Overview
This format is for artists, exhibitions, and projects that need writing from outside the work rather than writing produced by the artist alone.
ELSEHERE will write a critical or contextual text around the work based on the materials submitted, our close reading of the practice, and the scope of the selected option. The result can become a meaningful document within a professional portfolio. It may support gallery submissions, grant applications, residency proposals, curatorial communication, academic contexts, and visa documentation.
This matters because external writing often changes how a practice is received. It gives the work another layer of legibility. It creates language that can circulate where self-description sometimes cannot.
Best for
artists seeking a critical or contextual text written from outside the practice
exhibitions and projects that need a short review or stronger interpretive framing
artists building professional portfolios for galleries, grants, residencies, and curatorial submissions
artists preparing supporting documentation for O-1, EB-1A, global talent visa, and longer international career pathways
artists who want more than description and need a more serious external text around the work
Why?
A well-written critical text can become one of the most useful documents in an artist’s record.
It can help curators understand the work more quickly. It can support grant or residency applications. It can sit inside a professional portfolio. It can strengthen the written architecture around the practice in ways that self-authored language often cannot.
The lighter options make critical writing more accessible. The extended option is for artists who want a more substantial and more professionally useful text package.
What's Included
Option 1 — Short Review / Light Contextual Text
short commissioned review or contextual text
publication in STRATUM
up to 800 words
Option 2 — Mid-Length Critical Essay
commissioned mid-length critical essay
stronger contextual framing
publication in STRATUM
between 800 and 1,500 words
Option 3 — Extended Commissioned Critical Writing
longer commissioned critical writing
more substantial editorial scope
publication in STRATUM
linked artist presentation entry
social media promotion and circulation support where relevant
Circulation support may include, where relevant:
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Rednote / Xiaohongshu, WeChat Official Account, Douyin, and Bilibili.
Bilingual publication is not included in Options 1 and 2.
Bilingual publication is included in Option 3, in English and Chinese.
ABOUT STRATUM
ELSEHERE's official journal
All selected features are published in STRATUM, a bilingual journal registered with a U.S. ISSN and held in the Library of Congress. Publication here carries weight beyond visibility — it creates a durable, citable record.
Selection & Fee
A PUBLICATION FEE APPLIES ONLY TO SELECTED ARTISTS.
If cost would otherwise make participation difficult, you are welcome to note this in your submission. ELSEHERE offers a limited support option for artists who are unable to cover the full publication fee. Depending on individual circumstances, support may be offered at 50% of the fee or, in select cases, at full support. At this time, this option is available for the Written Interview Feature and the Author-Prepared Essay Publication in the journal.
This format is offered on a selected basis.
There is no fee to submit for review.
If confirmed, the current publication fee (selected artists only) is:
Option 1 — Short Review / Light Contextual Text $80
Option 2 — Mid-Length Critical Essay $120
Option 3 — Extended Commissioned Critical Writing $180–$300
