The Offline Issue
When getting back to nature becomes a movement...
A simpler way of life — After hitting the road as a directionless teen, photographer Antoine Bruy discovered a radical community living off-the-grid: a wave of people flocking to the wild, leaving the rat race behind.
Written by: Russ Slater
The war photographer who reinvented himself off-the-grid
Processing trauma — Rafal Gerszak had to witness war in order to document history, but it almost cost him his life. Out in the wild of Canada’s north, he found his way back from the brink.
Written by: Andrea Kurland
The teenager who beat the blues with a DIY skate paradise
Building a way out of boredom — In the frozen heartland of Finland, Jaakko Saavalainen’s do-it-yourself attitude proves that anywhere can become a skate utopia – as long as you’re willing to put in the work.
Written by: Juha Solanterä
The cab driver who became a stress-busting dominatrix
Oh, Gloria... (NSFW) — Arthur is an unassuming cabbie from London’s East End. Gloria is a BDSM dungeon master helping people let go of themselves. Although they’re the same person, this is not a double life. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most colourful characters exist beneath the surface.
Written by: Alex King
This is what Havana’s growing WiFi revolution looks like
A nation gets online... sort of — After years of disconnection, Cuba's government has introduced 35 WiFi hotspots across the country, providing outdoor hubs that offer a portal to other worlds. Cuban writer Osdany Morales takes us inside that vortex – and the pixelated dreams that live there.
Written by: Osdany Morales. Translation: Tess Rankin
Urban exploring: The art of ‘hacking’ hidden spaces
Behind abandoned doors... — As ‘urbex’ spreads far and wide, its secrets remain closely guarded. But for photographer Valerie Leroy, there's one rule that can't be ignored: take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.
Written by: Amelia Abraham
The Batman of skateboarding
If you build it, they will come... — From New York to Ethiopia, DIY legend Jerry Mraz transforms neglected spaces under the cover of darkness – selflessly crafting skate spots for anyone and everyone.
Written by: Anthony Pappalardo
Iceland's female hip-hop collective is changing the game
Daughters of Reykjavik — With songs about slut-shaming and body positivity, Iceland's punkest hip-hop crew are finally putting the country's female rappers on the map.
Written by: Katy Beth Young
How to escape your life and begin again
Ghosting the world — Sometimes the only way to survive is to pack everything up and start over. But whether you’re drawn to the unknown or driven by a need to cut ties, life lessons have a way of catching up with you. Here are three stories of people who reinvented themselves.
Written by: Cian Traynor
The art of simplifying your life (by getting rid of stuff)
The Minimalists — After giving up six-figure salaries in the corporate world, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus decided to get back to basics. Now, as the Minimalists, they help others make space for what's important in life.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Story Behind the Still: Life in a ghost town
Off the grid in Mongolia — After spotting a strange railway that led nowhere on a map, photographer Vlad Sokhin began exploring an abandoned town with a secretive history.
Written by: Noora Ismail
A blunt conversation about life online with Bret Easton Ellis
Disappear here... — Movies are finished, the novel is dead and the internet is driving people insane. Welcome to the world of Bret Easton Ellis: a literary maverick who’s brutally honest about the digital age.
Written by: Steven T. Hanley