Revista ARTA, launched in 1954, is the longest-running art publication in Romania. Since 2010 it is edited by Petru Lucaci, with Magda Cârneci as editor-in-chief. The aim of the magazine is to map the Romanian art scene, document it and offer a critical evaluation of its manifestations.

In 2014, at Cristina Bogdan’s initiative, the team launched the online edition of the magazine dedicated to the Romanian contemporary art scene. Entirely bilingual, the platform showcases texts about exhibitions, events and projects by Romanian artists and curators in the country and abroad. Over the years, the site has become an important place for critical discourse in contemporary art, making room for courageous and innovative essays and opinion pieces.

In the absence of a school of critical writing in the local context, Revista ARTA online also functioned as a laboratory for young critics. In 2016, Cristina organized the Critical Nature workshop, where several young contributors were discovered and mentored: Georgiana Cojocaru, Rareș Grozea, Carmen Casiuc, Bogdan Bălan.

Driven by the continuous ideal of supporting the young scene, the magazine became a founding member of the East Art Mags network, which brings together contemporary art publications from Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. Between 2017-2019, the project generated numerous residencies for young critics from the five countries, encouraging them to travel to both capital cities and countryside areas to discover lesser-known art scenes. All participants submitted reviews, essays or interviews which were translated into several of the five languages as well as into English. These encounters generated some interesting collaborations. The project as a whole has been an important opportunity for intercultural collaboration, which has aroused the curiosity of participants and readers.

Over the years, many critics, as well as artists and curators, historians and film critics, have joined the online magazine to share their ideas about the artistic process, the logic of contemporary art, the context in which it is created in Romania and Eastern Europe. We are proud to have regularly published texts by Valentina Iancu, Raluca Oancea, Ionuț Cioană, Ada Muntean, Igor Mocanu, Marina Albu, Andra Chițimuș, Ion Dumitrescu, Diana Marincu, Horațiu Lipot, Călin Boto, Gabriela Mateescu, Raluca Paraschiv, Miron Ghiu, Marina Paladi, Andrei Mateescu. A heartfelt appreciation to our contributors from the East Art Mags network: Anna Remešová, Flóra Gadó, Gergely Nagy, Gyula Muskovics, Júliusz Huth, Karolina Plinta, Katarzyna Pabijanek, Ladislav Zikmund-Lender, Piotr Policht.

In 2019, Cristina Bogdan stepped down as online editor, and Marina Oprea, a long-time contributor to the magazine, became the current editor. Revista ARTA online continues to explore and document the Romanian contemporary art scene, both locally and internationally, providing a platform and editorial support for young authors and art critics. Revsita ARTA is currently the only fully bilingual art publication in Eastern and Central Europe.

Please join us in celebrating our first decade of publishing, as we share some of our highlights over the next few weeks across social media. We are grateful to everyone who has been reading and supporting us, and we look forward to many more years of writing, thinking, and publishing together.