39NULL #2

Nr. 2 Winter 2014

The current issue of 39NULL grapples with the multifaceted notion of otherness. We wish to reflect on otherness from various perspectives by examining its manifestations in text and in image. Otherness is a complex cultural and political topos that is central to the creation of identities and the co-existence of cultures. Within a group, reactions to others appear to build community, yet, beyond this group, the same reactions, when expressed towards the outside, divide communities – be these symbolic, ideological, or political communities. But what constitutes the Other, the strange, and the foreign? And why? Why do we approach strangers predominately with rejection? What are we afraid of? What are the consequences of rejection and marginalization of strangers? How can we be more open and approach strangers constructively? What kind of challenges but also possibilities do such approach bring? 39NULL is curious about the answers to these questions. But we do not examine the so-called Other alone, we also explore ourselves, the otherness within and among ourselves, and the everyday situations in which we encounter the Other.