These newsletters cover a kaleidoscope of phenomena—from Türkiye’s rising mediator-state role to evolving art markets, child-centred urbanism, institutional crises, and infrastructural ambitions—that together illuminate the interwoven cultural, economic, theoretical, and social threads of our moment.

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The newsletters highlight Turkey’s strategic positioning as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict, leveraging its unique status as both a NATO member and a nation with close ties to Russia. This complex balancing act, aimed at maintaining neutrality while enhancing Turkey’s international standing, resonates with the concept of realpolitik, where national interests and power considerations guide foreign policy above ideological concerns. The political scientist Hans Morgenthau (2014), in Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, extensively discusses this approach, emphasizing the pursuit of power and security in international relations.

Domestically, however, this bolstered international position coexists with concerns about autocratic tendencies, evidenced by the imprisonment of political rivals. This juxtaposition of external diplomatic success and internal political repression brings to mind the works of thinkers who have grappled with the nature of power and governance. Machiavelli’s (2007) The Prince, for instance, offers a pragmatic, albeit controversial, guide to acquiring and maintaining political power, often separating ethics from statecraft. The tension in Turkey reflects a broader global challenge: how to reconcile a nation’s pursuit of international influence with the imperative of upholding democratic values and human rights at home.

Hannah Lucinda Smith’s account of President Erdoğan’s diplomatic juggling in Ukraine and Syria underscores how soft power and strategic non-alignment can enhance a nation’s bargaining position (Lucinda Smith, 2025) . Erdoğan’s refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia echoes Antonio Gramsci’s notion of national bloc formation, in which ruling classes forge new alliances to maintain hegemony (Gramsci, 1971). Likewise, Edward Said’s observation that “power tends to come of age in a crisis” resonates here: Turkey leverages geopolitical flux to reposition itself as indispensable (Said, 2000, p. 34).

The political instability in Portugal, marked by a series of snap elections, contrasts sharply with the country’s robust economic growth driven by tourism, exports, and thriving creative and technology sectors. This situation underscores the potential disconnect between political efficacy and economic vitality. While political turbulence might suggest a struggling nation, Portugal’s economic resilience points to underlying strengths in its industries and cultural appeal. This could be analyzed through the lens of institutional theory in economics, which examines how formal and informal rules and structures influence economic performance, suggesting that perhaps Portugal’s economic institutions are robust enough to weather political storms.

Carlota Rebelo’s essay on Portugal’s third snap election in as many years reveals a paradox: political instability amidst economic vitality (Rebelo, 2025) . Jürgen Habermas’s concept of the “economy as a lifeworld colonizer” (1984) warns of technocratic drift, yet Portugal’s booming tourism and tech sectors suggest a more dialectical interplay: a civil society that thrives even as formal politics falter. This recalls Albert Camus’s meditation in The Plague (1947) on communal resilience in the face of systemic failure: “there are more things to admire in men than to despise” (Camus, 1947, p. 112).

News Briefing and Overview

The snippet on the Photo London fair points to a shift towards showcasing lesser-known and contemporary photographers, moving away from more “clichéd” images. This reflects a broader cultural movement towards valuing diverse perspectives and challenging established norms in the art world. This evolution aligns with critical theories that question traditional canons and seek to amplify marginalized voices. The work of art historian Linda (1971), particularly her essay “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”, is relevant here, as it critiques the institutional biases that have historically excluded women and other underrepresented groups from the highest echelons of the art world. The news of Marlene Dumas setting a new record for the most expensive artwork by a woman sold at auction further underscores a potential, albeit perhaps slow, correction in this historical imbalance.

The record sale for Marlene Dumas’s Miss January—the highest price ever paid for a work by a woman artist at Christie’s—signals a recalibration of symbolic capital in the blue-chip art market (Ho, 2025) . Pierre Bourdieu’s Distinction reminds us that art auctions are not mere economic transactions but struggles over taste and distinction (Bourdieu, 1984). Dumas’s ascent may thus be read as a feminist reconfiguration of cultural capital, echoing Judith Butler’s injunction that “gender is performative,” suggesting the performative capacity of the market itself to (re)produce new hierarchies (Butler, 1990, p. 25).

The initiative in Bratislava to reimagine city planning with children at the center offers a compelling example of a human-centric approach to urban development. The idea that designing cities with the youngest residents in mind can lead to more inclusive, accessible, and equitable spaces for all resonates with theories of urbanism that prioritize social well-being and community. Figures like Jane Jacobs (1961), author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, championed the importance of vibrant, walkable neighborhoods and the intricate social interactions they foster. The Bratislava approach extends this by specifically considering the needs and perspectives of children, recognizing their fundamental role in shaping the future of urban environments.

Carlota Rebelo’s report from Bratislava’s “Start with Children” summit highlights a paradigm shift in urban planning towards intergenerational equity (Rebelo, 2025) . Henri Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1991) offers a theoretical scaffold here: space is socially produced, and centring children disrupts established power geometries, engendering more inclusive “representational spaces.” As Lefebvre writes, “to appropriate space is to change it” (p. 33). This ethos is embodied in Bratislava’s car bans near schools, an “urban commons” reappropriation that encroaches upon entrenched automobility regimes (Sheller & Urry, 2000).

The controversy surrounding the abrupt firing of the Library of Congress chief highlights the potential for political interference in cultural and knowledge institutions. The Library of Congress, as a vast repository of human knowledge, ideally operates as a non-partisan entity. The concern that its leadership could be subject to political motivations raises questions about the autonomy and integrity of such institutions in an increasingly polarized political climate. This can be linked to discussions about the role of cultural institutions in preserving collective memory and promoting intellectual freedom, themes explored by historians and cultural critics alike.

Christopher Cermak’s piece on the abrupt firing of Library of Congress chief Carla Hayden foregrounds tensions between partisan power and non-partisan civic institutions (Cermak, 2025) . Hannah Arendt’s reflections on ‘banality of authority’ in Eichmann in Jerusalem (1963) caution that administrative fiat, when unstopped, corrodes democratic culture. Hayden’s digital modernization agenda—“opening our digital front door to everyone”—recalls Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970), which frames libraries as sites of emancipatory literacy and participatory democracy (Freire, 1970, p. 50).

The architectural exhibitions discussed in the newsletter offer profound insights into how societies grapple with history, identity, and the future through built space. The Saudi Pavilion’s focus on the transformation of the Al Ahsa oasis, examining the interplay of inherited practices and modernization, reflects a global tension between tradition and progress in the face of environmental and social change. This dialogue is central to architectural theory and urban studies, where the impact of development on cultural landscapes and local communities is a critical area of study.

Similarly, the Korean Pavilion’s introspective examination of its own history and sustainability at the Venice Architecture Biennale, using the metaphor of an “unbuilding pavilion”, speaks to a critical self-assessment within the architectural world. The reference to the folk song “Little Toad, Little Toad”, with its themes of construction and transformation, provides a cultural lens through which to view architectural evolution and the challenges it faces, including climate change.

The exhibition “Phantasma: Remembering Through Spatial Storytelling” and its engagement with Saidiya Hartman’s (2007) concept of “scraps of official ‘stable’ archives” and Sónia Vaz Borges’s (2017) “errant archives” offer a powerful commentary on memory, history, and the built environment. The focus on the erased architectural traces of the “Treffpunkt Schwarzer Frauen” in Zurich underscores how physical spaces can hold the forgotten histories and experiences of marginalized communities. This aligns with critical spatial theory, which examines how power relations are embedded in and perpetuated through the organization and control of space.

“The Other Side of the Hill” exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale, confronting the unsustainable rise and imminent collapse of the human population through the lens of microbiology, presents a stark theoretic and social commentary. By using bacteria as a model for collaborative living with limited resources, the exhibition challenges anthropocentric views and suggests a need for a fundamental paradigm shift in how we conceive of cities and shared life. This resonates with ecological philosophy and theories of post-humanism, which call for a rethinking of humanity’s relationship with the non-human world and the urgent need for sustainable and collaborative existence.

The newsletter touches upon significant economic and technological trends. The resurgence of the electric vehicle market in Europe, despite uncertainties, reflects the ongoing global transition towards sustainable transportation, a trend driven by both environmental concerns and technological innovation. The challenges mentioned, such as potential changes in tariffs and emissions regulations, highlight the complex interplay between political policy, economic incentives, and technological adoption in shaping the future of industries.

The development of high-speed rail in the US, though facing political and cultural hurdles in a “car-addicted nation”, points to a potential shift in infrastructure investment and its potential to stimulate economic growth, as suggested by the Chinese experience. This brings to mind discussions about the role of infrastructure in economic development and the challenges of implementing large-scale public projects in democratic societies.

Inzamam Rashid’s piece on the Etihad Rail passenger service (Rashid, 2025) points to transport as both material network and cultural symbol. John Urry (2007) identifies the “mobility turn,” whereby transport infrastructures shape social relations and imaginaries. The UAE’s under-hour link between Abu Dhabi and Dubai not only redefines geography but exemplifies what Marshall McLuhan (1964) called the “global village,” yet underwritten by techno-utopianism rather than communal ethos.

The rise of the subscription economy and the threats it faces from consumer fatigue and regulatory scrutiny reflect evolving consumer behavior and the potential for market saturation in digital and service-based economies. This trend can be analyzed through economic theories of consumer behavior and market dynamics, as well as discussions about regulatory frameworks in the digital age.

The increasing reliance on Silicon Valley for funding scientific research in the face of potential government cuts points to a changing landscape for scientific innovation. The collaboration between Meta and the scientific community in releasing chemistry data and Lux Capital’s investment in commercializing scientific discoveries highlight the growing role of private capital and technological platforms in driving research and development. This raises questions about the implications of privatizing scientific inquiry and the potential impact on the direction and accessibility of research.

The move towards using AI in healthcare for diagnosis and prescription in Saudi Arabia signifies a significant technological advancement with profound social and ethical implications. While potentially increasing efficiency and access to healthcare, it also raises concerns about the role of human doctors, the potential for errors, data privacy, and the equitable distribution of such technology. This development is at the forefront of discussions in medical ethics, technology studies, and the sociology of health.

Throughout these snippets, several associative threads emerge. The theme of transformation is pervasive, from the changing political landscape in Turkey and Portugal to the evolving urban environments in Bratislava and Al Ahsa, and the shifts in the art market and scientific research funding. This constant state of flux echoes the philosophical concept of Heraclitus’s “panta rhei” (everything flows), highlighting the transient nature of reality.

The interplay between globalization and local identity is another recurring theme. Turkey’s role as an international mediator is shaped by its unique regional position; Portugal’s economic success is tied to its cultural cachet and livability; Melbourne’s design scene emphasizes local talent and manufacturing; and the architectural exhibitions explore national identity within international forums. This dynamic tension between global forces and local specificities is a central concern in contemporary sociology, cultural studies, and political science.

Melbourne Design Week’s turn towards local fabrication (Betigeri, 2025) is emblematic of what sociologist Ulrich Beck (1992) terms the “risk society”: supply-chain fragility has prompted designers to reinscribe locality into production. This mirrors Walter Benjamin’s Arcades Project (1999), where the flâneur rediscovers city textures; today’s designer-maker rediscovers the immediacy of materials and place-based craft, forging a “material turn” in cultural economy.

Finally, the newsletters implicitly raise questions about power and its manifestations, whether in political leadership, economic influence, or the control of information and cultural narratives. The actions of political leaders, the dynamics of the art market, the influence of technology giants, and the challenges to institutional integrity all underscore the pervasive nature of power in shaping our world. Literary works like George Orwell’s (1949) Nineteen Eighty-Four or critical theories from thinkers like Michel Foucault (1991), who examined the relationship between power, knowledge, and discourse, provide frameworks for understanding these dynamics.

News Audio Review

In conclusion, these newsletter snippets, while seemingly disparate, offer a compelling snapshot of the complex and interconnected forces shaping the contemporary world. Across these briefings, one can discern recurring motifs: the contestation of space (urban, political, digital), the revaluation of symbolic capital (in art and diplomacy), and the ambivalent promise of technology. Echoing Foucault’s (1975) insight that “where there is power, there is resistance,” each development simultaneously generates new openings for civic agency—be it through child-focused plazas, feminist art markets, or digital library frontiers. Through associative reflection grounded in social theory and world literature, we see that today’s “news” is inseparable from enduring questions of justice, community, and meaning.

Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Harvard University Press.

Butler, J. (1990). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.

Camus, A. (1947). The plague. Gallimard.

Foucault, M. (1975). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Pantheon Books.

Foucault, M. (1991). Discipline and punish: The birth of the prison. Penguin Books.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

Gramsci, A. (1971). Selections from the prison notebooks. International Publishers.

Habermas, J. (1984). The theory of communicative action, Volume 1: Reason and the rationalization of society. Beacon Press.

Hartman, S. (2007). Lose your mother: A journey along the Atlantic slave route. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Hayek, F. A. (1944). The road to serfdom. University of Chicago Press.

Jacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. Random House.

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Blackwell.

Machiavelli, N. (2007). The prince. Penguin Classics. (Original work published 1532)

Morgenthau, H. J. (2014). Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace. McGraw-Hill Education.

Nochlin, L. (1971). Why have there been no great women artists? ARTnews, 70(9), 22-39, 67-71.

Orwell, G. (1949). Nineteen eighty-four. Secker & Warburg.

Rashid, I. (2025). Incoming train will get you from Abu Dhabi to Dubai in under an hour. Monocle, May 18.

Rebelo, C. (2025). Despite Portugal’s political instability, the country is flourishing. Monocle, May 18.

Said, E. W. (2000). Reflections on exile and other essays. Harvard University Press.

Sheller, M., & Urry, J. (2000). The city and the car. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 24(4), 737–757.

Smith, Lucinda H. (2025). Erdoğan bolsters Turkey’s position as an indispensable international mediator. Monocle, May 18.

Urry, J. (2007). Mobilities. Polity Press.

Vaz Borges, S. (2017). Management of freedom: The legacy of the struggle for Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau. Common Notions.

[Written, Researched, and Edited by Pablo Markin. Some parts of the text have been produced with the aid of ChatGPT, OpenAI, and Gemini, Google, Alphabet, tools (May 18, 2025). The featured image has been generated in Canva (May 18, 2025).]

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OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Pablo Markin (May 18, 2025). Regional Transformations, Local Identities and Power Manifestations. Open Culture. Retrieved May 18, 2025 from https://oc.hypotheses.org/2848.

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