defrag zine #4

Published August 5, 2026

defrag is a self-published magazine based in Düsseldorf, founded in May 2020 by Ina Holev, Lan Nguyen, Jolande Hörrmann, and Lisa Tracy Michalik. The project provides a platform for emerging writers, illustrators, and artists, bringing together diverse creative practices through an intersectional feminist perspective.

The magazine follows an open format, combining texts, images, cultural reflections, photography, poetry, and experimental contributions. Inspired by the term “defragmentation” in information technology, defrag explores the process of rearranging and reconnecting individual elements to create new perspectives and forms of expression. Each issue brings together the collective’s own work with curated submissions from contributors.

As a non-commercial zine, defrag is rooted in DIY publishing traditions and aims to support independent artistic voices. Recent issues have explored themes including writing, love, names, future imaginaries, and decolonial film criticism. The magazine is designed by me, Charlotte Rohde, incorporating my own typefaces into the design process, shaping the visual identity and experimental approach of each issue.

Through publishing, design, and collaboration, defrag contributes to the literary and cultural landscape of Düsseldorf and beyond while creating space for new forms of storytelling and exchange.

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