Frames

Frames function as a tool of recognition. They determine what is seen, how it is seen, and, just as importantly, what remains unseen. The photograph above is an excellent example of this. It comes from Steven de Beer’s project “Kamuhaka,” completed as a part of the Reframe workshop discussed in detail in the _Perspective section of this issue. Initially, the photograph appears casual and innocent, but there is much more to it. It has a simple but arresting color composition, and the close-up framing highlights the textures of featured elements: the clean and ironed fabric of the shirt,…

Trash

Cycles of the Im_Material

As we, the guest editorial team, gathered to choose the visual direction for our issue, we knew the image selected would need to capture the spirit of curiosity that lies at the heart of this volume. The artist and philosopher Kilian Jörg, one of the authors featured in our issue, provided us…

Editorial

Ways of Reading

In the spring of 2023 an unusual exhibition opened in Düsseldorf. Its visitors did not find any paintings, sculptures, or installations to look at, but instead, found texts to read. These texts were printed…

Editorial

Present Futures

The lines between present and future have blurred. In 2023, the German photographer Boris Eldagsen made waves by submitting an AI-generated image titled The Electrician to the Sony World Photography Award. This…

Editorial

Codes: Power and Subversion

Codes can be read or written, imposed or resisted, performed or enacted; they can be broken or switched, made explicit or implemented covertly, can reinforce binaries or explode into multiplicities. Codes hold power over subjectivity and the individual, to shape relationships and the social; they are socio-technological assemblages and tacitly give structure to cultures. Often, it is only when codes are altered that we become aware of their cultural power.