THISISSAND MANIFESTO
THISISSAND is a magazine that reflects the present and forecasts the future, inspired by SAND. “See the world in a grain of sand” and “Sand gets everywhere” captures our motto as an aphorism.
Conceived with sustainability at its heart, THISISSAND is built on transformational ideas and intentional design. It exists as a limited high quality print object. A collectible coffee table publication produced using Air-Ink made from captured carbon pollution, printed on recycled paper, and finished with a cover crafted entirely from locally sourced sandpaper. This physical edition sits alongside a downloadable digital issue, reflecting a considered, contemporary model of consumption that prioritises reduced environmental impact and positive change.
The inspiration for THISISSAND comes from a simple yet profound truth. Sand is one of the most consumed natural resources on Earth. It has existed since the beginning of time and will remain long after we are gone. An estimated seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains across the planet.
Second only to oxygen and water in abundance. Whether in nature or a concrete jungle it surrounds us constantly, yet often goes unnoticed. Our cities are built upon it, our technologies depend on it. Even computer chips are born from it, they don’t call it Silicon Valley by accident. We see our reflection in glass without recognising its origin. In sleep and in wakefulness, sand is ever present, observing quietly. The original big brother, an invisible witness.
The world consumes sand insatiably. With an appetite for newbuildings, roads, coastal defences, glass, fracking, and electronics. It appears in countless forms, colours, and textures. Both international and universal, found even on Mars. Its ubiquity becomes a metaphor for diversity, inclusivity, and unity. It is no wonder man is made of clay.
Sand is both inspirational and confrontational, one cannot escape it. Crossing borders and boundaries, bridging the gap through every nook and cranny, SAND gets everywhere.
Like sand itself, THISISSAND is a blend of many elements. It is a multifaceted publication that moves fluidly across fashion, culture, lifestyle, sport, and socio-political discourse, examined through contemporary art and visual storytelling at the heart of the zeitgeist.
Paradise is often imagined as a beach, so what would the world be without sand?
Throughout history, Man has always used sand as an analogy for the infinite, a limitless resource, ordinary and yet magical, incapable of exhaustion. It is genderless, raceless, ageless and nationless; THISISSAND Magazine.
Tilal Imani