When discussing magazines that discuss art it is easy to generalize – as in the oft-quoted claim that “a reproduction in a magazine is worth two one-person exhibitions”. But such generalizations are illusory, given the vast differences among the readership, function and production of art magazines.
A great deal of critical research has been directed towards the history of artists’ books (for instance, those by Gwen Allen and Philip E. Aaron & Andrew Roth), but less attention has been paid to the print initiatives of curators. This seems strange, given that in an age when the internet has radically altered our understanding of publics and curating as an act, it is important to consider how art magazines can be used to inform discourse.
Magazine de Arte was a renowned publication within the Spanish artistic world and was founded in 1926. With its careful design and monographs, anthologies and thematic issues it had a strong position in avant-garde debates. Its editorial stated, ‘It aims at stimulating a dialogue from within the visual arts and interpolating artists, critics, philosophers, historians and aestheticians, patrons, collectors and art enthusiasts’.
Unlike many art magazines, which are oriented towards specific arts or eras, this publication sought dialogue between all those interested in art. Its circulation numbered about 2,000. It was published every month and distributed ad hoc, and its contributors included artists, critics, writers, and even anthropologists, sociologists and archeologists.
Its sporadic publication schedule, however, Magazine de Arte contributed to its reputation as an elitist and exclusive publication. This is true even today, when its legacy can still be read in the discussions around the concept of a magazine as a discursive space for artists.
The emergence of the telecommunications channel Arte in 1994 made it possible to reach a large audience, including both French and German readers. Until recently, it was the only free-to-air television channel that provided its programmes in both languages, but it is now shared with the public French channel France 2 and the children’s channel Nickelodeon Germany.
The development of this channel has shown the need for a dedicated art platform that can offer quality programming in both languages and attract an international audience. It can be used as a model for the future, when publishers reassess what they do with publishing online and how to address different audiences. Today, offering content online – whether on identical platforms or through separate mobile apps – seems like the antithesis of what Metronome did, but its particular attitude towards print and distribution could prove a useful model as curators, editors and readers rethink what we do with art magazines.
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