Bringing 'Unwrap' back to life after the hiatus has been a great pleasure.

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Ushering in a new dawn, this publication takes on a slightly unusual twist. Moving past the conventional, heavy and serious, tone in favour of a more light-hearted tenor and relatable pieces whilst maintaining critical analyses of how the world has evolved. This ethos holds true to the brevity of the publication’s scholarly articles as well.

 

The world seems to spin impossibly fast nowadays. Movies and T.V shows plummet in favour of vertical shows and microtrends change nearly every fortnight. Long-form and overly formal content has been slowly phasing out of style all across the arts. As a humanities journal, adapting to such change is necessary in reflecting and understanding the evolution of culture. Rather than staying stubbornly stagnant, rigid in tradition, this edition embraces and studies the microcosms of these sprinting evolutions of culture, hoping to make sense of the world’s past-present polarity.

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We thank our writers for joining us in reflecting on how the world evolves and the ever-present markers of the human condition. We hope that we will keep inspiring you to explore the seemingly immediate, and sometimes whimsical, evolutions the world produces in grappling with the oddities of life.

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Akshita Bali, 

Chief Editor of Unwrap,

For West-Zone Centre of Language Arts (Singapore)

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As Lawrence Wong's Singapore shifts its focus to embracing the arts in the year of SG60, it brought to mind John Quincy Adams' words -

 

'I am a warrior, so that my son may be a merchant, so that his son may be a poet.'

 

After decades of struggle, and a deep focus on economy and trade, Singapore at least seems to have the security to think of poetry.  This year's Unwrap accordingly chooses to similarly broaden its appreciation of the arts from previous editions. Besides our creative pieces, this year's edition also includes opinion pieces and scholarly articles meant to inform our readers about ways to experience art; be it through museums, or our understanding of drama and movement. We hope that this will sprinkle some water to cultivate the new generation of poets in Singapore, and allow our children to be dreamers.

 

Jemima Huiting Ryan

Editor of Unwrap

For West Zone Centre of Language Arts (Singapore)
 

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In an academic setting, a lot of the arts can be hard to connect to: literary arts may feel overly convoluted, the fine arts seem too confined. A bit ironic is it not, given the whole ‘art has no bounds’ argument? Then, allow us –a tenacious trio of 19-year-old editors– to revive your spark for the art.

 

We believe art can be loved and accessible to all. Gone with the rules and out with the restrictions! Let us show you that examining art through an analytical lens is only a bore when there is a fixed path on how to do so. In this edition of Unwrap, we present an array of tantalising topics to choose from, each written with a personal, relatable touch by each writer.

 

Enjoy your art how you like, whether it be with abstract analogies or meaningful metaphors. Me? I prefer to consume my art with a dash of silliness and a spot of whimsy. To each their own.

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Samuel Hadden 

Editor of Unwrap

For West Zone Centre of Language Arts (Singapore)