DAMN° is an independent publication with open-minded views on the interchangeable worlds of design, architecture and art. In making meaningful connections rather than dictating tastes, its approach to storytelling brings editorial content beyond hype or conventional academic debate. Unafraid to link the personal and the political, the economic and the emotional, the stylistic and the social, DAMN° is ultimately about discoveries that aim to provoke a reaction…whether it be a thought or a smile.
In this issue:
Pop culture is power – memes, viral content, influencers, and advertising constantly construct narratives around products, ideologies, and personas to create modern tales that captivate audiences worldwide. Its power comes from its broad influence and the message, more often than not, is a prettily packaged soundbite of joy.
In this way, pop culture leaps from decade to decade with a familiar and consistent aesthetic that conveys happiness and excitement — it is upbeat, colourful, and triumphant. But that’s only ever part of the story. Beneath the veneer of jubilance lies a complex interplay of emotions.
In the Pop Culture issue we deep dive to discover elements of irony, satire and escapism, and we look at how Pop’s ultimate meaning lies in how it unifies, how it breaks the boring binary, and how it offers fans a temporary reprieve from the challenges and complexities of real life — and not just a peripheral ‘aside’. Critics can condemn pop culture for its commercialism, and for prioritising narratives and visuals that are merely uplifting and entertaining. What the sternest of detractors undervalue, however, is the relief such distractions from harsh realities can bring; the psychological calm amidst the worst of upheavals that a piece of pop refuge provides. And in times like these, when we all feel so divided, confused and scared, this feels like a crucial reminder that a common-ground amid division can still exist.
From the music of Serge Gainsbourg and Taylor Swift who The New York Times now refers to as the “cultural event of our lifetime” to the design creations of Yinka Ilori, honey & bunny and Freddy Mamani, one can read about how creatives today use Pop to challenge, and even hold up a mirror to, our broader social values, or at least to capture our “collectively cultivated temperament,” as contributor James Dyer expresses it.
We invite you to reflect on TikTok’s extraordinary influence on fashion, on the rise and rise of micro-trends, and to sit in with Al Hassan Elwan and Ruba Al-Sweel for their fascinating conversation on what post-modernism looks like and the pervasive effect it’s having on cultural production. The only conclusion can be that binary thinking is dangerous and must die, or to be more pop-positive: binary thinking needs a remix! In the colourful world of creativity, let’s ditch the black-and-white thinking and embrace a vibrant spectrum of ideas.
Related products
-
Art - Home & Living - Interior Design
Apartamento, Issue 32
An everyday life interiors magazine. Apartamento is widely recognised as today’s most influential, inspiring, and honest interiors magazine. International, well designed, simply written, and tastefully curated since 2008, it is an indispensable resource for individuals who are passionate about the way they live. The publication is published biannually from its headquarters in Barcelona. It also […]
225 SEK -
Business & Current Affairs - Design - Lifestyle - Travel
nomad, No.15
nomad is a magazine for design and society. For nomad, design is a process of shaping the future, and a catalyst for social developments and individual lifestyles. nomad seeks to change the perspective of design – from its status as an extraordinary phenomenon to a concept more rooted in the everyday: a progression that engenders […]
275 SEK -
Architecture - Culture & Lifestyle - Interior Design
Pin-Up Magazine, Issue 35
PIN–UP is a magazine that captures an architectural spirit, rather than focusing on technical details of design, by featuring interviews with architects, designers, and artists, and presenting work as an informal…..
375 SEK