For five years now Open is a cahier that reflects upon contemporary public space from a cultural perspective. Through a thematic investigation into the changing conditions of public space and through new ideas relating to this space, Open aims to make a structural contribution to the development of theories about these subjects and to function as a platform for reflection on socio-cultural and artistic practices. Among the international authors writing for Open are philosophers of culture, sociologists, media theorists, architecture and art critics and political scientists.
Open also works together with artists and designers, often in the form of special supplements, and occasionally invites guest editors to produce issues. The cahier is aimed at a diverse public that is interested in critical discourses and discussions about the relationship between cultural production and the public domain, and in the implications for this of processes such as globalization and mediatisation. Open wants to thus create and stimulate autonomous and experimental ideas concerning art and the public domain. Theme issues have featured such subjects as security, memory, visibility, sound, tolerance, hybrid space, cultural freedom, the rise of informal media, art as a public issue and manufacturability. In addition to essays and more project-related texts, Open also includes book reviews and interviews with artists and theorists.

Open is edited by Jorinde Seijdel (editor in chief) and Liesbeth Melis (final editing) and appears twice a year in a Dutch and an English edition. The graphic design is by Thomas Buxo. Open is an initiative of SKOR (Foundation for Art and Public Space, Amsterdam) and is published by NAI Publishers. For information and subscriptions see: the website of NAI Publishers and www. opencahier.nl

Open is an initiative of SKOR. SKOR is an Amsterdam-based organization whose objective is to realize special art projects in public and semi-public settings throughout the Netherlands.
www.skor.nl
info@skor.nl

Open is published by NAI Publishers. NAI Publishers is an internationally orientated publisher that specializes in developing, producing and distributing books on architecture, visual arts and related disciplines.

Liesbeth Melis, Jorinde Seijdel (eds.) Design: Thomas Buxó and Klaartje van Eijk, Paperback, Illustrated (colour and b/w), 160 pages, 17 x 24 cm English edition, ISBN 978-90-5662-710-2, € 28.50 Dutch edition, ISBN 978-90-5662-709-6 Open 18 2030: War Zone Imagining the Unimaginable Amsterdam at war in 2030. This terrifying projection into the future serves to sharpen and expand our thinking about topics such as tolerance, fear, security and control, censorship, public space and urban politics. Neither naming the enemy nor proffering any answers, theorists and artists fire off questions and sketch experimental scenarios, using Amsterdam as a concrete case as well as a strange attractor. What are the implications of urban warfare in a Western city? Is there a public domain under such circumstances and how does it function? Will people still be producing art, and how will artists reach their public? 2030: War Zone Amsterdam is being produced in association with curator Brigitte van der Sande and accompanies an international art manifestation that she is organizing under the same title, presented in various phases from November 2009 onwards in Amsterdam. With contributions by Frank Furedi, Kenan Malik, Eyal Weizman, Willem Schinkel, Dirk van Weelden, Matteo Pasquinelli, Tom McCarthy, Gert Jan Kocken, John Armitage & Paul Virilio and Adi Kaplan & Shahar Carmel.