ARTMargins Online Seeks Papers on Art Criticism's Future in Global Peripheries

ARTMargins Online has issued a call for papers for a special issue examining the future of art criticism in Eastern Europe and other global margins. The publication, building on its 2022 roundtable 'Art Publishing in Eastern Europe in Times of Crisis,' invites contributions that explore how art criticism can evolve amid contemporary challenges. The call notes that traditional art criticism has become less relevant in recent decades, often replaced by terms like 'art writing' or 'art journalism.' It references historical perspectives, including James Elkins's lament about the loss of authoritative judgment and Boris Groys and Terry Smith's attribution of criticism's decline to the rise of curatorial discourse. Irit Rogoff's distinction between criticism, critique, and criticality is also mentioned. The post-socialist era of the 1990s and early 2000s saw experimental, non-monetized art criticism models flourish, with publications like ARTMargins Online serving as public forums for debates on cultural transformation. However, independent art publishing in the region has faced significant instability over the past twenty years, struggling without state funding or becoming politically vulnerable with it. The call poses questions about whether art can still be critiqued rather than merely mediated during perpetual crisis, the function of criticism on the margins, and how 'art writing' can avoid merging into marketing or activism. Contributors are encouraged to address topics such as renewed potential for art criticism, theoretical models from peripheral art scenes, new publication formats, and historical case studies. Interviews with critics, editors, and publishers are also welcome. Abstracts of up to 250 words are due by April 26, 2026, with final submissions ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 words and including up to eight images or videos.