Elsewhere Index is an independent platform for art criticism and research, founded in China in 2025. It was created to make space for sustained, well-researched writing on contemporary art—and to bring local knowledge into conversation with international practices.
We publish criticism, exhibition notes, conversations and a regularly updated index of what is happening now. Our coverage moves between artist-run spaces, galleries, public institutions and temporary projects, with particular attention to work that might sit outside the most familiar centres of visibility.
Our point of view is shaped by China, but it is neither nationally bounded nor presented as a theme. It is a position from which to ask how artworks travel, how meanings shift across contexts, and what different places allow us to notice.
Criticism begins with a position, but it should remain open to being changed by what it encounters.
Each edition gathers a focused group of texts alongside a dated exhibition index. Through clear authorship, publication dates, source notes and a permanent archive, Elsewhere aims to build a reliable public record of independent editorial work over time.
We welcome contact from artists, curators, researchers, writers and independent spaces working across different geographies.
With curiosity,
Aili Xu
Founding Editor, Elsewhere Index