About The Art Trace
The Art Trace is an independent journal of contemporary art and visual culture, written and edited by Antonino La Vela.
It publishes criticism, interviews, essays and long-form research on contemporary art, with particular attention to the relationships between art, power, identity, feminism, ecology, politics and technology.
The journal is interested not only in what becomes visible, but in what visibility produces. Its central question is increasingly simple: once an artwork, an image or a political gesture has been seen, what happens next?
Independent art criticism
The Art Trace approaches contemporary art as part of a wider cultural and political landscape. Exhibitions, artists and institutions are considered alongside the systems that shape visibility, legitimacy, representation and responsibility.
The aim is not to reproduce press releases or provide neutral summaries. The journal privileges critical interpretation, direct research, interviews and arguments that can remain open to disagreement.
Interviews and direct conversations
Interviews are a central part of The Art Trace. They are conceived as conversations rather than promotional formats, creating space for artists and cultural figures to discuss the ideas, conflicts and consequences behind their work.
Explore interviews and art writing.
What The Art Trace covers
The journal follows contemporary art internationally, with recurring attention to political art, feminism, gender and identity, ecology, activist practices, artificial intelligence, institutional power and the changing conditions under which art is produced and circulated.
It also publishes reports and critical writing connected to major exhibitions, biennials, fairs and cultural events.
Antonino La Vela
The Art Trace is written and edited by Antonino La Vela, an Italian artist and art writer based near Turin. His artistic and critical research focuses on visibility, power, responsibility and what he describes as the passage from visibility to consequence.
His independent artistic practice can be found at antoninolavela.com.
From Antonino La Vela Art Journal to The Art Trace
The journal was previously published as Antonino La Vela Art Journal. As the publication expanded beyond a personal writing platform, the name The Art Trace was adopted to give the editorial project a clearer and more independent identity.
The archive, editorial continuity and authorship remain the same.
Contact
For interviews, editorial information, press material and other enquiries, visit the contact page.