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“We always wanted a place to hide. To inhabit islands with their own rules, where we can die and be reborn.” Today’s feature by Bára Čápová explores the parallels between Deleuze’s utopia of desert islands and contemporary liminal space aesthetics. Her meditation is accompanied by illustrations by Andrea Sklepek Šafaříková, underscoring the mysterious atmosphere of once-crowded, now-empty environments.

Léa Porré’s fascination with transcending the same old ways of interpreting history finds expression in her 3D works and installations. Today, the London-based Belgian artist presents two of her recent projects, Arcana Arcorum and The Beginning of All Moist Things which, in her style, “experiment with 3D world-building as a tool to heal from our past, and future-forecast.”

There are only two scenarios for the future. In his philosophical essay, Becoming a Nuclear Ghost (Notes on the Non-Existence of Utopia), on the basis of postapocalyptic pop-culture visions, Martin Charvát constructs the outermost possibilities of social existence. Illustrated by Dominik Turan.

Visions of escaping civilization and technology for a simple life of manual labor have crept into many an artists’ dreams since the industrial revolution, but Alexandr Martsynyuk’s recent work explores the inevitable inescapability of automation even in a rustical, barebones existence. Join him today on a routine trip to the tomato allotments in his speculative spin on the post-apocalypse.

Tea Strazicic’s visual narrative goes hand in hand with the eponymous experimental story of a group of friends shedding their individuality in achieving a more genuine interconnection. Join this otherworldly troupe on their psychedelic-futuristic journey and perhaps you too will purge a part of yourself you no longer need.

If 'utopia' is the promise of four-day workweek for some thanks to even more intelligent automatisation of labour, why not let AI do the heavy creative lifting? Welcome to the opening article of our inaugural 2023 theme, TOWARDS TERRA. To match the Midjourney-generated illustrations accompanying the article, we've interviewed the talk-of-the-town app ChatGPT regarding its “opinions” on the future of various artforms

Custom-written for our current theme FULL OF DESIRE, Czech author Zuzana Trachtová presents a string of associative vignettes offering a glimpse into a heart-rending and organic trudge through a body and mind ravaged by heartbreak. Accompanied by illustrations by Eva Maceková. HE'S A DRUG, I'M A WITCH

Polish artist Marta Karkosa uses the medium of photography to explore contemporary women’s attitudes to their own bodies, promoting the beauty and uniqueness of every corporeal form. In today’s exclusive interview, Marta goes in-depth into her book Women Body Acceptance, which intimately explores these themes across several generations of women living in a strongly conservative nation-state.

Dangling over the chasm of jealousy, basking in the burning flames of scorn, sneering down at love from an intoxicating cloud, there lives Desire. Our third theme of 2022, FULL OF DESIRE, takes flight now – and no one is safe for the next three months.

Enjoy Zuzana Trachtová's slightly NSFW, candid and eye-opening collection of couples' direct observations of the minute or significant shifts in the romantic and sexual layers of their relationships after one of the partners gave birth. Accompanied by illustrations by Kim Zemene.

This one goes “right in the feels”. Pardon us but we couldn't help but stick our noses into your FAMILY BUSINESS. And now the consequence of our actions are haunting us all. The article is accompanied by a whimsically plushy animation by illustrator and animator Charlie Spies.

Daniel Drabek’s monsters are not for the sterile gallery wall: the Italian-Swiss visual artist’s creations find their home on posters, album covers, clothing and stickers, among other surfaces. Today, Daniel provides a glimpse into the role of spontaneously projecting memory into his art and reveling in the distortions that emerge.

“The current ideal is to conform and control, be part of a system or dominating force... you’re only relevant if you look a certain way.” In unbraiding the ropes learned through socialization, London-based multidisciplinary artist Rhiannon Davies’ collections weave inspirations spanning Celtic mythology, Fleetwood Mac and equestrian fashion to explore the contemporary notion of perfection.

What do a flock of starlings and generative design have in common? Why does chaotic movement fascinate and unsettle us at the same time? And how can we tell if we're watching a real video or a screensaver? In her article, Bára Čápová reflects on the similarities between the natural movement of animal flocks and herds and algorithmic digital images. Illustrations for the article were created by Jakub Bachorík.

Are human beings not insular individuals but teeming interspecies colonies of assorted tissues and bacteria? Czech intermedia artist Nela Pietrová links visual art with research practice to find a deeper understanding of the queer nature of metamorphosing (co-)dependent substances and, ultimately, herself.

"Has popular music been completely consumed by melancholy, anxiety and hopelessness?" Karel Veselý and Miloš Hroch ask in their 2020 book named after a song by The Cure, and today we delve into their compelling narrative.

When famous animals quote Baudrillard, Borges and McLuhan to discuss their cultural representations, you know it is time to listen. This excerpt from Georgie Brinkman’s eclectic treatise showcases the author’s playful search for new ways of telling stories that involve our kin.

In an insightful and poignant essay, art theorist Tereza Špinková takes a fascinating plunge into the perceived Anthropocentric border on which liminal animals, othereness, monsters, and non-human-centred art currently exist. Ethereal, primordial-like digital fuzziness provided by illustrator Juliana Höschlová accompanies the written piece.

Floryan Varennes’ suspended assemblages of medical plastic, stainless steel and jewelry explore a history of violence as a means to strengthen the soul. Their abstract shapes and motions are accompanied by a curatorial text that swirls in tune with the creations, all for you to immerse yourself in today’s SWARM MAG installment.

It's 2022. We are tired, you are tired. Let's get comfy and look at animals videos on YouTube. For the opening theme of this year, we have chosen to find joy in the patterns, softness, lives and brilliance of non-human animals. The article is accompanied by tailor-made animation and art by Roberta Curcă. So, we are asking: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?