Arts & Culture

Aesthetica engages with contemporary art, contextualising it within the larger cultural framework. Founded in 2002, Aesthetica Magazine is one of Britain's leading art publications.

Exploring the varied nature of the arts and recognising the dynamics of contemporary culture, Aesthetica pushes the boundaries and evokes debate around today's most important topics. Bringing a fresh perspective to the national forum, Aesthetica is at the forefront of contemporary arts by critically engaging with visual arts, music, film, literature and theatre.

Aesthetica is widely distributed throughout the UK and Ireland in WH Smith, Borders, galleries, and independent newsagents. Click here to find a store near you.

Aesthetica is published six times per year with issues being released 1 February, 1 April, 1 June, 1 August, 1 October and 1 December.

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Inside

Aesthetica's editorial blurs the boundaries between the disciplines in which artists operate today. Each issue informs you of the most significant exhibitions, new releases and productions pitting leading industry figures such as Nicolas Bourriaud and Boo Ritson alongside newcomers like Adam Neate and Andrew McAtee.

Aesthetica acknowledges the amalgamation of different art forms into one cultural whole. Inside the current issue: An exploration of both free enterprise in art and the influence of political contexts on the artist. Chen Ke represents the soaring popularity of Chinese art, while 'Take a Look at Me Now' addresses individualism after the collapse of the Eastern bloc. Peter Saville engages in an eye-opening discussion on the increasing awareness of the aesthetic environment and the Venice Biennale integrates today's global talents. Theatre and film sections highlight the contradictions between right and wrong in both burgeoning democracies and in a chance everyday encounter with The National Theatre's 'The Observer' and Fred Cavaye's 'Anything for Her'.

Inside Aesthetica you will find:

Art
Practicing artists, designers, photographers, curators and critics engage with contemporary trends and movements both in the UK and internationally. Tate Triennial, Magnum Photographers and a retrospective on Angus Fairhurst were all recently featured.

Literature
New and established authors, such as Irvine Welsh, Sadie Jones and Peter Ackroyd, discuss the ideas behind their latest books. Also sneak a peek at upcoming novels with extracts and an author Q&A in each issue.

Music
Bands and solo artists discuss their inspirations, song writing process, and the fluctuations of the music industry in the digital age. Lambchop, Brakes, First Aid Kit and Official Secrets Act are just some of the artists who have caught up with Aesthetica of late.

Film
Supporting independent film and innovative narrative, discussions with directors on the wider concepts cinematography. Films featured include Little Ashes, My Winnipeg and Moscow Belgium. Working with leading film festivals: Sundance, LSFF and many more events from the UK and abroad.

Theatre
Seeking out pioneering new works, refreshed adaptations and performance art features, discuss both the traditional and the avant-garde. Playwrights, directors and festival programmers, such as Mark Ravenhill, Robert Pacitti and Tim Etchells delve into their concepts and the theatrical landscape.

Reviews
Catch up on the latest novels, short stories and art books, as well as releases from new bands and solo artists. For frequently updated reviews visit the blog to see what the Aesthetica team have been up to.

You can see the current issue by visiting our Shop.

Podcasts

Gain an insight into the thoughts of the industry's movers and shakers with Aesthetica's podcasts. Interviews from each issue are readily available on issues as diverse as the social integration of design, the Pop Art legacy and the underrepresented in culture. Listen to more interviews by visiting our podcasts page.

Wayne Hemingway
How will the recession affect our approach to design
and everyday surroundings?
2 mins 49 secs

Irvine Welsh
On the personal experience of the artist and assumptions
made about his work.
6 mins 34 secs

Stuart Semple
Offers an insight into a generation making sense of the complexities
of mass produced culture.
3 mins 33 secs

Short Films

In collaboration with Shooting People, experience new short films every month with Aesthetica. The multimedia age is generating an abundance of style and content that represents the diversity of experiences today.

Currently showing:
There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting me on the Head with an Umbrella
by Christopher Hood
Short Drama
Running Time: 7 mins 30 secs
Year: 2005
Courtesy of Film of the Month on www.shootingpeople.org

Shooting People's new initiative Film of the Month recognises the very best independent films made and uploaded to shootingpeople.org by its 36,000 Members. March's winner was Richard Smith with his short 'Mono'- a film which exemplifies great story telling in a beautifully understated way.

Shooting People patron, and April's judge, Martha Fiennes said, "A big congratulations on this short. Well Done - in fact, "thank you" for distinct originality and for making it work. Disappearing down this rabbit hole was an absolute pleasure especially when so many films are derivative and predictable. I loved the absurdity of the meta-reality-thing going on. Kafka-esque, kooky and nicely unsettling... Overall, I highly commend this."

May's judge is innovative Parisian Director and Cinematographer, Vincent Moon.

Blog

This is the best place to keep bang up to date with what's going on at Aesthetica, our thoughts and preoccupations on the wider arts and culture industry.

To visit the Aesthetica Blog click here: http://aestheticamagazine.blogspot.com.

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