This issue's theme is 'Transformation'. At its essence, we take transformation as the act of moving between states of being. Within the arts, integral notions of adaptation, appropriation, restaging, versioning—and even criticism—involve the transformation of ideas, images, objects and performance.

More generally, transformation can be framed as a process of gain, loss, or exchange. It can be found at the roots of idealism and activism, in the desire to make things better. Engaging with an artwork can be a transformative experience; art production has often been driven by the hope that such moments of personal transformation will have long-term, positive social implications. Equally, transformation can be troubling, or even devastating. The environment is undergoing a process of transformation that has dire consequences, as are many economies worldwide.