Magazine library, mankeeping and Coming of Age
Magazine Library
Library180 in New York shows what the future of cultural preservation looks like, where analogue archives reclaim value in an algorithm-driven world. As digital platforms narrow our exposure to what we already like, this tactile, appointment-only space encourages slow discovery, serendipity, and the development of aesthetic intuition, skills that may become rarer in the years ahead.
What the founders call the new chapter of image search is an example of a growing countermovement: rehumanizing research and creativity through physical experience and collective access.. Read more here
Live Aid, 40 Years of Change
Forty years after the Live Aid concert, we rewatched the concert not just as a cultural moment, but as a lens on how much society has changed. From shared attention and political music to today’s fragmented, hyper-curated digital lives, the contrast is striking.
The portrayal of Africa then was reductive, yet it sparked global empathy, and Ethiopia’s transformation since reminds us how narratives and realities evolve. We wrote about what 40 years of change looks like in a recent post, read it here
Mankeeping
More Gen Z women are stepping back from relationships, a quiet rejection of emotional labour, “mankeeping” and the unequal burden of care. Uneven expectations around vulnerability and communication are reshaping dating and connection.
As women pull away, boys risk falling into loneliness and reactive narratives, while the emotional skills gap between genders continues to grow. With 29% more men than women in Gen Z currently single, a gender skills gap will only continue to widen. As more women step back from relationships, many men may never get the chance to learn. Read more here. Image: Felt Suit by Joseph Beuys
More Than Human
The London Design Museum’s new exhibition, More than Human, explores how design can work in harmony with nature rather than dominate it. It goes beyond typical sustainability narratives to imagine a future where human and non-human life are deeply interconnected.
Featuring over 140 works from 50 artists, architects, and designers, the show includes interactive installations, biodesign, and regenerative approaches across disciplines. Open until 5 October 2025, you can read more here
Hide AI Images in Search
Search for animals or nineties interiors and the chances are you get a page full of AI generated images. DuckDuckGo has introduced a filter that allows users to hide AI-generated images in search results to unclutters the results.
The feature uses open-source blocklists to reduce AI-generated content. While it doesn’t eliminate all AI images, it cuts down on them and reflects growing user demand for authentic visual content online. Read more here
OvN Foresight Book Club
For the next OvN Foresight Book Club we are reading Coming of Age by Lucy Foulkes, an exploration of how today’s culture, education systems, and mental health narratives are shaping the emotional lives of teenagers. The book examines how young people are learning to understand themselves in a world defined by social media, rising anxiety, and shifting norms.
This book offers an insightful lens on the next generations: what kind of adults will today’s teens become, and how might that shape the future? You can read more about the book here and sign up for the book club here. We will meet on Monday, September 29th at 15.00 CET. Hope to see you in September, enjoy your summer reading!