REDEFINE Renewal 2020: Returning For the New Decade

Whether in times of joy, anger, sorrow, or great movement, the arts mark — and have been marked by — significant events. With or without words, they are multi-dimensional modes of communication which express the deepest manifestations of experience. They have the ability to cut across time. They have the potential to adapt and innovate into exciting new forms, even in moments when society at-large fragments into instability and uncertainty.

It was my naive hope that at the end of 2019, the clock might strike midnight and 2020 would instantly open up into a glorious new reality. Proverbial sunrays and birds chirping; peaceful tolerance and calm understanding. What was immediately unveiled, however, was the complete opposite. News began to spring up about wildfires burning in Australia, and the polarized response within and without that country revealed a continued lack of global solidarity around global tragedies… or even our global lack of attention span, as we all quickly forgot.

Now, halfway into 2020, we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic. Many have wondered about the long-lasting repercussions of COVID-19, and who will tell the stories of the time. Upheaval and trauma call, necessarily, for news journalism as an informational resource — but the majority of such coverage can feel dark and hopeless.

Arts journalism, by contrast, is fundamentally a celebration of the ingenuity and adaptability of human beings, even when the artistic expressions themselves may process difficult topics and times. That is why — after a four-year hiatus — I am excited to officially announce the long-planned return of REDEFINE magazine for the new decade, where myself and a new team of writers will beam back in, holding up the publication’s still-relevant mission of “conscious growth thru long-form arts journalism.”

Photograph by David Boca
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Expect our explorations to center around:

– Long-form “Scene Reports” focused on niche artistic and cultural ecosystems
– Interviews with visual artists, musicians & filmmakers whose work match our mission
– Bilingual articles whenever possible, especially in Spanish and Chinese
– Interdisciplinary comparative features, showing all angles of creation
– Topics related to spirituality, consciousness, environmentalism, and ethical technology

But most of all, expect these works to be simultaneously uplifting, deep-thinking, and rooted in positive potentiality — because the world needs the innovation and beauty of creative people to celebrate us, push us, and help us navigate our emotions and intuitions when predictable, straight-forward planning falls short. Allow REDEFINE to shine our journalistic light upon a rainbow spectrum⁠ of innovative thinkers and boundary-pushing artists, as they engage in complex ruminations and creative solutions around the challenges of life.

Long live the arts!

Much more to come,

💕
Vivian Hua 華婷婷
Editor-in-Chief

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PS – For better or for worse, REDEFINE has always had the simultaneous luxury and difficulty of operating outside of mainstream structures, and hence, has been adaptable to changing trends. Its operation from 2004-2016 was largely driven by heart and a deep passion for our mission. For the moment, it will continue to be primarily a crowd-funded publication. Please support us by making a donation via Venmo to @hellomynameisvee today!

PPS – We are looking for writers. E-mail me. vivian@ this website’s domain.