Sticky Institute

Dropped in at Sticky yesterday for the first time ever. It’s located in the tunnel under Degraves Street (I got off a train and went straight there from Flinders Street station). It’s a small shop with shelves full of zines on all the walls, a table in the middle where people can work on their zines, and a photocopier running non-​stop (or so it seems). I picked up a handful of zines and had a nice chat to the women working behind the counter.
If you love DIY culture and grassroots creativity, then the Sticky Institute will definitely float your boat.

Sticky is an artist-​run and focused initiative that facilitates and promotes zine culture in this city. It’s an amazing concept: you can go in, use their resources, pick their brains and be blown away by the wealth of incredible artists and artisans working in the zine realm.
Sticky have a lucid idea of who they are as a collective. Their mission statement says: «By bypassing the conventional gallery system, Sticky redefines the notion of a retail environment as a non profit arts space dedicated to Australian and international zine culture.» And in doing these things, the institute allow the proliferation of this otherwise underground and often off-​kilter art practise — a great thing for any city.
Any gripe with the place would be that it is cramped and can feel a bit exclusive at times. I’ve had slightly mixed experiences with staff, but they’re mostly volunteers, so there’s no shortage of passion.

Zines, the DIY behemoth that excites photocopiers, writers and artists alike has a home in Melbourne. Situated beneath Flinders st as one enters the train station, one will find every surface adorned with self-​made paraphernalia, complete with badge machine, stapler and photocopier for the budding Zinester in all of us, Sticky is an institution.