On the event of Document No. 10, founder and editor-in-chief Nick Vogelson reflects on the new issue.
It can be said that culture—art, literature, music and fashion—allows us to dream. In a political climate that aims to tear us apart, we are reminded of the common capacity to marvel at the power of beauty and creativity.
This issue marks a milestone—our five-year anniversary—and ten editions in, we continue to explore questions; primarily those of social identity, intimacy, rebellion, and, above all else, what it means to dream. Cultural legends such as Toni Morrison, Junot Díaz, Steve Reich, Whoopi Goldberg, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, mix with the next generation, including Shayne Oliver, Nico Muhly, Alice Glass, Massimo Giorgetti, Ashton Sanders, and Jessi Reaves. Increasingly there are movements of people who refuse to change and remind us to continually question—and we dedicate this issue to them.
As curious as we are about today, we find lessons and questions looking simultaneously backwards and forwards. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, NYU Professor and Fulbright fellow, takes us to Weimar Germany to help make sense of creativity in a time of crisis through a historical lens. Oxford’s Dr. Anders Sandberg wrestles with artificial intelligence’s potential threat to humanity in the near future. Simultaneously, we explore the current climate of news consumption and how this helps us understand the present state of the world with political scientist Brendan Nyhan.
Document was founded five years ago as an intimate moment, a pause for inspiration, and a blending of viewpoints that share a similar fascination: beauty. To mark the anniversary, this special volume has seven limited edition covers by contributing fashion editors Joe McKenna, Olivier Rizzo, and fashion director Sarah Richardson, and photographers Inez & Vinoodh, Willy Vanderperre, Mario Sorrenti, Colin Dodgson, Richard Bush, and Terry Richardson.
In an era when everyone seems to be looking for answers, we feel the real attention should be focused on the questions, and the dreams, which continually drive us forward.
