There are some words that, like a virile invasive plant, spring up in the most annoying of places. Often, just as you are busy removing an outbreak from one sentence, it will appear in another paragraph, out of place, an irksome addition to an otherwise fine clause. One of these words is “curate”. For me, the nadir came when someone sent us an email about a shop that offered a “curated collection of socks”. I recently read in another magazine about a cake shop where the buns and fondants had been “carefully curated” (these two words rarely make an appearance in text unless they can arrive arm-in-arm). In this issue of the magazine, however, which includes our annual art special, they are allowed free rein. This is its natural and proper home.

How you collect and show works of art in a new and meaningful manner, or offer fresh ways to respond to cultural artefacts, is always fascinating. But in this issue we have access to a remarkable project where the curation is next level, even if this is not the sole reason for the endeavour. 

Monocle’s Sophie Monaghan-Coombs recently spent several days with the team at the V&A East Storehouse as they readied this epic project for launch. In what was the press centre for the 2012 Olympics in east London, the esteemed institution has created a vast new storage facility for tens of thousands of pieces held in its collections, from tiles and paintings to sculptures and an entire ceiling of a Spanish church. The building is open to the public and objects long hidden from view are now proudly on display. There is a also a system where anyone, not just academics, can become curators, choosing pieces that they’d like to see from the collections. Head over to our Expo to see the scale of the ambition.

The V&A project is also part of a bigger story: an attempt to shift some of the city’s – the nation’s – most important cultural institutions into places where they can connect with people who might think such spaces were too aloof or precious for them. Sadler’s Wells Theatre has also opened an outpost here as part of the East Bank scheme. Together they’re responding to some big questions. How can culture, for example, reshape our cities as better places to live in? And how can you revive neighbourhoods and create hope?

This theme of remaking cities is picked up in our business pages, where our executive editor, Christopher Lord, reports on what Jony Ive is up to in San Francisco. The UK-born industrial designer created many of Apple’s most important products, including the iPhone, before leaving the company in 2019. He is now an advocate for the remaking of the town from where he runs his new business, LoveFrom, with Marc Newson. Ive has been buying up property around Jackson Square, an area badly hit by post-pandemic office vacancies, to the tune of an estimated $100m (€88m). He aims to bring jobs and vitality back to the streets. It’s a great interview that reminds you how just one or two people can ignite the fuse of change.

This issue also includes an interview with New Zealand’s prime minister, a tour of a remarkable house in the mountains outside Palma de Mallorca by Ohlab and a report on Indonesian beauty player Paragon. It’s what some would call “nicely curated”.

On a different note, we now have a new website that looks handsome on laptop and mobile, where we offer a full digital version of our magazine stories, plus access to unique content, including a series of insider city guides written by our correspondents. Please, take a tour of this new world. As always, please send me any ideas, reflections or suggestions – you can write to me at at@monocle.com. Have a good month.