Manifesto

An Archive of the Present

Before any publication, it feels necessary to write a political statement about the creation of this artistic space. Our Kind was born as an idea after working in various editorial teams, long before I could imagine leading one myself. Now, we have built this space to bring life to an exploration of the present through our experiences.

This project is part of my artistic journey, an extension of my constant reflection on the meaning of life. These times are rushing us to live and consume quickly and superficially, reducing the present (life itself) to mere “highlights” for our followers. Our Kind aims to capture what rarely has time to be contemplated. However, the importance of the present goes beyond existential musings; it lies in realizing that we are living in a unique moment in history. Artificial intelligence and space travel are no longer science fiction—they are our reality. This present deserves to be documented because, in a few years, we’ll look back and understand that this seemingly mundane time was the moment to be alive, to write, to create, to dare.

We face a central problem: immediacy seems to be the only artistic cohesion of our era. We’re seduced by easy entertainment, yet we’re also exhausted, overwhelmed, and overstimulated. We demand change in the production system, yet we struggle to change our consumption habits. So, what actions must we take together? What should we stand against? Which ideas should we return to?

The response from Our Kind is clear: to create from our own experiences and possibilities, question superficial and depersonalized production, and long for a livable future. But we must also be aware of reality. The present we aim to capture isn’t about idyllic afternoons spent gazing out the window and listening to our little sister practicing a Bach piece after lunch, but rather about commutes on public transport and endless hours of scrolling through apps. Every artist reflects the world they inhabit in their work, and it’s in that subjectivity that the value of studying the present lies.

Our Kind is an independent magazine interested in publishing projects that capture the human experience of being alive today. We are an archive, a time capsule, a collection of the present. We seek to document not only the extraordinary but also the quotidian. This is our act of resistance: an artistic response to mortality.

Thank you for reading and for being part of Our Kind.