DAMN°87 – The Provocateur Issue

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:

DAMN° just turned TWENTY and in keeping with our perennial support for daring creatives willing to destroy and rethink culture, we present the PROVOCATEUR issue.

To make any sort of meaningful contribution to intelligently shape the tangible and intangible world around us, a designer must be bold — willing to brave the wrath of social media outrage and cancel-culture warriors…  to not conform to the mainstream, to polite society, or to any prevailing trend.

Artists must dare — dare to resist, to be rude, to disobey, to be wild, shameless, and even sometimes wrong.

In the issue we discuss the ongoing and horrific battle playing out in Gaza.  DAMN° regular Matthew Longo offers a sensitive and brave account of how as a Jewish man he grapples with the controversial battle-cry, “From the River to The Sea” in the Palestine rallies he attends.

Of course there is always the need to separate the brave artistic provocateur and the Twitter troll pumping out clickbait. The gap has unfortunately narrowed — both use wrecking-ball tactics. But at DAMNº we believe artists are activists, albeit with a contempt for cliches and with a vision to emphasise an alternative set of values.

This is an issue to celebrate artists and designers who confront and inspire change, who open doors to new possibilities, while provoking us to see the world anew.