Jochem Öfner: Troublemaking, Printing, and the Politics of the Page
What does it mean for a printing house to be born from protest?
How has the politics of printing changed in the digital age?
And what responsibilities come with producing books today?
I spoke with Jochem Öfner, Director of Printing at Drukkerij Raddraaier, for a new episode of Book Making as an Art Form.
Based in Amsterdam, Drukkerij Raddraaier was founded in the late 1970s during the Dutch squatting movement, part of a network of activist print shops producing books, pamphlets, posters, and political materials when mainstream printers would not.
In our conversation, Jochem traces this history alongside his own journey into print: from growing up around books through his mother’s work in art history, to travelling to Central America with revolutionary ambitions, and eventually finding his place in the print shop.
But this episode is not only about the past.
We also speak about how the meaning of freedom of press has shifted since the arrival of the internet, and how questions once tied to print now play out across digital platforms instead.
Alongside this sits another pressing conversation: sustainability.
Jochem reflects openly on the contradictions of sustainable printing; the tension between environmental responsibility, economic survival, and the often overlooked material costs of digital culture.
At the centre of it all is a commitment to keeping independent production alive: small-scale, thoughtful, and accessible.
A conversation about activism, making, and the politics embedded in every printed page.
🎧 Tune in from 5th May
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Produced and hosted by Justina Nekrašaitė | The Book Photographer
Audio productions: Drexhage Media | Jasper Drexhage
Design: Thom Niessink
Recorded at Stedelijk Museum Library
Communication & promotion: Chana Levy
❤️ Season 2 is supported by Pictoright, Het Cultuurfonds and many big-hearted individuals via Voordekunst.
With particular appreciation to our principal supporters: Ruth Higgins, Luminosity Lab, Eleonoor Jap Sam / Jap Sam Books, Silvia Robertelli, Wilco Art Books Amersfoort, and Marc Gijzen.
