“Emergencies make up the news of the day: enemies are identified and targeted, increased security measures mark our public spaces, and we are becoming adept at shuttering down. As images of upheaval and devastation become increasingly commonplace, how many remain engaged by the world’s emergencies, or by the threats of imminent disaster? But it would be a mistake to assume that all is lost. Community groups take local action, and we find humor in the ironies deeply rooted in a system that capitalizes on its own resistance movements as everything green becomes a consumable and bureaucracies undermine the process of agency.
Extreme weather conditions continue, water shortages are pending and bridges are falling down, but the ability to protest is still with us. If we run in fear with Chicken Little we could well end up as the original version of the story has it, eaten by the fox that pretends to offer protection. The Disney version’s happy ending is more comforting, but the older folk tale warns us to be careful of what we believe, and to be aware of the real risks we all face in an unstable world.
This issue contains exceptional projects that not only cover a range of topics related to the idea of emergency, but also take a variety of forms, including scholarly texts, testimonials, journalistic research, and artists’ projects. Prepare yourself for an emergency: buy a copy today!”