About

Un•thunk: |ˌənˈθəŋk|

1. (adj.) That which has not been consciously thought yet, it is waiting in the ether to be actualised and  given life.
2. (adj.) That which has not been thought yet; it is still to be constructed by the activity of those that think.
3. (adj.) A new view or perspective which had previously been unknown to the viewer
4. (verb, past part.) [trans] The process of erasing, or reversing, the production of a thought. An action done in vain, as once a thought exists, it can’t be made to un-exist.
   
5. (noun) A name derived from the dystopian version of Glasgow as depicted in Alasdair Gray’s novel ‘Lanark’.

Unthunk is an online journal focusing on experiences and perceptions of the city space. The city is space in which different worlds overlap: the financial district, gangs, high street shopping, graffiti, culture, skyscrapers… The city is a place of contradictions, where people who exist far away from each other can live only a few blocks away.

To reflect this, we aim to showcase diverse content that explores the city – this ranges from essays to artwork, poems, stories, maps and discussion pieces.

Our journal is open to students of any discipline. We believe that the best way to further our research is to learn through discussion with each other.

We see no sense in building walls around our work. We are all inhabitants of the same city, therefore our perceptions of the city are all valid. We refuse to limit ourselves only to our universities, there is more to the city that these institutes. We can’t speak of opening discussions, if we only mean to open it to ourselves. We wish to engage and share with everyone.

Unthunk is open to anyone who wishes to contribute – artist, researcher, (wo)man on the street…

Unthunk is based in Glasgow, but is concerned with all urban spaces.

Through art, research, and the stories we tell, we are always seeking to understand the world around us. Open discussion of experiences is a powerful tool to bridge gaps between us. Too often conflict, fear, and separation arises through misunderstanding. The city can be a large and bewildering place. If we share thoughts and ideas about this shared space, we hope we can come to a shared understanding of what this space means to us. By opening ourselves to new experiences, we can gain new perspectives on how we view the city, allowing us to step outside the same areas we inhabit.

This understanding of our surrounding area, through sharing our work, will allow us to engage critically with our environment and encourage others to take an active interest in where they live/work/shop. Increasingly public space is becoming privatised, we want to encourage people to questions the decisions made about urban areas, to reclaim the space, and enjoy/explore/experience their city in a new way.