Aesthetica Magazine Issue 78

August / September 2017

Time is relative. In order to understand it we must have an anchor point, but the present is moving so fast, how do you capture it? Every day (multiple times) I tap a news app, and I am immediately inundated with information, yet I keep going back for more. I have an insatiable thirst for finding out the news. I constantly want to be “in the know”, and such an attitude is increasingly representative of the modern, collective state of mind. However, in this era of accelerating post-truth and digital manipulation, where fact converges with fiction and Love Island gets as much, if not more, coverage than an ice shelf half the size of Wales breaking, we must ask ourselves – what is going on?

This issue starts with the Chicago Architecture Biennial and its theme of Make New History, a title that calls into question the relationship between the past and memory. With over 100 participants, this year’s event interrogates architecture’s place in present-day society. Unseen Amsterdam also opens this September, and as part of this year’s fair there is a showcase of new talent. We select three practitioners whose images are devoid of human presence, eliciting an eerie sense of isolation. Meanwhile, Julia Körner, a collaborator with the venerable Iris van Herpen, discusses fashion and technology, and the possibilities of 3D printing, with a specific focus on how nature influences the manmade world. Similarly looking to innovation, 50 design studios are brought to light in a new publication by Prestel which dissects sustainability and the trend to move away from fast production.

In photography, we showcase the work of seven practitioners who use space, light and the body in innovative ways. From Marcus Palmqvist and Matthieu Belin to Maik Lip and Paul et Martin, the images capture an overall sense of movement. Our annual collaboration with London College of Communication also returns, bringing the best and the brightest to the fore through a range of styles and techniques. Finally, the last words go to Sylvain Biard, who reassesses the conceptual impact of place.

Intimate Perspective

Aesthetica presents a list of emerging artists who utilise photography as a medium through which to highlight the transient intimacy of human nature.

Symbiotic Landscapes

Maik Lipp takes a clean, graphic approach to modern metropolis. Mixed Minimal isolates the beauty of lone architectural elements.

Energetic Arrangement

The French Lesson showcases one of Paul et Martin’s most notable collaborations, a creatively led video achieved through a summery, geometric aesthetic.

Organic Reformation

Experienced in architecture, fashion and design, Julia Körner combines formulae from the natural landscape with technological advancements.

Redefined Possibilities

In an era of post-truth, Unseen Amsterdam explores distorted perceptions, reliability and control through an exciting showcase of contemporary photography.

Dynamic Technologies

A new publication provides a diverse overview of well-known designers and the innovative solutions produced for domestic and urban life.

Ethereal Composition

Ben Zank revels in the unconscious condition; using the stark semantics of straight lines, his characters nestle within the clutches of desolate landscapes.