Artforum has a brand new prime editor. As we speak it was introduced that Tina Rivers Ryan, an artwork historian, curator, and critic, will tackle the function of editor in chief of the storied artwork publication. 

Ryan, 40, is a longtime contributor to Artforum and different artwork publications. Since 2017 she has been a curator on the Buffalo AKG Artwork Museum, the place she has centered on video and digital artwork. Earlier than that, she labored within the division of recent and modern artwork at The Metropolitan Museum of Artwork. As a scholar of artwork historical past—Ryan holds a PhD in artwork historical past and archeology from Columbia College and BA within the historical past of artwork and structure from Harvard College—she has lengthy been within the intersection of artwork, expertise, and societal change.

Her appointment follows a number of months of turmoil at Artforum. David Velasco, the journal’s earlier editor in chief, was fired final October after an open letter in response to the Israel-Hamas warfare, signed by hundreds within the artwork world, was revealed on Artforum’s web site. (The journal’s publishers contended that the letter was “not in keeping with Artforum’s editorial course of,” whereas Velasco informed The New York Instances that he was “disenchanted {that a} journal that has all the time stood for freedom of speech and the voices of artists has bent to outdoors strain.”) Quite a few workers members left and contributors pulled items after Velasco’s firing. 

Within the wake of all this, Ryan says she plans to proceed the journal’s longstanding custom of publishing content material that provokes deep considering. “The idea of editorial independence is totally integral to Artforum—all the time has been and all the time might be,” she informed Vogue earlier this week. “I totally plan on persevering with the legacy that I’m inheriting from not simply my rapid predecessor, however the previous few editors who’ve all achieved such good work to make Artforum a publication that’s trusted and daring.” 

Ryan’s first challenge on the journal’s helm would be the this yr’s Summer time challenge; her begin date has not been confirmed. 

Vogue spoke with Ryan earlier this week forward of the announcement. Beneath, she discusses her background in academia and curation, her love of digital artwork, and what plans she has for Artforum below her management. Our dialog has been edited for size and readability.