SINTEZO
ideas
trends
conversations
SINTEZO
Edition 6 - OUT NOW
November 2024
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein
How can imagination and creativity be used to think about the future? When Einstein talked about imagination in this particular context, he was talking about the ability to imagine what will happen in various circumstances that have yet to be tested, encouraging people to look beyond the current conservative frontiers of what they know and into the realm of what can be explored next.
New, transformative ideas frequently encounter widespread rejection when they first appear. According to creativity researcher Wayne Johnson, the real challenge in creativity isn’t generating new ideas, it’s getting people to accept and support them. While people often claim to value creativity, there is a common bias against creative thinking, which makes it difficult for them to embrace new concepts.
This idea is at the heart of SINTEZO 6, which delves into how imagination and creativity can shape our perceptions, influence our behaviour, attitudes, and mindsets, and ultimately change how we accept ideas and transcend conventional thinking to explore innovative solutions and shape change about the future.
This edition brings a collection of contributions that explore imagination as a powerful force for change and a catalyst for innovation, sparking new insights and possibilities that challenge conventional wisdom. The range of essays in this edition brings perspective that reflect on disciplines and domains ranging from speculative design, architecture, art-making projects, foresight practices, future thinking, business thinking to speculative fiction that envisions future scenarios. Contributors were encouraged to examine techniques that disrupt current thinking and embrace creative exploration, unlocking new possibilities that help shape a more resilient and equitable world.
SINTEZO 6 aims to spark engaging discussions on creativity by inviting readers to interpret this collection of thought-provoking essays, personal experiences, and research findings that broaden our perspective on the subject.
Edition 6 - OUT NOW
November 2024
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Albert Einstein
How can imagination and creativity be used to think about the future? When Einstein talked about imagination in this particular context, he was talking about the ability to imagine what will happen in various circumstances that have yet to be tested, encouraging people to look beyond the current conservative frontiers of what they know and into the realm of what can be explored next.
New, transformative ideas frequently encounter widespread rejection when they first appear. According to creativity researcher Wayne Johnson, the real challenge in creativity isn’t generating new ideas, it’s getting people to accept and support them. While people often claim to value creativity, there is a common bias against creative thinking, which makes it difficult for them to embrace new concepts.
This idea is at the heart of SINTEZO 6, which delves into how imagination and creativity can shape our perceptions, influence our behaviour, attitudes, and mindsets, and ultimately change how we accept ideas and transcend conventional thinking to explore innovative solutions and shape change about the future.
This edition brings a collection of contributions that explore imagination as a powerful force for change and a catalyst for innovation, sparking new insights and possibilities that challenge conventional wisdom. The range of essays in this edition brings perspective that reflect on disciplines and domains ranging from speculative design, architecture, art-making projects, foresight practices, future thinking, business thinking to speculative fiction that envisions future scenarios. Contributors were encouraged to examine techniques that disrupt current thinking and embrace creative exploration, unlocking new possibilities that help shape a more resilient and equitable world.
SINTEZO 6 aims to spark engaging discussions on creativity by inviting readers to interpret this collection of thought-provoking essays, personal experiences, and research findings that broaden our perspective on the subject.
Jelenko Dragisic and Caroline Austin
Editorial Team
November 2024
Editorial Team
November 2024
SINTEZO
Edition 5 - OUT NOW
May 2024
»A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
The story of food captivates us, offering an array of dimensions that endlessly intrigue. As SINTEZO magazine enters its third year, we embark on a collaborative exploration of these diverse facets. A multitude of contributors will share their insights, perspectives, and experiences; shedding light on various aspects of food.
While we propose two starting points — global attention to food security and the rise of urban and peri-urban agriculture — we acknowledge that these are not limitations. From community gardens and local social enterprise urban farms to rooftop farms and ambitious urban farming start-ups, the methods of food cultivation in urban settings continue to diversify. This expansion into urban life also encompasses broader agricultural considerations, involving elements of ecology, biodiversity, urban planning, and the socio-cultural and economic foundations of food cultivation.
The heightened focus on food security has prompted governments worldwide to conduct extensive inquiries, seeking a better understanding of the factors shaping the future of food. The story of food is, in many ways, a reflection of culture, society, cities, and communities. This presents an exciting opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in the production, distribution, and management of food, with minimal negative externalities.
This edition of SINTEZO invites exploration of various ways in which food is, or can be, produced, particularly emphasising the involvement of people, local communities, urban policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others shaping the collective future of food. Through a compilation of essays, thought-provoking articles, experiences and research findings, our goal is to facilitate engaging dialogues among all stakeholders.
While we do not expect definitive answers, we hope that the shared insights will be engaging, not only for those deeply entrenched in the food space, but also for those yet to discover the enchanting narrative of food.
As always, our approach to creating each edition of SINTEZO is partially inspired by the idea that any object, concept, or phenomenon can be viewed from many angles – our own version of the Rashomon effect. Conventionally, the Rashomon effect refers to a situation whereby a single event is described in different ways by various witnesses. The concept, which emerged following the 1951 film ‘Rashomon’ where Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa first deployed this kind of storytelling technique, can be expanded to apply to the way we witness not just a single event, but also a broader phenomenon. Observing how cities work, or how communities or organisations function, can be equally subjected to the Rashomon effect.
By gathering various voices, we seek to create a brief that offers readers the opportunity to reflect on different views; without an imposed structure or order, so they can build their own picture after reading the essays curated for SINTEZO.
Finally, the visual identity of SINTEZO draws on images of nature, in particular the structures of plants such as leaves, stems and roots in the hope of building bridges and connections between concepts and themes.
Edition 5 - OUT NOW
May 2024
»A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
The story of food captivates us, offering an array of dimensions that endlessly intrigue. As SINTEZO magazine enters its third year, we embark on a collaborative exploration of these diverse facets. A multitude of contributors will share their insights, perspectives, and experiences; shedding light on various aspects of food.
While we propose two starting points — global attention to food security and the rise of urban and peri-urban agriculture — we acknowledge that these are not limitations. From community gardens and local social enterprise urban farms to rooftop farms and ambitious urban farming start-ups, the methods of food cultivation in urban settings continue to diversify. This expansion into urban life also encompasses broader agricultural considerations, involving elements of ecology, biodiversity, urban planning, and the socio-cultural and economic foundations of food cultivation.
The heightened focus on food security has prompted governments worldwide to conduct extensive inquiries, seeking a better understanding of the factors shaping the future of food. The story of food is, in many ways, a reflection of culture, society, cities, and communities. This presents an exciting opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in the production, distribution, and management of food, with minimal negative externalities.
This edition of SINTEZO invites exploration of various ways in which food is, or can be, produced, particularly emphasising the involvement of people, local communities, urban policymakers, entrepreneurs, and others shaping the collective future of food. Through a compilation of essays, thought-provoking articles, experiences and research findings, our goal is to facilitate engaging dialogues among all stakeholders.
While we do not expect definitive answers, we hope that the shared insights will be engaging, not only for those deeply entrenched in the food space, but also for those yet to discover the enchanting narrative of food.
As always, our approach to creating each edition of SINTEZO is partially inspired by the idea that any object, concept, or phenomenon can be viewed from many angles – our own version of the Rashomon effect. Conventionally, the Rashomon effect refers to a situation whereby a single event is described in different ways by various witnesses. The concept, which emerged following the 1951 film ‘Rashomon’ where Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa first deployed this kind of storytelling technique, can be expanded to apply to the way we witness not just a single event, but also a broader phenomenon. Observing how cities work, or how communities or organisations function, can be equally subjected to the Rashomon effect.
By gathering various voices, we seek to create a brief that offers readers the opportunity to reflect on different views; without an imposed structure or order, so they can build their own picture after reading the essays curated for SINTEZO.
Finally, the visual identity of SINTEZO draws on images of nature, in particular the structures of plants such as leaves, stems and roots in the hope of building bridges and connections between concepts and themes.
Jelenko Dragisic and Caroline Austin
Editorial team
May 2024
Editorial team
May 2024
04
SHOP︎
SINTEZO
Edition 4 - OUT NOW
September 2023
»A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
Creative leaders, thrive in complexity and ambiguity. They embrace innovation, encourage experimentation, and challenge the status quo. By fostering a culture that embraces change and adaptability, they create an environment conducive to discovering new solutions, technologies, and approaches. Through their visionary mindset, creative leaders inspire their teams to think outside the box and push boundaries, ultimately driving growth and transformation.
In an ever-changing world, women are playing an increasingly prominent role in driving transformative change and reshaping the traditional definition of leadership. Creative leadership, as exemplified by women, is often characterized by a willingness to experiment, embrace uncertainty, and foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. This edition of SINTEZO delves into the essence of creative leadership and its significance in complex times. By highlighting the collaborative and inclusive nature of different leadership styles, we explore how women are shaping the future of leadership.
In this edition of SINTEZO, we were interested in how women leaders are redefining leadership in complex times through their creative, collaborative, and other various approaches or practices. By embracing experimentation, nurturing talent, promoting ethical responsibility, and leveraging technology, they shape a future that is inclusive, empathetic, and sustainable. The exploration of women’s leadership in complex times paves the way for a deeper understanding of how leadership can be constructed to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future.
By amplifying their voices and insights, we gain valuable insights into the transformative potential of creative leadership in building equitable communities, organizations and societies.
As in other editions, our approach to creating each edition of SINTEZO is partially inspired by the idea that any idea, concept, or phenomenon can be viewed from many angles – our own version of the Rashomon effect. By gathering various voices, we seek to create a brief that offers readers the opportunity to reflect on different views; without an imposed structure or order, so they can build their own picture after reading the essays curated for SINTEZO. Conventionally, the Rashomon effect refers to a situation whereby a single event is described in different ways by various witnesses. The concept, which emerged following the 1951 film ‘Rashomon’ where Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa first deployed this kind of storytelling technique, can be expanded to apply to the way we witness not just a single event, but also a broader phenomenon. Observing how cities work, or how communities or organisations function, can be equally subjected to the Rashomon effect. Finally, as always, the visual identity of the magazine draws on images of bridges and water in the hope of building bridges and connections between concepts and themes in each SINTEZO Edition.
Edition 4 - OUT NOW
September 2023
»A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
Creative leaders, thrive in complexity and ambiguity. They embrace innovation, encourage experimentation, and challenge the status quo. By fostering a culture that embraces change and adaptability, they create an environment conducive to discovering new solutions, technologies, and approaches. Through their visionary mindset, creative leaders inspire their teams to think outside the box and push boundaries, ultimately driving growth and transformation.
In an ever-changing world, women are playing an increasingly prominent role in driving transformative change and reshaping the traditional definition of leadership. Creative leadership, as exemplified by women, is often characterized by a willingness to experiment, embrace uncertainty, and foster a culture of curiosity and continuous learning. This edition of SINTEZO delves into the essence of creative leadership and its significance in complex times. By highlighting the collaborative and inclusive nature of different leadership styles, we explore how women are shaping the future of leadership.
In this edition of SINTEZO, we were interested in how women leaders are redefining leadership in complex times through their creative, collaborative, and other various approaches or practices. By embracing experimentation, nurturing talent, promoting ethical responsibility, and leveraging technology, they shape a future that is inclusive, empathetic, and sustainable. The exploration of women’s leadership in complex times paves the way for a deeper understanding of how leadership can be constructed to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the future.
By amplifying their voices and insights, we gain valuable insights into the transformative potential of creative leadership in building equitable communities, organizations and societies.
As in other editions, our approach to creating each edition of SINTEZO is partially inspired by the idea that any idea, concept, or phenomenon can be viewed from many angles – our own version of the Rashomon effect. By gathering various voices, we seek to create a brief that offers readers the opportunity to reflect on different views; without an imposed structure or order, so they can build their own picture after reading the essays curated for SINTEZO. Conventionally, the Rashomon effect refers to a situation whereby a single event is described in different ways by various witnesses. The concept, which emerged following the 1951 film ‘Rashomon’ where Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa first deployed this kind of storytelling technique, can be expanded to apply to the way we witness not just a single event, but also a broader phenomenon. Observing how cities work, or how communities or organisations function, can be equally subjected to the Rashomon effect. Finally, as always, the visual identity of the magazine draws on images of bridges and water in the hope of building bridges and connections between concepts and themes in each SINTEZO Edition.
Jelenko Dragisic and Caroline Austin
Editorial team
September 2023
Editorial team
September 2023
03
SHOP︎
SINTEZO
Edition 3
Feburary 2023
Edition 3
Feburary 2023
» A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
A magazine is a collection of organized content, typically centred around a specific topic or theme. The word "magazine" originally referred to a warehouse, particularly a military warehouse. However, in the 18th century, it came to mean a miscellaneous pamphlet or periodical containing a variety of writings. The widespread use of the printing press played a significant role in the development and popularity of magazines as a publishing format. The first true magazine was published in Germany in the second half of the 17th century by theologian Johann Rist. From there, the magazine format spread to France, England, and other countries. This history is interesting in its own right.
One notable aspect of the history of magazines is that they did not initially aim for mass circulation. Instead, early magazine publishing focused on quality and prioritised editorial practices over quantity, which was reflected in their price. The history of magazines also highlights their resilience as a versatile tool. SINTEZO is interested in this resilience as well as utilising magazines as a means for new conversations and thinking.
We believe that evolution of the form also may offer opportunity for experimentation. For instance, magazines may experiment with a nonlinear, open-ended approach that can be as "rhizomatic thought" in their construction, deviating from the traditional logical organization of content. Rhizomatic, it is worth remembering, is cross borrowing from botany where rhizome refers to specific kind of roots that are in fact plants, such as ginger and turmeric. This approach may not be immediately logical and may be perceived as unusual or unconventional by readers.
SINTEZO recognizes the potential for unconventional curation methods, such as the use of a rhizomatic structure, to offer readers a unique and stimulating experience. The third edition of SINTEZO explores this approach by bringing together a diverse group of thinkers, leaders, practitioners, academics across Australia and the UK to present a collection of material that challenges traditional notions of creativity. This experimental approach pushes the boundaries of what readers may expect, providing a fresh perspective on the material presented.
Instructions given to contributors for the third edition of SINTEZO were intentionally open-ended, meant to provoke thought and experimentation. The goal was not to impose specific guidelines but to encourage contributors to challenge their own understanding of their craft and to approach the material in new ways. The hope is that this will spark an ongoing conversation among readers and contributors alike.
A magazine is a collection of organized content, typically centred around a specific topic or theme. The word "magazine" originally referred to a warehouse, particularly a military warehouse. However, in the 18th century, it came to mean a miscellaneous pamphlet or periodical containing a variety of writings. The widespread use of the printing press played a significant role in the development and popularity of magazines as a publishing format. The first true magazine was published in Germany in the second half of the 17th century by theologian Johann Rist. From there, the magazine format spread to France, England, and other countries. This history is interesting in its own right.
One notable aspect of the history of magazines is that they did not initially aim for mass circulation. Instead, early magazine publishing focused on quality and prioritised editorial practices over quantity, which was reflected in their price. The history of magazines also highlights their resilience as a versatile tool. SINTEZO is interested in this resilience as well as utilising magazines as a means for new conversations and thinking.
We believe that evolution of the form also may offer opportunity for experimentation. For instance, magazines may experiment with a nonlinear, open-ended approach that can be as "rhizomatic thought" in their construction, deviating from the traditional logical organization of content. Rhizomatic, it is worth remembering, is cross borrowing from botany where rhizome refers to specific kind of roots that are in fact plants, such as ginger and turmeric. This approach may not be immediately logical and may be perceived as unusual or unconventional by readers.
SINTEZO recognizes the potential for unconventional curation methods, such as the use of a rhizomatic structure, to offer readers a unique and stimulating experience. The third edition of SINTEZO explores this approach by bringing together a diverse group of thinkers, leaders, practitioners, academics across Australia and the UK to present a collection of material that challenges traditional notions of creativity. This experimental approach pushes the boundaries of what readers may expect, providing a fresh perspective on the material presented.
Instructions given to contributors for the third edition of SINTEZO were intentionally open-ended, meant to provoke thought and experimentation. The goal was not to impose specific guidelines but to encourage contributors to challenge their own understanding of their craft and to approach the material in new ways. The hope is that this will spark an ongoing conversation among readers and contributors alike.
Jelenko Dragisic and Caroline Austin
Editorial team
February 2023
Editorial team
February 2023
02
SHOP︎
SINTEZO
Edition 2
July 2022
Edition 2
July 2022
» A briefing on complexity, resilience, interdisciplinarity and ideas»
A nineteenth century American essayist and advocate of social reforms Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote to a friend asking him to imagine doors and windows without hinges. He meant to suggest that hinges are connections between objects and ideas, and perhaps it is better to let people imagine for themselves what those connections between ideas are. He thought that there is no harm done when people guess a bit and try to work out what is written. He concluded, “we are prone to take too much for granted, which grants us too little’. That Emersonian idea is a little of what we hope to foster with SINTEZO.
Suppose we apply the Emersonian way of thinking to the ideas of urbanism, urban futures, the role of resilience and emergence. In that case, we are confronted with two things: there are too many ideas to consider synthesising them meaningfully, and yet it is still possible to get a picture of how urbanism can work well when we consider how only a handful of interplay. We glean something.
In this edition SINTEZO explores how some of those ideas may be useful to the way we understand, envisage, and feel about urban spaces. How we may sense a complexity of a city, a town, or any urban form by examining it through a prism of resilience as a commonality. In more pragmatic terms we look for ways to reinterpret cities, which are visibly subject to perpetual disruption, recovery, and growth cycle. This implicitly means built environment, social life, ecology, technology, and commerce are interdependent. One of those interdependencies is how each of the domains is limited in their capacity to deal with acute and chronic disruptions by their relationships with each other. Resilience in this picture is then a mechanism and not a formula with a clear trajectory despite the often-repeated idea that all recovery has a knowable trajectory.
Urban environments are complex, and their complexity creates yet to be understood rules of resilience. This edition of SINTEZO explores that not by asking contributors to think about complexity as much as about how they see how to answer some more straightforward questions that explore what is it that we take for granted? Simple in this sense refers to building blocks. What is taken for granted in terms of how we plan cities, how we manage green spaces in urban environments, how we organise our social life, how our commerce works, and how our technology provides fuel for all the above? Contributors come from different professional backgrounds and lived experiences. In this edition, they bring their thought and build a mosaic that may yield new insights in this edition.
A nineteenth century American essayist and advocate of social reforms Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote to a friend asking him to imagine doors and windows without hinges. He meant to suggest that hinges are connections between objects and ideas, and perhaps it is better to let people imagine for themselves what those connections between ideas are. He thought that there is no harm done when people guess a bit and try to work out what is written. He concluded, “we are prone to take too much for granted, which grants us too little’. That Emersonian idea is a little of what we hope to foster with SINTEZO.
Suppose we apply the Emersonian way of thinking to the ideas of urbanism, urban futures, the role of resilience and emergence. In that case, we are confronted with two things: there are too many ideas to consider synthesising them meaningfully, and yet it is still possible to get a picture of how urbanism can work well when we consider how only a handful of interplay. We glean something.
In this edition SINTEZO explores how some of those ideas may be useful to the way we understand, envisage, and feel about urban spaces. How we may sense a complexity of a city, a town, or any urban form by examining it through a prism of resilience as a commonality. In more pragmatic terms we look for ways to reinterpret cities, which are visibly subject to perpetual disruption, recovery, and growth cycle. This implicitly means built environment, social life, ecology, technology, and commerce are interdependent. One of those interdependencies is how each of the domains is limited in their capacity to deal with acute and chronic disruptions by their relationships with each other. Resilience in this picture is then a mechanism and not a formula with a clear trajectory despite the often-repeated idea that all recovery has a knowable trajectory.
Urban environments are complex, and their complexity creates yet to be understood rules of resilience. This edition of SINTEZO explores that not by asking contributors to think about complexity as much as about how they see how to answer some more straightforward questions that explore what is it that we take for granted? Simple in this sense refers to building blocks. What is taken for granted in terms of how we plan cities, how we manage green spaces in urban environments, how we organise our social life, how our commerce works, and how our technology provides fuel for all the above? Contributors come from different professional backgrounds and lived experiences. In this edition, they bring their thought and build a mosaic that may yield new insights in this edition.
Jelenko Dragisic and Caroline Austin
Editorial team
July 2022
Editorial team
July 2022