This first in a series of sporadic issues sprung from an intense longing for togetherness at a time when we were all kept apart. While each of AGENDA’s contributors shared what was on their mind at the time, a theme soon emerged. The pages filled with stories of relationships with each other, with ourselves and with the nature that surrounds us.
For the past year and a half we have been forced to stand still. Living in a society moving at a breakneck pace, which was only gathering speed.
Suddenly we were trapped, motionless with little to distract us from our thoughts. Prolonged fears of the outside, of each other and of an ever more uncertain future left us with shaken minds and unsteady feet.
The collective crisis made clear what is important to us as humans. A longing for connection runs through this issue. A longing for physical intimacy; for flesh rhythmically bouncing against flesh on a dark dance floor and the papery silk of a grandmother’s hand. For a hard hug from a friend and a lover’s body for fingers to wander over, saving up the sensation of each cranny and curve for company later.
Equally strong is the longing for the natural world that many of us feel too disconnected from. An urge to be present has surfaced, to be silent amongst trees, to frolic in the grass and to be grateful for each saltwater wave licking our legs.
There is also a lust to explore all the possibilities of one’s own creativity. This can be a solitary exercise or a communal one. On these pages we come together to share little wonders that make us believe in and dream for the days to come. A sentence from Yelena Moskovich’s piece reminds me of the creative potency that a meeting can bring about:
‘We are worming our tongues inside each other’s mouths and it feels like we are creating the horizon’.
Acne Studios
Alberto Bitar
Ben Toms
Delphine Danhier
Dj Haydn
Jack Borkett
Kaarlo Stauffer
Lars Brønseth
Lea Colombo
Matthew Tammaro
Niko Hallikainen
Ola Rindal
Oskar Oprey
Pol Anglada
Robbie Spencer
Svenskt Tenn
Yelena Moskovietch
Wesley Way
Wilson Oryema
Winter Vandenbrink