Open call: 2025 Artlab Editorial Fellowship
Application deadline: March 3, 2025, 11:59pm
Hyundai Artlab has announced the third edition of its Artlab Editorial Fellowship, a program designed to support art writers worldwide. Established in 2023, the fellowship aims to foster global dialogue by providing financial support and mentorship to emerging and established writers. Applications are open until March 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST.
A Platform for Critical Art Writing
Artlab Editorial, a Hyundai Artlab initiative launched in 2022, serves as a hub for critical engagement with contemporary art. Through essays, interviews, and reviews, the platform provides space for writers to explore past and present artistic movements while envisioning future developments in the art world. Over the past three years, Artlab Editorial has featured work from an international roster of writers, including Rahel Aima, Melissa Baksh, Shumon Basar, and Orit Gat.
Recognizing the significance of critical art writing in shaping cultural discourse, Hyundai Artlab introduced the Artlab Editorial Fellowship in 2023. This initiative offers two selected fellows a $10,000 grant each to produce three articles throughout the year, with guidance from established editors and advisors.
Fellowship Structure and Mentorship
The fellowship is open to art writers at any stage of their career, regardless of geographic location. Participants will be required to write one 700-word article every two months for publication on Artlab Editorial between May and December 2025. Each fellow will receive mentorship from one of this year’s advisors—Rahel Aima and Orit Gat—who will provide guidance on research, writing development, and editorial refinement. Fellows will also collaborate closely with Artlab Editorial’s Editor, Shannon Lee, through regular check-ins to ensure the timely completion of their work.
The program aims to strengthen global artistic communities by supporting diverse perspectives and encouraging dialogue across cultural boundaries. Writers selected for the fellowship will explore themes relevant to contemporary art, digital culture, and the evolving role of artistic expression in society.
Meet the 2025 Fellowship Advisors
•Rahel Aima is a writer, editor, and critic based in Dubai. She is the Editor of BXD: The Postwestern Review and is currently working on a book about the intersection of oil and water on the Arabian Peninsula. Her work has been published in Artlab Editorial, including the 2022 piece The Artist as Sentinel, which examined how artists use experimental media to critique and celebrate the possibilities of a shared future.
•Orit Gat, a London-based writer and art critic, has contributed to The White Review, Frieze, e-flux journal, ArtReview, and Jacobin, among others. She received the Creative Capital/Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant in 2015 and was a finalist for the International Award for Art Criticism in 2017 and 2018. Her Artlab Editorial essay, How Digital Lineages Change How We Make and Own Artworks, explored the care and preservation of digital art.
•Shannon Lee, the fellowship’s editorial mentor, is a writer and editor focusing on art, culture, and environmental topics. As the current Editor of Artlab Editorial and The Amp at the Asian American Arts Alliance, Lee brings extensive experience in arts journalism and editorial development.
Hyundai Artlab’s Commitment to the Arts
Hyundai Artlab is part of Hyundai Motor’s broader engagement with the global art community. The company has established partnerships with institutions such as Tate Modern, LACMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. Alongside the VH AWARD and Hyundai Blue Prize, the Artlab Editorial Fellowship is one of Hyundai’s initiatives aimed at fostering meaningful artistic exchange.
With this fellowship, Hyundai Artlab seeks to empower writers who contribute to contemporary art discourse, providing them with the resources to explore critical themes and connect with a broader audience.
Application Process
Applications for the 2025 Artlab Editorial Fellowship are open until March 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST. Further details on eligibility, submission guidelines, and frequently asked questions can be found on the Artlab Editorial website.
