11 NOVEMBER 23-29, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | DECEMBER 6TH - 10TH Contemporary Art from Africa and the African Diaspora Scan to learn more or SIGN UP FOR FREE at tennorthgroup.com 490 OPA-LOCKA BLVD, OPA-LOCKA Vitshois Mwilambwe Bondo, La reine Rwej , 2019, Acrylic and collage on linen. From the Ten North Group collection. miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Keep On Truckin’ Dále Zine hits the road with a new bookmobile. BY DOUGLAS MARKOWITZ D ále Zine, the Little River-based purveyors of art books and ephemera, is going places — lit- erally — with a new mobile bookstore. This isn’t just any standard bookmobile, however. The shop, which New Times de- clared the Best Bookstore in Miami earlier this year, is using a converted mini-truck from Japan to house the Mobile Dále Zine Shop. Co-owner Steve Saiz purchased a 1996 Honda Acty, part of a special class of vehicles called kei trucks, and fitted it with a bright yellow display shelf built by local carpentry business Koki Customs. Dále announced the mobile shop on Insta- gram last week. The store plans on driving it to community events throughout Miami-Dade, with an official debut set for NADA Miami during Miami Art Week, and hopes to partner with museums and local businesses on activa- tions. It will also be hosting programming at the shop during Art Week centered around an exhibition by artist Terrell Villiers, including a panel by Black, queer, Caribbean party Masisi. Saiz says he was motivated to create the bookmobile due to a lifelong interest in the unique Japanese trucks. “I’ve always been obsessed with those mini-trucks, and when I got the chance to fi- nally go to Japan a few years ago, all my pho- tos were of those mini trucks,” Saiz says. “I had always wanted one for that purpose. How cool would it be to bring art books to somewhere like Little Havana or West Kend- all, somewhere you might not expect?” Kei trucks are part of a class of cars spe- cific to Japan called keijidosha (“light auto- mobile”). Generally designed with low horsepower engines and smaller frames to suit the narrow streets of dense Japanese cit- ies, kei trucks are made to be as small as pos- sible within the legal limits of Japan’s road regulations for consumer cars. Nearly every major Japanese auto manufacturer makes its version of a kei truck, but because companies like Subaru and Suzuki don’t sell new model kei trucks in the U.S., used vehicles, most of them more than 25 years old to comply with import regulations around classic cars, make up the majority of kei trucks brought into the states. There are obstacles to owning one here: Japan drives on the left, for instance, meaning most trucks have right-hand steering. Regulations also vary by state, and the trucks are generally banned on interstate and high-speed highways. And if you need to tow a trailer, you’re better off with a more powerful vehicle. Despite this, kei trucks have recently be- come surprisingly popular in the U.S. With American automakers catering to suburban demand for massive, dangerous, and ex- pensive pickup trucks, farmers, building contractors, and workers in other industries are turning to kei trucks for ac- tual hauling. Lower cost is also a part of the appeal. Doral- based Kuruma Im- ports, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) dealership where Saiz bought his Honda, currently stocks a va- riety of kei trucks and vans with prices rang- ing from $7,899 to $15,999. For comparison, a new Ford F-150 costs upwards of $36,000. Saiz also says the dealership worked to secure a car with specific features such as automatic transmission and air conditioning. In Japan, Kei trucks are used for a variety of purposes, including as fire engines, deliv- ery vehicles, and camper vans. A bookstore may be one of the more novel ideas for a kei truck conversion, but Saiz believes it’s per- fectly suited to Dále’s ethos. “It aligns with Dále Zine bringing art ev- erywhere, making art as accessible as possi- ble. And something I thought was funny was that it’s part of our brand – we’re ‘always on the move.’” He adds, “It’s really frickin’ adorable.” Dále Zine. 7325 NW Miami Pl., Miami; dalezineshop.com. Wednesday through Sunday 1 to 6 p.m. [email protected] Dále Zine used a converted Japanese kei truck to create its new mobile bookstore. Photo by Michael Erich Atwood “HOW COOL WOULD IT BE TO BRING ART BOOKS TO SOMEWHERE LIKE LITTLE HAVANA OR WEST KENDALL?” ▼ Culture
