This Magazine is Designed to be Suitable for the Young

This Magazine is Designed to be Suitable for the Young

2015

Discipline

Graphic Design, Publication

Client

Enlightenment

Industry

Art, Design

In Singapore where the government and population are largely conservative, societal progress treads a fine line by forbidding nudity and outright pornography, but allowing the conditional sale of ‘adult-interest lifestyle magazines’. While considered tame by more liberal societies, such approved publications must be tagged with a prominent label that says “Unsuitable for the Young”. The warning aims to protect children and to avoid offending conservative citizens.

Inspired by and questioning the efficacy of this practice, the work of photographer Ivanho Harlim was censored with custom-made warning labels. Strategically overlaid on Ivanho’s photographs, the end product is arguably rendered suitable for the young. Questionable words within the artists' statements were also blanked out with correction tape.

As a conceptual extension, each magazine was also packaged with a children's sticker sheet, encouraging readers to further self-censor their personal copies.