Afterlives: On the Art Periodical’s Return through Anthologies and Special Issues

Abstract

It is common practice in art periodical publishing to retrace one’s steps, to rethink trajectories, to revise the impact the periodical has had on art, art history, and criticism. Occasionally, going back relates to a mere sense of accomplishment: a celebration offered against the ephemeral and precarious nature of the art periodical. At other times, it has to do with memory, with the untangling of topical stories and a reminder of their influence on the contemporary art field. Ultimately, reflecting on the past is often intertwined with considerations of the future, legacy, immortality, and the enduring impact one leaves behind.
Reading the anthologies and anniversary issues published by two contemporary art periodicals –October, Afterall – alongside those of Artforum, e-flux and The Exhibitionist, the article aims to understand the ways through which periodicals develop their own legacy and review their hegemonic position in Western art histories to produce more inclusive narrations