About

Contemporary Arts and Cultures

A publication for undisciplined artists, scholars, theoreticians, and critics with no boundaries

Contemporary Arts and Cultures is an academic editorial project realized by OCR in collaboration with LEA, MIT Press, and the Museum of Contemporary Cuts. It develops publication projects internationally in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders to provide a critical and seminal voice within the increasingly homogeneous landscape of contemporary corporatized​ art.

"We explore innovative ways of thinking and working on contemporary issues which are reflected in the contemporary arts' aesthetic approaches and contextual cultural underpinnings."–Lanfranco Aceti, Editor in Chief

LEA

The new Leonardo Electronic Almanac (LEA), with Editor in Chief Lanfranco Aceti, is a collaborative effort between The MIT Press; Leonardo/ISAST; Goldsmiths, University of London; and New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Established in 1993, LEA (ISSN No: 1071-4391) is the electronic arm of the pioneer art journal, Leonardo—Journal of Art, Science & Technology. The LEA Editorial Board is composed of internationally recognized academics who are experts in their respective fields. Aceti and another editor, Özden Şahin, envisage the Leonardo Electronic Almanac as an incubator that develops research projects, conferences, and exhibitions that are later on published in a variety of formats (e.g., catalogs, books, and magazine issues) in collaboration with OCR.

Published by MIT Press, LEA—jointly produced by Leonardo and the International Society for the Arts, Sciences & Technology—is a peer reviewed electronic journal dedicated to providing a forum for those who are interested in the realm where art, science, and technology converge. In 2010 the journal was relaunched by Lanfranco Aceti in order to face up to the challenges of the publishing industry in the twenty-first century. "Leonardo Electronic Almanac will focus on publishing rigorously peer reviewed articles," said Lanfranco Aceti, "that reflect contemporary fine art engagements that reflect the complex social, technological, and cultural shifts in contemporary globalized societies."

For over a decade, LEA thrived as an international peer reviewed electronic journal and web archive, covering the interaction of the arts, sciences, and technology. The new LEA will emphasize publication of recent work and critical discussion on topics of current relevance. LEA encourages contributions from scholars, artists, scientists, educators, and developers of new technological resources in the fine arts and media arts.

Content will include profiles of media arts facilities and projects, insights of artists using new media, and featured articles comprising theoretical and technical perspectives. A curated gallery of contemporary fine art practice in collaboration with OCR will also feature selected exhibitions, and LEA will publish special issues on a variety of topics related to contemporary art and its intricate entanglements with the complexity of social, technological, and scientific thought.

Leonardo is a registered trademark of the ISAST.