recommend starting my collection with?
We focus on artist books related to image study and criticism — what are you interested in?
Currently? Repetition.
These fanzines by Kermesse, a French publisher. They have a lot of interesting images related to repetition. A lot of collage and cut-out work.
What makes a “good image”?
That’s difficult to answer. In our post-internet era, we see a lot of fragments of a single image on social media. So maybe a comprehensive collection, a series, makes a good image.
What are the most recent additions to the store?
The International Manual of Mahjong, which is the real edition focusing on mahjong culture and teaching the popular game.
What do you do outside of running the space?
After 10 years running our own bookstore, we’re finally starting to publish our own books. Otherwise, I go to the forest, hike, and rock climb.
What do you tell artists who want to sell their work here?
We encourage people to email us — we only take email submissions — first about themselves, their project, and a series of images or photos. Then, we’ll do some research. We’ll reply if it’s a good fit for our curation.
What’s the key to having good curation?
If you are unique, you are unique anywhere. Just keep the selection tight and focus on your own research. Be cautious about the information big data feeds you. Read more.
Visit Bungee Space at 13 Stanton Street, New York, NY 10002 and follow them on Instagram here.
