Selected’s New Issue Focuses on Craft

“Craft, in essence, is luxury in the truest sense of the word—not because of the price tag, but because it requires experience, skill, and often the courage to go against the grain. At a time when AI is becoming ubiquitous, handcrafted work is quickly becoming the main transmitter of originality,” says Editor-in-Chief Tomáš Otta. “While the world is rushing towards a perfect digital tomorrow, we’re allowing ourselves to slow down and admire handcrafted work, which is imperfect in the best possible way, precisely because it is human,” is how Otta describes the Christmas issue.

The magazine is packed with articles about interesting creators from around the world. Selected visited a premium gin producer in France, Argentina’s famous shoemakers, a renowned Czech fireplace manufacturer, a woman-run ceramics workshop, and a family business that produces porcelain light switches. As Otta notes, the common denominator of all the people that Selected writes about is attention to detail and the willingness to invest their time in creative work.

In the cover story, photographer Bet Orten talks about the endless search for inspiration as she explores female archetypes in her poetic work. She also touches on AI in her interview. Although she doesn’t perceive new technologies as a threat, she rejects digital technology in her own work and shoots on film. She also explains why she sometimes likes to get lost.

Sometimes when we wander, we can have the most powerful experiences and so we wish you an inspiring read!