a note from the editor 04

by Ishan Benegal, Editor-in-Chief

Volume 4

zero | play | practice

A note from the editor

“Beyond the edge of the world there’s a space where emptiness and substance neatly overlap, where past and future form a continuous, endless loop. And, hovering about, there are signs no one has ever read, chords no one has ever heard.”

– Haruki Murakami


Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4. And repeat.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Performance.
And repeat.

The notion of performance, presentation, exhibition, opening, or match day always comes with the subconscious parallel to perfection. We’ve come to this collective conclusion because of the public nature of these final days. Your performance is now open to the public; your presentation is to a group of people; your exhibition is finally on show; your restaurant is open to customers and critics; you’re playing in front of thousands of fans. You are subject to these public thoughts, responses, interpretations, and opinions.

Our inherent focus is on these days of performance. But what is crucial and non-negotiable for such a day to exist is the commitment to practice, until the very last moment.

For the person making work, the feedback loop between practice and performance is outweighed by practice. Whereas for the person viewing the work, it is outweighed by performance. This creates a constant struggle to determine which balance works in favor of those striving to make work.

For each hundredth day of performance, there are ninety nine of practice that precede it. It is during our practice that we are able to experiment –play, pause, wonder, and then to start from scratch and reset. These are the quiet comforts of our practice, that center us and we return to regularly. The euphoria of performance is wonderful, but fleeting.

Practice makes not perfect, but practice makes work and through our work, we tinker, test, recalibrate, learn, and strive towards progress.

We ground our focus in these thoughts for this volume and know you will resonate with the work that comes from it.

Welcome to Volume 4.

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editor's note

Volume 10

contact | shadow | fringe

I’ve been reflecting on the theme for our tenth volume, a lovely milestone that coincides serendipitously with the warehouse’s tenth year, and how it feels apt for the moment we find ourselves in currently. The theme straddles a threshold. The movement from this side to the far side. It isn’t inherently accompanied by an emotion. And yet, I feel it suggests a sense of hopefulness. 

This isn’t in a vacuum but is influenced by two events that concern themselves with a tremendous threshold: our atmosphere and the expanse beyond it. I am referring to the successful flyby mission around the moon by the Artemis II and the release of the film “Project Hail Mary” (adapted from Andy Weir’s novel of the same name). These two events, coinciding in this manner, serve less as random happenstance and more as a reminder, as Carl Sagan said, “The Cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff.” A reminder that everything out there, is also everything in here. It serves as a reminder for hope that as we resume our exploration of the darkest depths of the universe, we must take that strength to step forward from our own personal shadows.

Shadows can be freeing. There is comfort in creating, expressing, and working without scrutiny or pressure or expectation. It has potential for great freedom, movement, and discovery. However, when the driving force isn’t exploration then it can be crippling and lead to paralysis. In those moments, “coincidental” events like these can be arresting and provide a sense of hope that the next step is all that matters. One step at a time soon becomes many past an imposing threshold. As we gather momentum, pressure is bound to build. It is here, with changed circumstances, that the intention must persevere. Learning the rules, allows the impact of breaking them to feel that much sweeter, but that isn’t necessary. Acting from pure instinct allows for an innate expression to present itself. It is balancing this, instinct versus experience, that proves vital to take experience into one’s stride with child-like instinct and intention.

Our focus, at imprint and G5A, on independent stories allows this freedom. It is something we work to preserve so that the experience of ten volumes and ten years, respectively, does not weigh us down but lifts us up through the shadows and into the expanse. This is not easy but it is simple. When you default to curiosity and wonder, it isn’t a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’.

We’re excited for Volume 10 and everything it will hold.