The idea that our time is obsessed with the modes and methods of
security is by now a commonplace, yet behind this familiar syndrome lies
a less-examined array of social and psychological phenomena--not just
related to the nature of the threat faced (whether real or simply
perceived) but also to the fundamental notions of stability and
integrity these perils are understood to jeopardize. The Insecurity
issue of Cabinet features Brian Dillon on hypochondria; Gaby Wood on
phantom limbs; Eyal Weizman on the relationship between postmodern
architectural theory and contemporary strategies of urban warfare; and
Jeffrey Kastner on eighteenth-century master locksmith Joseph Bramah. It
includes a conversation with Olivier Razac (on the history of barbed
wire) as well as an artists' portfolio of real and imaginary "security
blankets," Celeste Olalquiaga's examination of the sewers of Paris,
Jenny Tobias's take on stock photography and an interview with accent
coach Sam Schwa.
