Issue 42 of Afterall addresses the crisis of representation in contemporary art through the work of Pierre Huyghe and Tania Bruguera, reflecting on how they each intervene into biological and political systems. We also put a spotlight on the contributions of two lesser-known women artists Indonesian Arahmaiani and Egyptian Inji Efflatoun and their capacity to speak truth to power in their respective contexts. Finally, accompanying essays include Charles Esche on Chinese artist Li Mu, Diedrich Diederichsen on political art, and an interview with Walter Benjamin.

The Desert Turned to Glass is a place where the cosmic and chthonic collide. Commemorating the centenary of the planetarium as an architectural type, this book collects a new body of work by acclaimed Canadian artist Charles Stankievech. Thematically, the project explores alternative theories concerning the origin of life, consciousness, and art—bridging the cosmological visions of cave art and the modern technology of the planetarium. Richly illustrated, the book pairs images of Stankievech’s installations and cinematic works with newly commissioned writings by geologists, exobiologists, philosophers and archeologists. Spanning the abyss of space and the depths of the earth, The Desert Turned to Glass is an epic meditation on origins, endings, and infinity.

Launched in 1999, Afterall is a journal of contemporary art that offers in-depth analysis of artists' work, along with essays that broaden the context in which to understand it. Its academic format differentiates it from popular review magazines. Volume 48 is Afterall's 21st anniversary issue, in which the editorial team reflects on the journal's past though a series of reprints of contextual essays and artist features, together with new commissions that inform the present and future vision of the journal.

Launched in 1999, Afterall is a journal of contemporary art that offers in-depth analysis of artists' work, along with essays that broaden the context in which to understand it. Its academic format differentiates it from popular review magazines. In issue 47, featured artists are planned to include Gulsun Karamustafa, Armin Linke, Naeem Mohaiemen, and Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Thao-Nguyen Phan, and Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, among others.