The issue’s most provocative section is “Trespassers Welcome,” a symposium on squatter’s rights and psychogeography. Legal scholar Dr. Henri Voss contributes “The Line of Scrub,” a dense but rewarding analysis of how invasive plant species (kudzu, Japanese knotweed) effectively redraw property boundaries faster than any court ruling. Voss’s argument—that ecological succession is a form of adverse possession—is the kind of lateral thinking that Ls Land pioneered. However, the symposium’s centerpiece is an anonymous diary from a “professional squatter” in Berlin, detailing the emotional toll of living in legal limbo. It is raw, uncomfortable, and essential.
The only production quibble is the typeface used for the photo captions: a near-illegible 6-point sans-serif that requires a magnifying glass. Whether this is an artistic choice (“the difficulty of seeing boundaries”) or a cost-cutting measure is unclear. Longtime readers will note a shift. Ls Land Issue 24 (the “Infrastructure” issue) was criticized for being too abstract, with essays that felt like they were written by algorithm. Issue 25 reverses course. There is a raw, diaristic quality to many submissions. The anonymous squatter’s diary, in particular, feels like a direct rebuke to the bloodless theory of previous years. Ls Land Issue 25
In the ever-evolving landscape of independent publishing, thematic collections often serve as cultural bellwethers, capturing the anxieties, aesthetics, and arguments of a specific moment. Few serials have managed to maintain the critical rigor and cult following of Ls Land . With the release of Ls Land Issue 25 , the publication reaches a significant milestone—a quarter-century of pushing boundaries. But does this anniversary issue deliver on its promise of a “radical reorientation,” or does it rest on its laurels? This article unpacks the core themes, notable contributors, and long-term implications of Issue 25. The Genesis of a Landmark Edition For those unfamiliar, Ls Land began as a mimeographed pamphlet in the early 2000s, focusing on landscape architecture and semiotics. Over twenty-four issues, it morphed into a sprawling interdisciplinary journal covering urban decay, digital cartography, critical geography, and experimental prose. Ls Land Issue 25 arrives at a moment of existential crisis for print media. Yet, the editors have doubled down on the physical object: a 320-page perfect-bound volume with a foil-stamped cover depicting a flooded map of an unrecognizable delta. Voss’s argument—that ecological succession is a form of
For the uninitiated, start elsewhere (Issue 19’s “Ruins and Remediation” is a better entry point). For the faithful, this is a necessary, if occasionally infuriating, addition to the canon. And for the curious? Find a copy before the 1,500 disappear into private collections and library reserves. The boundary is dissolving, and Issue 25 is the best map we have. If you enjoyed this analysis, explore our breakdown of Ls Land Issue 24 (Infrastructure) and an interview with founding editor Mara K. on the future of land-based publishing. The only production quibble is the typeface used