Contra

Graphic artist Victoria Lomasko, one of the contributors to Contra issue 02 Protest, smuggled herself across the border from Russia to Belarus this autumn to report on the protests against Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. The protests have taken place nationwide since Lukashenko claimed victory in August’s presidential election, which is widely viewed as having been rigged. Protestors have been subjected to mass arrests and violence by police, with dozens, including members of the opposition, going missing over the past couple of months.

Lomasko’s series, published on The Nib , highlights the women activist groups leading the protests, which have intensified since opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova was detained by masked men in September.

Images courtesy of Victoria Lomasko

See more on thenib.com/a-revolution-in-belarus/

The announcement we’ve all been waiting for. Issue 03 “Ruin” Digital Edition is AVAILABLE NOW! Purchase your copy from our online shop.
http://contrajournal.com

A specially curated selection of articles from issue 03, featuring contributions from Michael Rakowitz, Keith Piper, Shezad Dawood and many more - for only £4. And if you’re a print fan and want to read more, you can pre-order the full print edition for delivery in November for £12 now and receive a copy of the digital edition for free!

Throughout history, the notion of ‘ruin’ has captured our imaginations and presented spaces in which our wonder, desires and fears are immortalised. From visions of apocalypse to melancholic self-reflection, ‘ruin’ has been ever present in humanity’s contemplation of the world. However, in the 21st century ‘ruin’ has taken on new meaning. Faced with a world in which every passing day brings new challenges and fears, in which vast manifestations of decay have filled our news channels and social media feeds this year alone, a re-evaluation of ruin in this context feels pertinent. In issue 03 we hope to look upon ‘ruin’ with fresh eyes, not only at the anxieties that face society, but also at the stories of renewal, regeneration, revival and hope that emerge.

Visit our shop to order Issue 03 Ruin digital edition (or pre-order the print edition) and please join us for our free event celebrating the launch at 6:30pm TONIGHT (9th Sept) on YT Live or Zoom.
https://www.facebook.com/events/375685367159461

Design by Our Place Studio and with thanks to all our brilliant contributors

A brand new events series for a brand new issue. Wednesday 9th September at 6.30PM (BST). Tune in online.

https://www.facebook.com/events/375685367159461/

ISSUE 03 PREVIEW⁣
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“We use ruins as metaphors to reflect back upon ourselves, about futility, about ambition, ego – even progress.” ⁣
Simon Norfolk⁣
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Over a long and illustrious career, has captured the impact of conflict on our cities, our collective memory and our minds. His photographs are imbued with layers of time building slowly upon one another, of traces of the past left in the ground and defeated empires crumbling into the past. No publication on the theme of ruin would be complete without his work. ⁣
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In issue 03, he talks to Contra’s director and co-editor Ben Bohm-Duchen about his childhood journey from Nigeria to Manchester, how we use beauty to “retreat from pain”, and the unexpected theme that runs through all of his life’s work.⁣
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ISSUE 03 PREVIEW⁣
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“How do we deal with abandonment, ruin, decay? How do we start to imagine ourselves as deeper caretakers of the things that exist in the world?” – Theaster Gates⁣
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Among the many devastating consequences of systemic racism in the US is that African Americans have had, throughout history, vastly unequal access to safe spaces to live and work. This is an issue at the heart of the work of artist , who has spent more than a decade transforming abandoned buildings on Chicago’s South Side into a hub for community and innovation. ⁣
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As part of issue 03’s new “Spotlight” section, Contra’s co-editor Alexander Morrison speaks to Victoria Sung, assistant curator at , about Gates’s role as a “world maker”, his love for forgotten objects and materials, and how his work is a reminder that “the things around us are worth investing in and caring for and believing in, even if society may say otherwise”.⁣
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Photo: Courtesy of Rebuild Foundation ; Photo: Sara Pooley. Courtesy White Cube⁣
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