Playground #4
170 x 240 mm, 112 pages
Stockholm, Sweden (English-language)
Biannual
First published 2023
Editor-in-chief and creative director: Austė Skrupskytė Cullbrand
Art direction and design: Deimante Saulytė and Mykolas Saulytis
‘The magazine that dares to explore, question, and re-envision the creative industries.’
Playground is a smartly produced biannual spotlighting and offering insights into Europe’s creative industries, minus the ‘prestige, gatekeeping and even competitive silliness.’
Breaking from their tradition of single-colour covers, for issue four Playground unveils a refreshed look—chapters are gone, giving you the freedom to dive into any story from any point. Their ‘Report’ section has expanded fivefold, and a brand-new section, ‘Deep Dive’, makes its debut, exploring the intricate world of notebooks. After a gloomy ‘Report’ in the previous issue, this instalment turns its focus toward the personal connections that bind individuals working in creative fields. Inside, you’ll find essays on everything from why pigeons seem to be abandoning flight and taking on strangely human traits, to the often unseen labour of pitching—and why it’s time more value is placed upon it. Plus, you can expect insights from Ikea’s annual Democratic Design Day, a 14-page spread with DJ Axel Boman, and the latest round of ‘Creative Quickies’ including Morten Nordstrøm’s CV of failed projects.