A New Year

Hello and Happy New Year! 2008 is looking like a good year for Open… bit of an expansion and a re-jig happening: watch this space.

I’m sure that many of you have read a selection of the  “Who’ll be big in 2008” features.
As I perused, in the upteenth publication, who and what I should set my radar to this year ( the general consensus is singer Duffy, floral prints and Lily Allen’s actor brother Alfie ) I thought about the trends that may link them, and what's beneath the ideas, people and habits that we're told will germinate or blossom this coming year.
So, here are my predictions:

1)    Having decent manners.
2)    The rise of talent and skill, the death of celebrities who can’t do jack.
3)    The internet ( I know, no shit Sherlock.) What I mean by that is the continued expansion of user generated content,but is handpicked and filtered into individual interests and grouped into common aims and ideas. And continued social networking: but more tailored.
4)    Collaboration rather than competition
5)    Continued crossing-over of the arts.
6)    Worldwide culture and untapped, international arts and influences filtering into the mainstream.
7)    Reflection, empathy and thinking across all the arts and evident in the work.
8)    Modernsim and a geometric aesthetic
9)    Spending money on the one-off, bespoke and original rather than mass produced.
10)  Increased social responsibility.

I’d really like to hear your predictions for 2008: arts related or otherwise.
Send your thoughts to me at editor@openmagazine.co.uk or leave them in the comments box below.


Loma xx