Written by Ananya Mallick
12 Southeast Asian Magazines to Feed Your Crave for Arts and Culture
If you’re looking for a nifty list of arts and culture Southeast Asian magazines that can be read online mostly free or with a very small subscription fee, you’ve come to the right place.
Southeast Asia is a diverse region with a rich past and culture that have been preserved over time. It is home to unique rituals, cultural practices, festivals, and traditions that still adds a spirited dimension to daily modern lives that can bring dynamism into ordinary modern lives.
At the same time, countries in this region are simultaneously dealing with a change in the sociocultural sphere. The best way to discover and understand more about them can be by reading magazines. And Southeast Asia comes up with plenty of wonderful reading choices that are digitally available. Plenty of magazines published in Southeast Asian countries are known for excellent, high-quality, and thought-provoking content.
Here’s a list of arts and culture Southeast Asian magazines that you should add to your read-list.
1. Mekong Review
Long-form essays, reportage, interviews, profiles, fiction, poetry, and book reviews on a wide variety of topics, all relating to Southeast Asia, can be found in Mekong Review. Society and culture, history, politics, environment, and travel are just a few topics under this literary umbrella.
Being praised for its critical and independent analysis, the magazine attempts to present a fresh and original viewpoint distinct from the mainstream media and dispel common myths and misconceptions about the region.
2. Southeast Asia Globe
The publication offers insightful analysis of regional long-term patterns and challenges and timely and relatable coverage of current events. The magazine is divided into four sections: Power, Life, Earth, and Money.
Life discusses culture, education, health, migration, and rights, while Power is more concerned with issues of government, ideology, justice, and politics. Earth speaks of climate, energy, nature, pollution, resources, and urbanisation. Lastly, Money focuses on economics, innovation, corruption, sustainability, and startups.
Briefly put, Southeast Asia Globe is the all-in-one platform to holistically understand every aspect of the region.
3. ArtsEquator
Another creative publication that combines features and reviews to explore the multifaceted art scene and social dynamics of Southeast Asia. ArtsEquator brings niche stories to the spotlight rather than just talking about the trend making them more relatable to general readers and emerging artists.
Recently the magazine has changed its structure and become thematic, which means it is publishing theme-based features. Its ongoing theme is art censorship.
Read ArtsEquator.
4. Eksentrika
The list remains incomplete without mentioning Eksentrika. It is one of its very own kind in publishing, with versatile content like art, culture, films, literature, music, performing arts, fiction, and photography along with an Artist Registry, a Happenings page, and a community board.
Indeed, a go-to place to get updates on all kinds of cultural happenings in Southeast Asia.
5. Penang Monthly
Published by the Penang Institute, the magazine attempts to educate readers with its informative but entertaining content about the past, present, and future of the Penang state of Malaysia.
Along with shedding light on the Penagite culture and issues, it also covers the inside story of the broader country’s economy, environment, society, and politics, as well as the arts, culture and heritage, entertainment, and legacy that any Malay can link to their way of life and identity.
6. Thailand Now
This is the best single source for learning about Thai arts, culture, and current affairs without travelling there.
7. Inside Indonesia
The magazine is a reading heaven of multidimensional perspectives and voices of Indonesia’s art, culture, society, and politics, including literature, film, music, visual arts, human rights, environment and sustainability, and gender and women issues. It is like a daily dose of insights for anyone seeking to understand the country’s complex social dynamics.
8. NOW! Bali
At first glance, it seems to be another travel magazine, but NOW! Bali is more than that. The philosophy that Bali now believes in is that people should cherish the colourful culture, archaic traditions, and ancient rituals of Bali when they are on the island. Keeping this belief in the heart, the magazine publishes features and opinions exclusively on Balinese culture, lifestyle, social issues, and community initiatives.
NOW! Bali also gives recommendations on destinations, cultural activities, and dining experiences but with a story format rather than so-called listicles, making it a pleasant read at leisure.
9. The Dot Magazine
Another Vietnam-based magazine presents creations of local artists and designers and delves into their creative processes through feature pieces and in-depth interviews.
In addition to that, the magazine covers contemporary lifestyle trends, including fashion, music, and entertainment, as well as traditional local cuisines and travelogues.
10. Saigoneer
With a very zesty and witty tone, Saigoneer brings the unique characteristics of Ho Chi Min to life in the form of features and essays. It will take only two minutes to fly to the city through its fantastic articles showcasing local art and culture, travel, food and drink, society, and heritage.
Each feature comes with very eye-catching illustrations, which makes reading the magazine more fun.
11. New Mandala
New Mandala is the more scholarly one on the list, like a sweet spot between a magazine and a journal, making it a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the multilayered culture of the region. It provides in-depth analysis and commentary on the society and politics of the region, reviews of books, and interviews with scholars and other experts.
Its ARTSEA series is a hidden gem in the field of art, design, and architecture – it comes with a collection of articles, videos, seminars, photo essays, and reviews by artists, historians, curators, architects, auteurs, scholars, and other practitioners.
12. Bruneions
This magazine is the nexus of Brunei’s creativity, lifestyle, and culture. Bruneions breaks the boundaries of topics and tells stories on every topic that showcases the lives in Brunei.
Arts and creativity, food and drink, fashion and beauty, technology, health and wellness, recreation and leisure, home and living, education and society – everything on this small island can be read in this weekly mag.
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Cover image sourced from Helena Lopes / Pexel.
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