WILLIAM ALDERWICK
WILLIAM ALDERWICK'S
LEADING CULTURE DESTINATIONS:
William Alderwick is Editorial Director at Spring Studios, London and Contributing Editor at Near East. Former-Editor of the award-winning platform NOWNESS, he began his career as Editor-in-Chief of the cult title Under/current Magazine, more recently working on the positioning of New York members' club Spring Place. As a cultural commentator and curator he is at the cutting-edge of all that is relevant in the realm of fashion, film and art. Here, he shares his take on Twin Peaks: The Return and tell us why the ever-increasing democratisation of the tools of video production are going to build elysian virtual realms in the global imaginary.
If there was one piece of art you could feature in, which would it be and why?
Twin Peaks: The Return... With The Return, Lynch is rewriting television, recalling archaic formats, playing on the elements of daytime soaps and melodramas that were parodied within the first and especially second season, pushing on from his more avant experiments in the likes of Inland Empire and devouring video art in the process.
How will museums impact future cities?
Museums shape our cultural identity, they’re repositories of shared memory. I think the narratives they tell and the artefacts they hold help us develop our sense of self, both on individual and collective levels. Thus, for cities, I think museums are critically important, if far too often under-appreciated, institutions for creating a sense of shared identity and community. One key question with regards museums of the future is, of course, virtual reality. Will museums offer their collections and histories to anyone anywhere in the world through this technology?
What are you most excited about in culture right now?
I’m excited about the emergence of new niche-serving video production studioS and channels. the studio is now in the palm of your hand—you have more technology at your disposal than almost all the movie pioneers of the past century. As we see more people using these tools, and creatively endeavouring to bring their imaginations to life, I think we’re going to see an exciting expansion of the global imaginary.
Who do you think are the cultural innovators of tomorrow and why?
I think cultural innovation and digital or technological innovation need to be separated. Often the two are collapsed into each other. Not to disregard the cultural impact of technology, the radical transformations of which are obvious. If we’ll permit that separation, then cultural innovation is about forging new cultures by bringing people and ideas together. The question then is who to watch out for, or who is going to have an impact on culture in future.