Art Direction of the Year

PLASMA 5 has been nominated for the 2019 STACK Art Director of the Year Award!! Part of what makes PLASMA so unique is its unique design. A design that speaks to the creativity of how scientists and artists think and test their ideas, through experiments. It’s wacky, modern, yet avant-guard. And it’s through this play of form, space, colour, and font that the science can be perceived and become more accessible to the reader. It speaks the truth of the inherent creativity of the scientific endeavour and visually engages the reader to an already equally engaging narrative. It’s fierce. It’s bold. It’s the visual realization of the magazine’s core message.

Congratulations to the whole PLASMA team! Especially our Berlin-based Designer and Art Director David Benski for this nomination!

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The latest innovations in space exploration, science, and technology have launched us into a new age. One that has shifted our perception of the world through significant scientific breakthroughs and interplanetary discoveries. We now find ourselves living in a realm of knowledge hitherto unfathomed. A reality that almost sounds like science fiction and one where possibilities keep opening up. Exciting times for sure!

Having spoken to many different scientists for this issue, we have noted time and time again the deep impact that science fiction has had on their research. From the engineers who built the largest space telescope to date (James Webb Space Telescope – JWST) to the biologists who study the strange properties of spider threads, science fiction has been one of the motivating factors that got them into their fields of study. But why? Because of our innate ability to put ourselves in scenarios where we live and breathe the unimaginable. To dream big no matter the odds. Science fiction is the potential of what we can build. What we can discover. It is a spark. For this, it is no wonder that we find it to be a key element of scientific discovery and technological development.

Here, we have 224 pages jam-packed with interviews, stories, behind the scene sneak peaks, photo series, posters, and nerd guides that speak to this. Scientists from different fields, from Berlin to LA, all talking about their personal motivations and passions. A Berlin special introduces us to the diverse research areas this city is host to. Everything from the exploration of Mars to the creation of humanoid robots, Berlin is most certainly becoming a scientific point of reference in Europe. From there we jump across the Atlantic to explore all the latest nerd hot spots in NYC, learn about the latest JWST advancements, and so much more before our final jump over to the West Coast, where more scientific tales await!

We’ve been lucky to meet and interview many people who have followed their vision and unusual ideas with a fearless determination to see them through, regardless of what others might think. This, we know, is the only way. It’s not about ego, it’s about seeing the bigger picture and, in doing so, seeking kindred visionaries that will contribute to it. If there’s one thing we can learn from all these scientists, artists, and sci-fi characters, is that we are stronger as a team. No one achieves anything alone, not even Iron Man.

 As for the PLASMA team, we could not be happier. Clemens Fantur, an Editorial Photographer from Vienna, has created the photographic concept for this issue. London-based Editor in Chief Judit Agui, specializing in science communication, and Co-Editor Azul Pinochet Barros, PhD Candidate at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), have both worked through the interviews and texts for the issue. The Creative Director and PLASMA Founder, Diana Wehmeier, developed the nerdy creative concept seen from cover to cover. She also carried out most of the interviews and provided the raw content for the magazine. The design and artistic language of the entire edition was created by the avant-garde visions of David Benski, designer and art director in Berlin.

PLASMA, July, 2019

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PLASMA 5 _ repro Nora Heinisch