About Urbanomic

Urbanomic is a publisher and arts organization based in the UK. Our aims are:

• to act as an advocate for philosophical thinking as a creative practice, and for the continuing cultural importance of philosophy.
• to support research activities addressing crucial issues that do not fall under any one discipline or practice.
• to present to the public the results of that research, and an insight into the research process itself, through a variety of media.
• to engender interdisciplinary thinking and production.

What space is left for new, exploratory thinking that reaches beyond the confines of professional disciplines? Philosophy has retreated into academic isolation, the sciences have continued to become more specialised and inaccessible; and while the arts provide a space for philosophical questions to be aired in the public realm, they are rarely pursued in an explicit and purposeful manner.

Convinced of the continuing importance of a broad public philosophical dialogue, Urbanomic proposes a renegotiation of the relationship between philosophy science and art, on the model of an ‘interrupted relay’ in which thinkers offer their conceptual resources for reflection on artists’ practice, and artists in turn develop and synthesise them in unforeseen ways, stimulating a productive and unpredictable cycle of ‘research and development’ that is not subordinated to the norms of academic thinking. Our activities include:

• Publication of the Collapse: Journal of Philosophical Research and Development series. Each themed volume brings together new work by, and in-depth interviews with, thinkers, artists, and scientists who are leaders in their fields, developing through this cross-fertilisation new and productive inquiry at the forefront of current cultural, political, and philosophical debate. Since 2006 eight volumes have been published, and the journal has an uniquely diverse international readership.
• Creation of events, commissions, and residencies which further develop this programme, encouraging public engagement with contemporary thought. The events are designed as provocations that seek to challenge stereotypes of art, science, and philosophy, and how they might intersect and interact.
• Publication of the Redactions series documenting and developing the projects initiated by Urbanomic, and publication of new work in contemporary philosophy in our Mono series and books co-published with Sequence Press in New York.

We seek to combine a commitment to nurturing cutting-edge developments in contemporary philosophy with the discovery of inventive and accessible ways to share, communicate, and develop them.