Afterall

Afterall
Title	Afterall
Discipline	Contemporary art, art criticism, art history
Language	English
Publisher	University of Chicago Press for Afterall (originally Central Saint Martins)
Country	United Kingdom
History	1998–present
Frequency	Biannual (print); online projects ongoing
Issn	1464-3550

Afterall is a London-based contemporary art research and publishing organization that produces a journal, books, and digital projects focusing on art practice, curatorial studies, and art history. Founded in the late 1990s, it has become associated with institutions such as Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, University of Chicago Press, and international museums and universities. The project engages artists, curators, and scholars through long-form essays, interviews, and reprints, connecting figures like Marina Abramović, Tino Sehgal, Cildo Meireles, Martha Rosler, and Santiago Sierra to institutions including Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and Documenta.

History

Afterall was established in 1998 by a group of critics and curators linked to Central Saint Martins and University of the Arts London during a period of renewed institutional interest in contemporary practice following exhibitions at Venice Biennale, Whitney Biennial, and Documenta X. Early issues foregrounded artists whose work engaged social and political contexts, foregrounding figures like Ernesto Neto, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Guan Xiao, and Tacita Dean. Throughout the 2000s the organization expanded through collaborations with collections such as National Gallery of Art, Stedelijk Museum, and academic partners including Goldsmiths, University of London and Columbia University. Editorial shifts reflected debates after landmark exhibitions such as Bruce Nauman retrospective, Yayoi Kusama Infinity Rooms, and the curatorial turns led by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Okwui Enwezor.

Publication and Editorial Structure

Afterall publishes a biannual print journal alongside books and web-based platforms. Editorial oversight involves an editorial board connected to Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and external editors who have worked with institutions like Serpentine Galleries, Hayward Gallery, and Royal Academy of Arts. The publishing partnership with University of Chicago Press enabled wider distribution and indexing in academic channels alongside collaborations with independent publishers and galleries such as Whitechapel Gallery and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Each issue typically centers on thematic dossiers and artist pages featuring contributors affiliated with universities and museums like New York University, Courtauld Institute of Art, Princeton University, and Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

Content and Themes

Content spans long-form criticism, artist interviews, reprints of historical texts, and curatorial case studies. Thematic concerns include relational aesthetics exemplified by Rirkrit Tiravanija, institutional critique associated with Hans Haacke, participatory practices linked to Claire Bishop’s debates, and postcolonial perspectives resonant with Homi K. Bhabha and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Issues have examined biennials such as Venice Biennale, São Paulo Art Biennial, and Istanbul Biennial and explored museum practices at institutions like MoMA PS1, Centre Pompidou, and J. Paul Getty Museum. The journal’s mix of contemporary criticism and historical recovery has featured archival projects on artists including Yoko Ono, Miroslav Tichý, Doris Salcedo, and Anselm Kiefer.

Contributors and Notable Issues

Afterall commissions work from a broad network of critics, curators, and artists. Regular contributors have included curators and writers associated with Tate Modern, Guggenheim Museum, Hammer Museum, and academics from University of California, Berkeley and Yale University. Notable issues have focused on subjects such as performance art through the lens of Marina Abramović, film and video practices engaging figures like Isaac Julien and Steve McQueen, and geopolitical readings involving artists such as Ai Weiwei and Walid Raad. Special dossiers have revisited historical movements including Fluxus, Situationist International, and Conceptual Art and have published newly translated essays by thinkers connected to Situationist International and postwar European debates.

Reception and Impact

The journal is cited in scholarship across art history and curatorial studies and has been referenced in exhibition catalogues for institutions like Tate Britain, Neue Nationalgalerie, and Hamburger Bahnhof. Reviews in publications such as Frieze, Artforum, The Burlington Magazine, and The Guardian have discussed its role in shaping debates around participatory practice and institutional critique. Academically, Afterall’s essays are used in curricula at Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, Columbia University, and School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Its impact extends to influencing curatorial projects at Serpentine Galleries and biennials including Venice Biennale and Gwangju Biennale.

Partnerships and Projects

Afterall runs editorial partnerships and public programs with museums, universities, and festivals. Collaborations have included editorial projects with Tate Modern, exhibition co-publications for Hayward Gallery, and book projects tied to retrospectives at Whitechapel Gallery and Kunsthalle Zürich. Digital initiatives have involved archives and platforms produced with partners such as e-flux, Vdrome, and academic repositories at University of Chicago. The organization also participates in research networks and conferences alongside institutions like MAXXI, Fondazione Prada, Institute of Contemporary Arts, and M HKA.

Category:Art magazines Category:Contemporary art