Description:

Centorian Pet Newsletter

My letterbox is old and lopsided. It is missing a few screws and the wood is rotting. Lichen grows on its surface. The sad state of this letterbox brings to mind the fading connection that exists between people and the post. Chance encounters with neighbours checking their mail have also become few and far between. Modern technology has removed some opportunities for these encounters, as the modality of our social interaction is shifting from the corporeal to incorporeal, tangible to intangible and proximate to remote. Could there be something that is missed out or forgotten in this rapid transition?
Centorian Pet Newsletter is a locally-based project, a publication disseminated in a small neighbourhood of Auckland. Every household on Centorian Drive received a little flyer inviting the willing pet owners to participate in a local pet newsletter. Neighbours kindly shared photos and stories of their beloved pets via email. These stories were compiled into a two-page A3 document which was then printed into two hundred copies using risograph. Each house in the neighbourhood received the Centorian Pet Newsletter in their letterbox.
Centorian Pet Newsletter is an artefact, a manifestation of genuineness from the people living in the local community. The authentic gestures of the neighbours made the project powerful and nurturing. It set a friendly tone in the neighbourhood and provided a glimpse of how the local community can support the quality social experience of its members.