Broadly used as a means of correcting vision, a bifocal lens converges and diverges light. Essentially, creativity and critique mean staying at odds with linearity, rejecting a singular idea of correctness in favour of more than one way of seeing, in pursuit of new perspectives. It is no wonder that something called a 'bifocal stance' is established as a theoretical method to study the evolution of culture.

A universal phenomenon, akin to the two sides of a coin, having two focal lengths could span an entire realm of shifting positionalities, such as Micro/ Macro, Before/ After, Future/ Present and Beyond/ Within, that facilitate a pluralistic understanding of our world.

This issue brings into focus various bifocal endeavours. The Portugal Pavilion at the ongoing Venice Biennale presents a macrocosmic garden, emerging as a catalyst for collective action up-close. Redevelopment plans for the earthquake-stricken province of Hatay by Foster + Partners are studied using Forensic Architecture's essay 'Before and After'. In 'Shapes of Data', the designers escape reductivity yet simplify and humanise data.

While we strive to perceive our own bifocals, exchanging lenses with each other may provide perspectives on a common ground.