We should warn you: the latest issue of Suspira Magazine is not for fainted-hearted! Why? The complicated and highly theoretical answer would be that according to the french psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan objet petite a is a part-object located in the area of the Imaginary, an element which is imagined as separable from the rest of the body functioning as an object of desire, a fulfillment for the incomplete subject. What? Exactly! The more simple response is that Suspira spotlights in its Fetish issue an array of sinister women who definitely cannot be turned in an object of desire as they master their sexuality, are highly independent and wildly seductive. These sex goddesses out of the dark proving easily that “our society is still terrified of female sexuality and women sense of agency is their ultimate nightmare“ as editor Valentina Egoavil Medina states it. As she was seeking for powerful women in young age she found them in the section of the video library (true, this part is inspired by our analogue manner) which was inaccessible for fellows under the age 18. The actual heroes of horror movies: Tura Satana, Pam Grier or characters like Vampira and Santanico Pandemonium. The raising question is where does horror end and female desire, sexual pleasure begin? And what has this to do with feminism? We recommend to have the guts and open this red latex-like magazine. Abandon yourself in the cosmos of the mistress of the macabre, the London glamour ghoul Marie Devilreux, listening to what Kristin J. Sollée has to say about her book Witches, Sluts, Feminists - Conjuring the Sex Positive, be drawn in by the illustrations by Tengu Guro or get inspired for your secretly kept film list for sex and horror with the cinematic history of exploitation, Slasher and modern film. Oh and did we mention that objet petite a can be triggered by anything? For instance by a magazine which has the charisma of a giallo movie, fetishising the seductive possibilities of the medium paper to a maximum with its sinful type design, layout and illustrations? We are happy to be incomplete and craving for more horrifying reading material by Dreadful Press. Buy

When in 1993 a tiny gallery space opened its doors, aloof from the main stages of Milan’s design fair Salone del Mobile, no one could sense that the rules of design were just turned upside down. The objects exhibited by a group of young design students were anything but what one expected: a bookcase made out of packing paper, a chair made of rags piled up and draped together, a bar stool made of two tables placed on top of each other - to name but a few of the obscure pieces, which were presented as design artifacts. The wire-puller behind the scenes, the dutch art-historian Renny Ramakers and designer Gijs Bakker should shake up the field of design with their radical approach. In other words: together with Hella Jongerius, Marcel Wanders, Piet Hein Eek, Tejo Remy, Jurgen Bey, Richard Hutten and others DROOG (dutch for „dry“) was born. Nearly 25 years later Renny Ramakers’ conceptual approach is still in demand when it comes to innovative, future-orientated design - whether as curator, writer or designer. The monograph Renny Ramakers - Rethinking Design gives a many-sided picture of a versatile woman, driven by intuition and her associative mind. “Things are never what they seem and never seem what they are“, art-historian Wim Pijbes describes Ramakers' timeless objects and the irresistible pull of the spirit-guided designer. What follows is a carefully made portrait, notes, interviews, insights, and pictures just as playful, humorous, and adventurous as Renny Ramakers design itself. Oh, and when Ramakers says “Some things do not necessarily have to stand in every home“ - this book certainly has. Buy

The easiest way to get right to the bottom of things is - naturally - playing ‚Truth and Dare‘. So let’s start with bare facts. You think poetry is rather dusty, quixotic or charming as moulded grey bread? No worries, you don’t have to say your answer out loud. Frankly, we (almost) all have been there. But we have to break it to you: The natural evolution of the lyrical section on our shelves almost clandestinely multiplied itself over the last few years. And this is not the only thing to say about this art form currently experiencing a fulminant renaissance. The revival of poems comes along fresh, colorful, innovative and - definitely worth to mention - the fellows who are falling for lyrical rhythms, getting lost in-between the lines are as vivid and young as their thrilled audience. And still, as Poetry Magazine (launched in 1912!) names the elephant in the room already within its title: Who reads poetry? We thought it would be a smart move to choose ‚Dare‘ and asked one of the most dazzling voices of this new poetry wave and the co-editor of Pain Magazine: Vala Thorodds. More

At first glance the small volume A Pool in the Sea comes along rather unpretentious and modest. But there is something about it, some kind of roughness as you touch the surface or even the dark and moody cover of the sea which draws you in. Well, what you see is what you get. This beautiful arranged sequence offers an intimate glimpse of the early work of Portugal's renowned architect Álvaro Siza Vieira. At the age of only 26 Álvaro started his first solo project: the Leça Swimming Pool, built from 1961 to 1966. The complex which runs along the rocky coast of Portugals seaside, Matosinhos, is famously known for Álvaro’s virtuous play with its elements, the sublime synthesis of organic stones contrasted with the sharp geometry of his architecture. He is confronting and confronted by nature and his architectural work interferes and modifies the savagery of natural conditions. The interviews between the leaned back architect and Kenneth Frampton are touching upon his method, his passion and what makes it so compelling for him to work with nature’s given resources. Accompanied with Vincent Mentzel's photographs you get immediately a sense of what Álvaro considers to be the essence of being and working as an architect: "Architects don't invent anything, they change reality.“ Buy

We have excellent news for all cinéastes among us. There is one more reason to indulge yourself in the 'stuff that dreams are made of' - the shining world of movies. While the Berlinale Film Festival is right around the corner, we are delighted to have 'rounded up the usual suspects' for you, cherishing our favourite magazines and books about cinema, film criticism and screenwriting. Our cinéaste collection will give you an ultimate close-up upon a great amount of printed matter dedicated to the cinematic realm. Do you fancy some evergreens? Check out the latest Cahiers du cinéma, Sound & Vision or even a collection of carefully selected reviews by film critic A.S. Hamrah. We can guarantee that no eye remains dry while sticking to his witty and astute writing style. Do you like to have things in order? Well, then we can recommend you an independent magazine named Shelf Heroes. One issue - one letter which leads you through cinema. Currently it’s ‚H‘ as Handmaiden, Harry Potter or Spike Jonze’s Her. You are falling for animation? Why not explore the history of phantasmagoria in Marimo’s Issue #2. So 'Why don't you come up sometime and see me?' as Mae West puts it, you will find us in technicolor and 3D. More

If you wonder what fashion and news have in common, the answer is probably that by the blink of an eye they both belong to the past. And that would be about it. Unless Naoise Farrell, the founder and editor of Hot Magazine, proves us better. Drawing from her personal work experience in fashion industry she bridges the gap by enlightening current political topics through the lens of a fashion magazine. Presented in the idiomatic newspaper format Hot Potato Magazine comes - "twice a year or so" - with political issues which matter while playing with the full sized printed surface without being in the least superficial. Whether discussing the never ending story of the Brexit in a "bite sized chlorine washed chicken nuggets" way in the continuing section ‚Brexplained’, observing the devious deals behind Gun Control or asking Climatologist Dr. Gavin Smith, an expert among Climate Modellers if it would be for the best for humankind to move to the Mars regarding the current environmental state of our planet, it is both: more than a fashion magazine content-wise and more than a newspaper form-wise. This fashionable treasure looks good on everyone or - as Naoise says - „Intelligence is your best accessory.“ Buy

"Kritik ist auch nur eine Form von Eskapismus." Mit der Erkenntnis, dass der Kapitalismus alles vereinnahmt, selbst Kritik verschlingt und in Form von Büros mit Tischtennisplatte, Hobby zum Beruf machen, Bioprodukten und Slowfood wieder ausspuckt um sich seine Taschen zu füllen, kommt auch die Erkenntnis, dass Kritik demnach nicht die Verhältnisse erschüttert sondern selbst zum vermarktbaren Produkt avanciert. Mindstate Malibu gibt als Antwort eine Form von Gesellschaftskritik, die sich einer klaren Haltung entzieht (da diese vermarktbar wäre) und sich irgendwo zwischen "Hyperironie", Widersprüchlichkeit und surrealen Kommentaren in Twitter-länge bewegt. Unklassifizierbare Anti-Kritik ganz im Sinne des Dadaismus zwischen Grindgoal und Performance-Kunst. In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Institut für moderne Kunst Nürnberg. Buy

When one of the last of his kind, the film critic and cinephile A.S. Hamrah ponders about the contemporary condition of his profession it’s both, touching and frightening. Hamrah surprises in The Earth dies Streaming with his sublime foresight. By describing the historical transformation of film criticism from his personal experience, readers cannot help but nod their heads over and over again. In times in which criticism is no longer directed against the mass media, but in which the masses diligently criticise - better: comment - through every available media channel, Hamrah sees the art of film criticism doomed to failure. And yet, what remains is a slightly shameful feeling of witnessing a last rebellion of a living fossil that turns its last lap of honour. Rightly so! Because what follows is a collection of film reviews he wrote for n+1 between 2002 and 2018. His astute, witty and polemical film reviews paired with a sharp tongue not only bring a tremendous reading pleasure but also shows what we will miss when the art of film criticism becomes a relic of bygone times. Buy

When we think of flora, we often think of flowers. But it is trees that stand tall and majestic, that let us climb into their tops when we are children, that make us dream and listen to our stories. It is trees that provide us soothing shade in summer, paint our cities green and as woods are an endless inspiration for stories and folklore. "The Romance of the Trees" from Ernest Wilson from 1920 remembered John Tebbs, Editor in Chief, of his long hold strong connection with trees, which is deeply rooted in his childhood. The book inspired the fourth issue of Pleasure Garden, and so we find not just Ernest Wilson, but also Walt Whitman, the Redwood Trees, palmy leaves, woody fragrances, tree climbers and Mumbai treelife. Buy

Apartamento Magazine and do you read me?!, together with German artist Stefan Marx, warmly invite you to join us in celebrating the release of Apartamento’s latest cookbook on Friday, November 9, at 7 pm. Since 2016, Apartamento has invited the world’s best chefs, food lovers, and culinary taste makers to contribute to a series of annual cookbooks. Each edition is based around a specific theme, and this year the book provides a fresh take on a global staple: the humble grain of rice. Stefan Marx has accompanied each of the 16 recipes with his weirdly adorable drawings. Come around, hang out and grab your signed copy by artist Stefan Marx. Apartamento will be donating 20% of all profits made from sales of the book to a local charity in Barcelona, so the evening will also be in support of a good cause. We look forward to seeing you there! Buy

The latest issue of Holiday Magazine is about the mystical state of Bhutan. Laying between the giants China and India, the small state is fast overlooked. But with its pristine heights, enchanting villages, untouched nature, and, unique culture it is one of the places where true travel is still possible. Holiday Magazine shows Bhutan through alluring photographs and stories about the solitary summits of the Himalayas and Bhutans love for archery, as the means of expression for the Bhutanese soul. The editor's letter sums it up in one sentence: "This is a real journey, the kind that proves there is such a thing as an elsewhere." Buy

If we were to reimagine contemporary museums, what would they be and how would they look like? In this latest issue of the slick, high-quality French magazine Paradis, editor Donatien Grau invited fifty-four contributors to picture new versions of the twenty-first century museum. Something of the imagination, which has the potential of breaking up with the traditional patterns museums follow. For this, the Potential Museums issue adopts an experimental approach where artists, designers, editors, writers and scholars are given carte blanche to produce various types of works ranging from essays, poetic and fictional texts, to drawings, images and installations. Some of the proposed ideas here include the “Museum of Nuances”, the “Museum of Frogs” and the “Museum of Non-Verbal Communication”. Buy