Teens and Joy, Slow Social Media & Longevity Rooms
What Brings Teens Joy?
The New York Times Magazine article by Charley Locke explores how American teenagers are finding joy in everyday routines, from rubber duck coding hacks to gospel music, fishing, and late-night football with their parents. The stories show how the younger generation nurtures happiness despite the deep issues that surround the world today.
Teens are building resilience through creativity, connection, and self-expression. In challenging times, joy can be a deliberate action for personal guidance and powerful comfort. Read the article here
Inequalities
The 24th International Exhibition of the Triennale di Milano is focussed around one of the greatest future challenges: Inequalities. 0.001% of the global population, approximately 50,000 people, controls 6.4% of global wealth, and the richest countries are responsible for 50% of harmful emissions.
One of the exhibition's themes is dedicated to cities, which are, today more than ever, a living laboratory of global inequalities. The exhibition brings together artists, architects, urban planners, economists, activists and thinkers from all over the world to understand the dynamics and propose solutions towards a more equal future. See more here
Architecture Biennale
The 19th International Architecture Exhibition, curated by Carlo Ratti, opened last weekend. The exhibition is built like nature would do, layered and organic, to create more interaction with the architecture and the visitors. The Biennale is focused on adaptation, natural and artificial intelligence and the collective.
Pictured is a recycled wooden pavilion designed by architect Mariam Issoufou. The coloured glass ceiling is made by local Murano craftspeople. It highlights texture and a handmade feeling, while also connecting the building to its surroundings, reflecting Venice’s rich culture, history, and ecological sensitivity. See an interview with Carlo Ratti here
Healthspan
In developed countries, people are expected to live much longer, about 20 years more than a century ago, according to the CDC. The UN predicts that by 2050, there will be 3.7 million people over 100 years old, eight times more than today.
The focus is not just on living longer, but on living well. Longevity rooms in private homes or hotel spas, designed to enhance healthspan, have gained popularity since COVID-19. Healthspan has become the new word for quality of life. Read more here.
Selling the Night
Selling the Night by Andy Crysell investigates the dynamic intersection between club culture and broader creative industries, including fashion, tourism, advertising, and gaming. Through over 100 interviews with policymakers, DJs, designers, promoters, and industry legends like Nicky Siano and Jamz Supernova, Crysell shows how brand collaborators have shaped nightlife.
It examines cultural exchange, tensions, and creative innovation that emerge when youth subcultures meet commercial forces and asks how to preserve the club culture’s raw, creative, grassroots energy. You can read more here
To Linger in Beauty
Blossoms Shanghai, the series directed by the legendary Wong Kar Wai, is now reaching international audiences through Mubi. Set in 1990s Shanghai, it traces memory, love, and identity through a lens of soft focus and nostalgia.
Wong brings his signature mood to television for the first time, slow, introspective, and emotionally layered. Blossoms Shanghai invites us to pause, to stay with the unspoken. A quiet reminder that emotion still holds meaning. Watch the trailer here
Reminder
We will host the first OvN Foresight Book Club online on May 19th at 15.00 CET, about the book Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. We hope to see you there!
Sign up here