For Spruce Gallery, print was never dead

Selling Magazines and Art Pieces. This Rare Gem in Ortigas Believes in the Enduring Impact of Physical Media.

- By YRA LUIS GENER GUTIERREZ

The birth of the digital age catalyzed the print media industry to retaliate and go online. But even then, print was never dead. Spruce Gallery, a rare gem in Manila that sells print magazines and art pieces, would tell you the same story. As a matter of fact, Spruce is a testament that print's relevance in today's digital society is far from perishing.

Situated in Ortigas, the varying titles of glossy and matte publications—a combination of renowned and niche—are laid out straight, much like how visual art pieces are perfectly curated in a gallery, yet most copies are unsealed and ready for browsing. There is a Monocle radio placed at a corner, and co-owner Ric Gindap is vibrating with excitement when he welcomes me wearing a black shirt that says "Spruce" and a flat cap.

Gindap works at a top branding agency called Design For Tomorrow and is one of the founders of Spruce Gallery. "This is a passion project," he says of operating the print and art gallery store. Even before the birth of Spruce, Ric has always loved print. At his home, he has four panels of ceiling-to-floor shelves of magazines and books.

When traveling abroad, he purchases copies of such print media together with his business partner Bonnapart Galeng. They both had gone to magCulture in London and Do You Read Me in Berlin and thought, "How come we don't have this in Manila?"

"(Spruce Gallery is) a reflection of how we love print," Ric says. "You can't just say you love it and not do something about it."

In the Philippines, there is a massive decline in magazines at bookstores. Although monographs, literature, and manga are still available, newsstands are often empty. There are some local titles, but shops have eased out magazines completely. Ric sees it as an opportunity and another factor that contributes to running Spruce Gallery, but their business is different. Its main goal is to jumpstart a conversation with people who love magazines.