A#27
A Magazine Curated By Glenn Martens, 2023.
The 27th issue has been curated by Glenn Martens, the Belgian creative director of both Diesel and Y/Project.
Martens’ work is steeped in gothic imagery taken from the Flemish masters, often reworked through a contemporary digitally-informed lens. This juxtaposition plays a central role in his issue, balancing the historical with the now. A substantial portfolio shot in Martens’ hometown of Bruges plays on this theme; Photographer Arnaud Lajeunie and stylist Ursina Gysi photographed 10 years of Y/Project on iconic Belgian models like Anouck Lepere, Delphine Bafort, Kim Peers, Anne-Catherine Lacroix and Roos Van Bosstraeten throughout the medieval city.
The fascination of a muse, in this case the Pre-Raphaelite artist Elizabeth Siddal, is dissected in an essay by Nicole DeMarco, exploring how all redhead muses of history might owe their it-girl statuses to Siddal. The longest extensions made by hair artist Cyndia Harvey is photographed in a series of images by Jordan Hemingway and stylist Robbie Spencer inspired by women like Siddal with fashion by Diesel, Y/Project and Jean Paul Gaultier Couture. Turning the idea on its head, in a series of self-portraits Sharok, the Iranian-American adult performer, takes his agency back in a discussion about the self and representation.
A continuation of this contemplation, Paul Kooiker photographs a longtime muse, using clay and forms to play with the shape of the body. The sitter becomes sculpture. Similarly, a carte blache beauty series by makeup artist Inge Grognard and photographer Zhong Lin turns face into the canvas of artwork — with the striking cover image of A MAGAZINE curated by GLENN MARTENS being taken from this series.
Photography by Zac Bayly
Contributors in alphabetical order:
Arnaud Lajeunie, Bob & Julie Bagnall, Cyndia Harvey, Fredrik Nielsen, Inge Grognard, Jordan Hemingway, Josh Kline, Kacper Kasprzyk, Kristien Hanselaer, Lars Byrresen Petersen, Michael Abel, Michelle Deng, Nicole DeMarco, Paul Kooiker, Robbie Spencer, Senjan Jansen, Sharok, Silvia Prada, Ursina Gysi, Zac Bayly, Zhong Lin
Delfine Bafort photographed by Arnaud Lajeunie and styled by Ursina Gysi
Roos van Bosstraeten photographed by Arnaud Lajeunie and styled by Ursina Gysi
Hair extensions by Cyndia Harvey photographed by Jordan Hemingway and styled by Robbie Spencer
Artwork by Josh Kline
Artwork by Fredrik Niesel photographed by Kacper Kasprycz
Julie and Bob Bagnall aka Mohawkamania
Photography by Paul Kooiker
Self-portrait by Sharok
Makeup by Inge Grognard photographed by Zhong Lin
To mark its centenary, Loro Piana has opened its first-ever exhibition: If You Know, You Know: Loro Piana’s Quest for Excellence. Held at the Museum of Art Pudong (MAP) in Shanghai, the show offers a quiet, layered portrait of the Italian house — a brand synonymous with the rarest materials, measured innovation and an almost obsessive devotion to craft.
To mark 25 Years of Curation and Creation, A Magazine Curated By presents an exhibition at L’Union de la Jeunesse Internationale, bringing together 32 curators through their work, worlds, and personal references.
A Magazine Curated By celebrated the launch of the special issue A MAGAZINE CURATED BY: 2000/2004–2025 with an opening event and exhibition preview at L’Union de la Jeunesse Internationale on Thursday, 6 March.
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