A series of interviews with those whom I consider to be true ‘influencers,’ whose ideas and work have a heck of a lot of value. They’re tapping into something that resonates with many and, in the process, they are shaping our cultures, industries and places.
These interviews have been conducted specifically for this series.
2022
#5. COMING SOON.2020
#4. Karen Wong, deputy director of the New Museum, has rightfully been called “the image of 2.0 patronage.” We discuss how protests and pandemic have given rise to a new role for ‘the street’ in urban life; about a new wave of anti-disciplinarity; why we now care less about spectacle and more about intimacy, and how that’s helped reshape her work.#3. Dr. Stefano Mancuso is a world-renowned Italian botanist who is the founder of ‘plant neurobiology’ – a not-entirely-possible field of study aimed at taking a crack at the establishment (plants do not have neurons) by focusing on the similarities plants have with animals: communication, community. The lessons are many, including of course a radical critique on how we organise society. (Read on!)
#2. Catherine Opie, celebrated documentary and fine-art photographer, discusses the role of ‘bearing witness’ in democracy, the power of nostalgia, the tendency to burn down what we love, and, of course, the image: now that we’re all photographers, are images more or less powerful?
#1. Emanuele Farneti, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue, discusses the unshackling of fashion from ‘seasons,’ the freedom he finds in prioritising concept over celebrity on his covers, and routes into big issues for an industry many turn to for escapism.