The edge of the forest

Biologists name it the edge effect; the place where two or more environments meet. Where forest and meadow crossover — where desert and rainforest turn into savanna — where rivers become reeds.

These are the areas teeming with life and biodiversity. And this edge effect is found everywhere, where hip-hop and classical music mix, where pop-culture meets the paintbrush, where code meets culture.

When we look at or think about something, we often look at the center. Everything about the product, the trend from its origin, the demographics to the finest detail, or the technology at its core. But that’s where all the monotony lies. Variety and creativity are found at the edges.

Japanese artist Hiroto Ikeuchi creates costumes out of scrap-electronics.


GoEast teaching Mandarin in Fortnite.


Khruangbin combining Afghan and Thai music influences with rock.

Latest

The Path and Meaning

The Path and Meaning

“We walk down the path in Xikeng.” Three years ago, I started a note with that sentence. We visited a row of villages in the south of Zhejiang, and Xikeng (西坑) was at the end of the day — the least touristified town of them all. The village had dozens of old buildings, sliced by […]
February 4, 2026
Kunshan Diorama

Kunshan Diorama

Today, I’m visiting Zhengyi Old Street (正仪老街) in Kunshan — a city wedged in between Suzhou and Shanghai. This old street is a leftover slice in between other parts properly planned by the city. On the horizon, I can see construction cranes, as if they are threatening the area; ‘we are coming to you next’. […]
January 17, 2026
Hyperreality

Hyperreality

It’s 06:30 in the morning and I’m driving to the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles. I’ve been trying to sleep after an exhausting week at CES, but I’m too excited for this hike and can’t wait to depart the Airbnb we’re in. Every visit to the United States is an adventure. The most […]
January 15, 2026
In Praise Of Writing (And the Case Against AI)

In Praise Of Writing (And the Case Against AI)

If George Orwell, one of the best essayists, were alive today, he’d be firmly against AI. Not because of 1984 or ‘Big Brother’, but because in ‘Why I Write’, he listed four motives for writing; Historical impulse Political purpose Aesthetic enthusiasm Egoism   Neither of these motives survives if you let AI do the writing […]
January 14, 2026