AA. VV., REAL REVIEW 4 – WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE TODAY, 2017

The contemporary 24-hour news cycle is a swirling gyre of political and economic intrigue, a rolling wave that surges ceaselessly, always building power but never forming a crest. To surf the slipstream of the news is to be forever on the brink of BREAKING.

Against all the uncertainty and fear, nothing seems more eternal, more universal and (unlike our political leaders) quite so strong and stable as love. Summer 2017 is therefore dedicated to what it means to love today. Leap into our fervid arms.

Is love an industrial commodity? We interview artist Magali Reus on what it means to love today. Together forever, forever apart: Jack Self reviews Contactless technology. Capital, sex and territory are reviewed in a photo-essay on rent by Theo Simpson. Stoya reviews webcam modelling with Anna Bell Peaks. Huw Lemmey reviews brotherhood, with photography by Prem Sahib. Catherine Slessor reviews the post-coital cigarette, with photography by Matthieu Lavanchy. What is the true social price of cloth, Ore Disu and Foyeke Ajao review the aso-ebi.

Also in the issue: HANNAH FOULDS spends a night with The Collective, and reviews community; MARK CAMPBELL reviews the sultry nights of Hong Kong; PEER ILLNER reviews artificial wombs; WILLIAM ALDERWICK reviews love in the age of facefuck; GAVIN BLAIR reviews Japanese boyfriends for hire; YULIA RUDENKO reviews the longest-running reality show in the world; COCO COFFMAN reviews the boulevard of broken dreams; JAMES TAYLOR-FOSTER reviews the EU flag and Harry Burke reviews zentai bodysuits.