Sun 14 Sept
|London
umum Reading Room #2
Reading Room #2 explores typology books as a way to turn quiet obsessions into shared investigations, with guest visual designer Di Mao.
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14 Sept 2025, 13:30 – 16:30
London, Rainham Rd, London NW10 5DJ, UK
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umum Event Series 「 Reading Room #2」
A summer has passed since our last Reading Room. In our first session we gathered around photobooks. This time we will look into typology books.
Typology books are not quite a genre, but books that collect, classify and catalogue. They reveal our quiet obsessions, the repeated urge to look closer at a single kind of object, scene or phenomenon. Why are we drawn to certain subjects again and again, until they become a study of their own? Stones picked up from every journey, walls photographed over years, or the familiar form of a chair, a hand.
This session, umum objects invites visual designer Di Mao (@st_udioo) to join the conversation. Di often works with manuals and typological studies, tracing how everyday tools and gestures can be documented, repeated and re-seen. She will bring along her recently made manual on cleaning tools to share how her editorial practice uses typology as a method, transforming obsession into investigation.
In addition to the reading, we’ve invited our Cordon Bleu pastry chef friends Jessica Chen and Xiao Xiao (@PesceLondon) to prepare two seasonal limited-edition madeleines (rumored to be the ‘taste of the moon’), paired with freshly brewed seasonal pour-over coffee from Calico to join us in the discussion!
Each participant is invited to bring at least one typology book related to something you are fascinated by, or even curate a small collection of books to share. Together we will explore not just what we are drawn to, but also exchanges of curiosity, shared perspectives and the pursuit of what lies behind.
📚 Reading Room #2
🗓️ 14 September, 13:30–16:30
📍 Umum Objects Studio, Kensal Green, NW10
What You Need to Know
To ensure a smooth experience for everyone attending our event, please take a moment to review our key policies below:
Registration Confirmation:
The event price includes a complimentary drink, with additional snacks provided. Event details, including the exact location, will be emailed to you within 24 hours upon successful booking.
Cancellation and Rescheduling:
Requests must be made at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund or to reschedule for a future date.
Failure to cancel or reschedule in time will result in full charges.
Event cancellations by us, due to unforeseen circumstances, will result in refunds within 10 working days.
For any inquiries or refund requests, contact us at info@umumobjects.com.
中文活动介绍 📢
在日复一日的生活中，我们习惯于收集、分类与存档身边的大小事物。从既定的标准到独特的个人视角，原本带有学术意味的“类型学”逐渐被内化，成为我们观察世界的一种方式。
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你是否也曾不由自主地记录或收集同一类事物或景象？海边捡来的石头、对称的建筑空间、街头的文字涂鸦，或是那些看似无用却越买越多的精神伴侣。是什么驱动着我们一次又一次地重复这样的收集？而这些看似零散的记录，又能否通过“类型学”的方法，被重新梳理为一本书，或转化为一种设计语言？
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带着这样的好奇，我们邀请了设计师好友 @是鼍 （tuó），与大家分享她的新作《Time to Clean》，看看她如何将对清洁工具的执念，转化为一套清晰而有逻辑的类型语言。除了 umum 与是鼍的书籍分享之外，我们也希望每一位参与者能带来至少一本你们心中与类型学相关的书籍。它可以是围绕某件物品的“家谱”，也可以是由无数看似独立的偶然所组成的共性……
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除了阅读之外，我们还邀请了蓝带甜点师朋友 Jessica Chen 和 Xiao Xiao @双PesceLondon @兔果記The Dough Garden ，准备了两款当季限定的玛德琳（听说是“月亮的味道”），并搭配来自 Calico 的当季烘焙手冲咖啡一起加入我们的讨论！☕️
期待在 umum 听到你的观察视角，一同开启这场归档练习📖
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📚：umum 临时图书馆#2
📅：2025年9月14日（周日）｜13:30-16:30
📍：umum objects studio，Kensal Green NW10