Miko Brepols brings Tears Factory to life in a zine.

From workshops and masterclasses to talks, design, and an afterparty – Tears Factory was the creative hotspot of Heerlen between 10 November and 1 December 2024. Young talent Miko Brepols followed the entire project closely with his camera. He compiled his personal and analogue images into a unique zine, which is now available for purchase in the SCHUNCK museum shop.

Miko, a participant in the talent development program Life Cipher, was asked to capture Tears Factory. Together with Gert-Jan from Kool Cult, he decided that a zine would be the perfect end product. The result is a visual report in black and white, with only a few brief texts as commentary. From the opening at Pancratiusplein to the painting workshop, clothing reworking, a graphic design masterclass, a mask-making workshop, and the exclusive tour of the Andy Warhol: Vanitas exhibition – everything can be found in Miko’s zine. "I tried to capture both the process and the result of the workshops as best as I could."

Warhol-touch

The style is raw and inspired by the work of Andy Warhol himself. "I started to dive deeper into his work and found many black-and-white images with strong contrast. When I first started photography, I often worked like that too. It was cool to pick that up again." He even used an original SX-70 Polaroid camera for the portraits, a model that Warhol himself also used. "That camera is three times older than I am," he laughs.

The zine also contains photos of screenprints by Naud, specifically captured to be integrated as a visual element in the whole. These screenprints were later transformed into tote bags, which are now available for sale in the SCHUNCK museum shop. "I wanted to document it as authentically as possible, entirely in my own style. It wasn’t just a registration task, but my own perspective."

More than a report

The zine demonstrates what a public program like Tears Factory can create: it continues to have an impact. Miko himself came up with the idea to turn it into something lasting. The project shows that young creators, through programs like Life Cipher and collaborations with Kool Cult and SCHUNCK, are given the space to grow – and to tell new stories.

Miko does this in his own way: distinctive, visual, and with an eye for context and detail. "It was fascinating to see the connection between Naud and Andy Warhol. You could clearly tell that Naud had been inspired by Warhol's work."

Building further

Miko remains active within Life Cipher. On 12 May, he will attend a studio workshop with photographer Lowie, along with other photographers. It’s something he’s been looking forward to for a while. "I’m excited – we’ll definitely learn a lot from each other." His relationship with Kool Cult is also strong: "Whenever I have questions, I know I can always find the coaches."

Miko’s zine is available in a limited edition at the SCHUNCK museum shop. It will also later be featured at the new clothing release from Tears. In this way, the project connects various worlds – art, fashion, youth, and heritage – into one personal visual story.