Welcome to one of these sites where you can find out everything about someone… Not really. It’s just my portfolio.
A quick intro is in place here. I’m Maria, I’m an art writer with a ridiculous passion for all things contemporary art. My focus in terms of research is on community-building and art theoretical language. Most of what I write is about queer theory, ecology / environmentalism and decolonial & social justice.
I believe that art can change the world for the better, and that writing about it has that same aim. In order to do that, I think there’s a lot we need to do in the world of art writing – there’s a lot of barriers to break down. That’s why I started culturala in 2021, an art and cultural theory journal + platform aimed at interconnecting the art world through a welcoming, accessible & direct language for contemporary art. Now, culturala is run by a beautiful team of ~5 people as well as a network of ~200 artists and writers.
In my own writing, I might go much more theoretical, so be warned. Here’s a full bio/CV, if that’s what you’re after. You can also subscribe to my (intermittent) newsletter, or come to one of my arts writing workshops in Lisbon – the next one is programmed by me and run by Teresa D. Lenza, Art & Cultural Grants Writing, is for artists looking for funding for their projects and will be hosted by Studio Seco on the 23rd of March. Do come!
You can find a selection of my articles if you scroll down as well as some very selected editorial work.
These days I work almost exclusively with writing, editing and translating, and I tend to be available for projects. You can always get in touch via maria @ culturala.org, even if you just want to have a chat or say hi.
Have a lovely day!
with love,
Maria Kruglyak
[review] Dozie Kanu: Preenchendo Vazios in Contemporânea issue 01-02-03 (2024). PT / EN
[review] Desejos Compulsivos: A Extração do Lítio e as Montanhas Rebeldes in Contemporânea issue 04-05-06 (2023). PT / EN
[interview] Interview with Oscar Murillo in Contemporânea issue 01-02-03 (2024). PT / EN
[essay] I Don’t Need First Sexual Aid: Art Against the Sexual Harassment of Ukrainian Refugees in Polyester Zine (2023). EN
[interview] Interview with Filip Ramos in Contemporânea issue 10-11-12 (2023). PT / EN
[review] Mater & Pela Terra: Love as the Healing Force in Environmental Action in Contemporânea issue 07-08-09 (2023). PT / EN
[review] Ruben Santiago: Um Fogo in Contemporânea issue 10-11-12 (2023). PT / EN
[foreword to artist book] Dandara Hahn, FON (forthcoming 2023).
[review] Emancipação do Vivente in Contemporânea issue 04-05-06 (2023). PT / EN
[review] CAConrad with Alice dos Reis and Isadora Pedro Neves Marques: Hidden in the cave we forge of one another in Contemporânea issue 07-08-09 (2023). PT / EN
[profile] In a way even the rainbow is digital: On Akane Kawahara in culturala #2: digitalisation (2023). digital issue / pdf
[conversation, co-written] The Planet in Digital Time: A Conversation with Dandara Hahn, Daniel Hengst and Maria Kruglyak in culturala #2: digitalisation (2023). digital issue / pdf
[review] The Otolith Group: A Sphere of Water Orbiting a Star in Contemporânea issue 07-08-09 (2023). PT / EN
[profile listicle] 7 Defining Characteristics of Agnes Denes in The Collector (2023). EN
[review] Futuros da Liberdade in Contemporânea issue 04-05-06 (2023). PT / EN
[interview] A Salt Anthology in Contemporânea issue 04-05-06 (2023). PT / EN
[review] Inês Zenha: Ressurreição in Contemporânea issue 01-02-03 (2023). PT / EN
[interview/conversation] Sarah Lou Sasha Maarek between the digital and the analogue in culturala #2: digitalisation (2023). digital issue / pdf
[essay] A Scattered Search for a Utopia in Grrrl in Print #5: Queer Utopias (2023). print issue / pdf [coming soon]
[profile listicle] Yayoi Kusama: 9 Mind-Blowing Works of Art in The Collector (2023). EN
[interview] Rejecting the Nature/Culture Dichotomy: An Interview with Robert Horvitz for maat extended, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022). EN
[interview] Ken Isaacs, the Matrix and the Establishment of the Quintessentially Modern for maat extended, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022). EN
[editorial] The Rule of No Rules: Gene Bernofsky and Richard Kallweit Reflect on Drop Coty for maat extended, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022). EN
[opinion] The War is Inside Us in Futuress (2022). EN
[introduction] Carla Maldonado: Dystopia of a Jungle City, and the Human of Nature for maat extended, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022). EN
[essay] An Expanded Space of Disappearance in culturala #1: disappearance (2022). print issue / pdf
[profile] Lessons from Gaia: the Recognition and Hope of Nature within the Urban Setting for SuperGlue Collective (2021). EN
[essay] Arbetarkvinnorna som inte lät sig kuvas for Historiskan (2020). SWE
[introduction] Anna Cherednikova, Unwanted: Study of the unknown garden in Arles, France (2019). printed issue / pdf
[journal] culturala #2: digitalisation (2023). digital issue
[journal] culturala #1: disappearance (2022). print issue
[journal] TITLE Special Edition: The Originals Issue for avec nous GmbH (2023). print issue [free]
[journal] TITLE(D) Fourth Issue: Nude for avec nous GmbH (2023). print issue [sold out]
[journal] TITLE(D) Third Issue: Memories for avec nous GmbH (2022). print issue [sold out]
[journal] TITLE(D) Fourth Issue: Adidas Superstars for avec nous GmbH (forthcoming).
[essay] “Step gently on the ground” by Carla Juaçaba for maat extended, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022). EN
[book | editorial & production assistant – proofreading] Marissa J. Moorman and Mónica de Miranda (eds.) Q-notes. Questions in Theory and Art Practices #1 (Hangar Books, 2020). print issue
[book | editorial & production assistant – proofreading] César Schofield Cardoso e Mónica de Miranda (eds.), Atlantica: Contemporary Art from Cabo Verde, Guinea Bissau, São Tomé and Principe and their Diasporas (Hangar Books, 2021). print issue
[book | editorial & production assistant – proofreading] Angêla Ferreira (ed.), Atlantica: Contemporary Art from Mozambique and its Diaspora (Hangar Books, 2020). print issue
Maria Kruglyak is an arts writer, critic, researcher and editor specialising in contemporary art and culture. In 2021, she founded culturala to create a network-based art and cultural theory journal which experiments with a direct, welcoming language for contemporary art.
In her writing practice, Maria specialises in queer theory, decolonial language and environmental discourse. She’s written art critical pieces, interviews, exhibition reviews, art historical essays and columns reflecting on the current state of the arts. She is a regular contributor to Contemporânea and has also been published on platforms such as maat extended, Futuress and Superglue, in the form of forewords to artists’ books and in journals such as Historiskan, Russian Art Gallery, The Gallyry, Russian Art+Culture and Grrrl in Print.
She’s part of the artist project space The Steamship PS in London and now regularly runs community art and art writing workshops in Lisbon. In August-September 2023 she was the resident artist of Residências Refúgios at LARGO Residências with the project Stories of Our Food / Histórias da Nossa Comida which saw the creation of a collective artists’ book, community cooking and harvesting excursions as well as a closing event of an open cooking workshop for 25pax followed by a dinner feast for 80pax.
Maria is currently based a couple of hours north of Lisbon in the countryside for a self-organised research period. She is due to partake in a Berlin-based exhibition in January 2024 and is currently working on the third issue of culturala on Memory as well as on several long-form pieces for international journals.
August-September 2023
Resident Artist, Residências Refúgio, LARGO Residências, Lisbon
Project: Stories of Our Food / Histórias da Nossa Comida
2021-present
Editor-in-Chief, Culturala
2021-2022
Curatorial & Editorial Paid Internship, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon
2021-2022
Artist & Resident, The Steamship Project Space Collective, London
2020-2022
Assistant Editor, WATA Publishing, Lisbon
2020-2021
Editorial Production Assistant, Hangar Books, Lisbon
2018-2020
MA History of Art, SOAS, University of London (First)
Specialising in East and Southeast Asian contemporary art with the dissertation ‘Three women artists negotiating Japanese modernities: Yuki Ogura, Fuku Akino and Toko Shinoda’ [see pdf].
2014-2017
BA History, King’s College London (First)
Specialising in intellectual and cultural global history with the dissertations ‘Art of Independence: Transformations of Image in 1970s Guyana’ [see pdf] and ‘Alexander Herzen and Empirical Liberty’ [see pdf].
You’re always welcome to get in touch if you’ve got a collaboration proposal, a writing/editing job that you think I may be a good fit for, or if you’d like to ask for advice or thoughts about writing or editing. I regularly run arts writing workshops and am always happy to help.
The fastest way to reach me is via WhatsApp, but if you’ve got a lot to say, email is preferable. Cheers!
email: maria@culturala.org
whatsapp: +44 7424 662563
instagram: @m.kruglyak