Afterall

Afterall is a Research Centre of University of the Arts London, located at Central Saint Martins. Founded in 1998 by Charles Esche and Mark Lewis, Afterall focuses on contemporary art and its relation to a wider artistic, theoretical and social context.

Afterall, a journal of art, context and enquiry, was launched in 1999. Afterall offers in-depth analysis of artists’ work, along with essays that broaden the context in which to understand it. The journal is published by Central Saint Martins in research and publishing partnership with M HKA, Antwerp; the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto; NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore; and in association with The University of Chicago Press. It was co-published with California Institute of the Arts from 2002 to 2009 and subsequently published in association with Universidad Internacional de Andalucía (UNIA) arteypensamiento, Seville until 2014; and the Smart Museum of Art and the Department of Visual Arts–Open Practice Committee, University of Chicago, until 2015.

In April 2006 Afterall Books was launched with two new strands of publications to complement the journal: One Work and Critical Readers. The One Work series is a library of small books, each title focusing on one important work of contemporary art through a single text. The Critical Readers look at significant areas of modern and contemporary art practice through the commissioning and reprinting of a collection of key texts, artists’ statements and manifestos. In 2010, Exhibition Histories, a new series offering critical analysis of exhibitions of contemporary art, was launched in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven and with support from Mudam, Luxembourg. Exhibition Histories is currently published in association with Asia Art Archive and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College.

Afterall Online continues the lines of enquiry explored through the journal and the books. It features specially commissioned and regularly updated material including interviews with artists about their art practice, photo-essays and texts on artist’s projects, books and events.

Afterall also organises events including screenings, workshops, seminars and conferences in relation to its different research and publication projects, in London and elsewhere.

Afterall is a member of Common Practice, an advocacy group working for the recognition and fostering of the small-scale contemporary arts sector in London.

Afterall encourages proposals for all its projects. For essay pitches for Afterall Online or Afterall journal, or proposals for Afterall Books, please email contact[at]afterall[dot]org with a short description of your proposal and your CV. We regret to say that due to the number of pitches we receive, we cannot guarantee a personal response to each one.

Afterall welcomes funded placements for internships. Please sign up to our mailing list for news about employment opportunities. Afterall is an AWP Internship partner organisation. Internships are supported by Artquest and the Widening Participation programme at University of the Arts London.