15 years issue
October 21, 2024
In Coming of Age, a work by the British artist Matt Copson, a child is born, grows, eats and, fueled by an avid curiosity about the world, devours everything around him, until he becomes an incarnation of what surrounds him and what quickly transforms him, even before consuming him: that is, a world that is too big and appalling, incompatible with the innocence of his young age.
In the fall winter 24–25 issue which closes the fifteenth anniversary celebration of CURA., Coming of Age is a plural and multifaceted story of growth, discovery, affirmation, defeat and corruption, that recounts the ambiguities of the present time, the sense of loss of illusions, trapped in a reality in front of which one is both an adult and a child, corrupt and innocent, cynical and curious. A limbo between hope and reality places events in which we witness a whole that unfolds at once inside and outside of us. Propelled into such ambiguity—neither past nor future—we are overwhelmed by a flow of things and events, a changing and metamorphic landscape, which translates the upheavals of a new awareness and a new age.
With Matt Copson as Editor-at-Large and a special logo designed by Zak Kyes, CURA. 43 presents an incredible lineup of artists, works, editorial previews, new contributions and special commissions. The artist’s cover (introduced by a text by Diana Campbell and a chorus of fictional characters orchestrated by Charlie Fox) is accompanied by two other covers that preview stills from the new films by Camille Henrot (introduced by a conversation with Laura McLean-Ferris and a text by Margot Norton) and by Meriem Bennani, Orian Barki, John Michael Boling and Jason Coombs for Fondazione Prada (with a text by Lumi Tan and a conversation between Orian Barki and Meriem Bennani).
Excerpts from the issue:
“Coming of age can’t exist without narrative—whether that be literature, cinema, or the lyrics of a song. It seems like a genre, and as a genre, it has its own codes.” (Diego Marcon in conversation with Róisín Tapponi)
“For me, adolescence doesn’t stop at adulthood but extends and affects us beyond the boundaries of age.” (David Douard in conversation with Emma Enderby)
“There is a horror to realizing one’s inability to come of age—transitional moments in our lives can be incredibly underwhelming, or just don’t ever happen at all. I think queer and trans people have a markedly different relationship to the idea of coming of age. There can be a huge amount of angst involved with recognizing that these promises, or these tropes, are not going to be fulfilled. It can be freeing too.” (P. Staff in conversation with Giulia Civardi)
The issue is also enriched by the carte blanche given to Anne Imhof, with an original visual contribution featuring fragilities and intimacy; by an editorial premiere of La Fille qui explose by the innovative duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, introduced by Julie Boukobza; an original artwork commissioned to Ada Antoinette and Evan Eisel, inspired by key scenes in Lost Illusions by Balzac, reset in the current downtown art scene of New York City; an almanac of iconic work depicting the issue’s theme, selected by Greg de Cuir Jr. and featuring Sadie Benning, Francis Alÿs, Cory Arcangel, Martine Syms, Petra Cortright, Kevin Jerome Everson, Matt Hall and John Watkinson, Steve McQueen, Anne Imhof, Tyler Mitchell. Finally, our special guest Luca Guadagnino, in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, tells us about the reasons for his work, through a filmography studded with his iconic movies.
“Come experience life as we know it / As some of you should know it.” (Jay-Z, Coming of Age, 1996)
CURA. 43 magazine launches
Paris, New York, Turin, London, Rome, Berlin. October 2024–February 2025. Stay tuned!
Pre-order your copy here or find CURA. in the best bookshops worldwide.
Editors in Chief: Ilaria Marotta, Andrea Baccin / Editor-at-Large: Matt Copson. curamagazine.com.