Ten Years

In December of this year, A Prior Magazine will be ten years old. With a party held at the Brussels Beursschouwburg and a stunning cover from the hand of artist Dora Garcia, the launch took place in December, 1999. At the time, those attending – very student-like – paid a small admission fee and received a year’s free subscription to the magazine. As the party was a success, A Prior began with an attractive list of subscribers.

A Prior evolved out of Etablissement d’en Face, then still located on the Rue d’Arlon in Brussels, a so-called ‘Quartier Chaud’ near Anneessens Square. In those days, the operation of the magazine was more amateurish. Led by Tim Vermeulen and Kurt Vanbelleghem, the work was done by a ten-member editorial team, which also included architect Christiaan Kieckens, artist David Claerbout and curator Pierre Olivier Rollin. Andrea Wiarda (permanent editor in the current team) and I were also on the original the editorial staff.

Cover A-Prior #1: Dora Garcia, Heartbeat, 1999

A Prior’s early issues focused primarily on artists from the Low Countries, with short texts published in their original languages (French, Dutch or English). Even then, the accent was on artistic projects developed especially for the magazine. After only a few issues, the decision was made to focus on the monograph format and on English as the principal language. Back in 1999, it was still extremely difficult (and expensive) for young or less well-known artists to cover the investment involved in publishing and distributing a monograph. Now, in 2009, commercial publishing – at least where art books are concerned – has changed. To accompany their exhibitions, many commercial galleries publish attractive catalogues with professional analyses of the artists’ work, and artists not represented by galleries are regularly offered good texts in catalogues for biennial exhibitions or other group shows.

Indeed, more is being written, analyzed and published about contemporary art than ever before. These days, there is no longer such a pressing need to focus on the monograph approach. As a result, the A Prior editors have decided that from 2010, we will be adopting a new editorial policy. You will be able to become acquainted with the new approach with the next issue, number 20, to be published in the spring.

All this will not pass by without a new celebration! A party once every decade hardly seems to be overdoing it. A Prior will moreover celebrate its tenth anniversary not with an exceptional publication, but with a retrospective exhibition that will present much of the work that has so far been specially created for A Prior.

The issue that you now hold in your hands is the last in our decade of magazines following the monograph format. Yet even here, we already feel a change. For this issue, together with other artists and writers, Olivia Plender developed a project based on Flaubert’s novel, Bouvard et Pécuchet. A Prior also accompanied Kara Walker to the former slave island of Curacao, where in collaboration with David Bade and Instituto Buena Bista, she led a workshop with local students. Finally, Stefaan Dheedene’s project has ultimately become the last monographic work to be published by A Prior.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 10th anniversary celebration, to the exhibition or, as a continuing or new subscriber, to a thoroughly updated A Prior Magazine.