Thinking outside the box can be more challenging than it seems at times. It’s a common phrase and notion, but what does it mean and how do you really achieve it? For me, it’s having the ability to stop self-editing; what I mean by that is it’s only too easy to conjure up an idea and then, before it is fully formed, prevent yourself from finalising it because there may be some sort of obstacle. Imagine if instead of doing that, your mind flowed free – just think of the endless possibilities that could arise as a result. As we turn towards 2016, this is going to be a new focus of mine, ensuring that I always engage with as many ideas as possible, then form solutions for any obstacle in the way.

This issue concentrates on practitioners who are pushing boundaries. Architect Tom Kundig’s designs are rooted in the relationship between manmade materials and how they interact with nature. In many ways it’s about nding a balance, which Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson explores in his latest offering Reality Machines at Moderna Museet, Stockholm. As we near the centenary of the Bauhaus, a major survey show #its all design, currently on at the Vitra Design Museum, studies the vast influence that this cross-disciplinary movement has had on contemporary design practice. Dutch fashion designer, Iris van Herpen pushes ideas to the limit through her use of 3D printing, which defies categorisation.

In photography, we bring you a new series from Kourtney Roy who continues to be her own muse, while Emma Hartvig constructs narratives by capturing a single moment. Ari Gabel’s carefree and candid images document everyday beauty. Siberian-born Evgenia Arbugaeva harnesses the lure of Arctic landscapes in her latest series, Weather Man. We also bring you the diverse work of Maia Flore, Nicolas Dhervillers and Nathan Seabrook. In film, we look back at the winners of this year’s Aesthetica Short Film Festival as well as previews Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict and Terence Davies’s latest offering Sunset Song. Finally, Christian Boltanski speaks about his new show at Marian Goodman, Paris.