Post 9-11, post Iraqi invasion, post (we wish) the War on Terrorism, there is a great deal of interest in safety in the public domain, both in the political realm and among the general public. Individuals and society as a whole are increasingly concerned with protection and security for themselves and their material possessions. These newfound worries have repercussions for the layout, design, and management of public and semi-public places, imposing new demands on artists, designers, commissioners, and policy makers. "Open 6 examines the root causes of the public desire for safety. The authors consider theoretical and practical scenarios, proposals and visions from the realms of art, architecture, philosophy, and politics, in an attempt to lay bare something of the modern-day safety paradigm. Alternatively, the authors argue the need for new models. The contributors also provide insight into the current state of the modern-day practicalities of the aesthetics and ethics of safety in essays which directly consider real places or (art) projects.

In today's hypervisualized culture, has every message or social agenda been usurped by styling, commerc, and fashion? What position does art occupy in conveying the meanings of everyday design? What position "should" it occupy? And how do we make meaning--that which is invisible--visible? In "Open 8," guest editors Willem van Weelden and Jan van Grunsven introduce this debate. Further examination comes courtesy critic Brian Holmes, who explores (in)visibility as a tactic in art, and Dieter Lesage, who critically examines the proposals by design firm OMA for a new iconography of Europe. Among these and other thought-provoking essays is an account of a round-table discussion centered around legitimating "Art and the Public Space," courses in designers' academic training, photographic essays and book reviews.