Elephant Magazine
Elephant Magazine is an independent London-based contemporary art publication producing a quarterly print magazine and digital platform with artist-led editorial coverage. It serves art enthusiasts, collectors, and creatives worldwide through 200+ stockists in 17 countries and direct e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Elephant Magazine does
Elephant Magazine is an independent, artist-led arts publication operating since 2011 under the legal entity Elephant Media, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company produces a quarterly print magazine and an accompanying digital platform (elephant.art) focused on contemporary art coverage, including artist profiles, exhibition reviews, cultural criticism, and art fair reporting. Under the editorial leadership of artist Tschabalala Self as Editor-in-Chief, the publication organizes content across ten themed sections including ART/ICLES, Artist X Artist, In Conversation, and SEX/ART, maintaining a non-hierarchical editorial perspective that emphasizes emerging artists and diverse voices in the contemporary art world.
The company operates on a WordPress-based digital publication platform with no proprietary technology stack, APIs, or AI capabilities. Revenue is generated through multiple streams: physical magazine sales via a global stockist network of over 200 retailers across 17 countries (including Tate Modern, MoMA, Stedelijk Museum, Gagosian Gallery, and major independent bookstores), digital subscriptions, advertising, and merchandise sales through their direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform Elephant Kiosk (elephantkiosk.art). The publication also runs a contributor program ('Write for Elephant') that sources freelance content from external writers.
With a lean team of 11-50 employees and a small core editorial staff, Elephant Magazine distributes its physical product primarily through specialist retailers and museum shops rather than mass-market newsstands, positioning itself as a premium niche publication in the global contemporary art media landscape. The geographic reach spans Western Europe, East Asia, North America, and Eastern Europe, with the publication maintaining active editorial coverage of international art fairs, biennales, and institutional exhibitions.
Elephant Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elephant Magazine
- Legal name
- Elephant Media
- Website
- https://elephant.art
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Elephant Magazine is an independent London-based contemporary art publication producing a quarterly print magazine and digital platform with artist-led editorial coverage. It serves art enthusiasts, collectors, and creatives worldwide through 200+ stockists in 17 countries and direct e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elephant Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts and Culture Magazine Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Elephant Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Elephant Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Magazine Sales: Physical magazine sales through stockists network spanning multiple countries including newsstands, bookstores, museum shops, and gallery shops
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Elephant Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elephant Magazine publishes a quarterly print magazine and a companion digital platform (elephant.art) delivering artist-led contemporary art coverage, including artist profiles, exhibition reviews, interviews, and cultural criticism organized into themed sections. The brand is extended through the Elephant Kiosk online shop, which sells print issues, subscriptions, and merchandise directly to consumers, with global distribution via museum shops, independent bookstores, and gallery shops.
Product overview
Elephant Magazine operates as a unified editorial brand comprising a quarterly print publication and its digital platform at elephant.art. The magazine offers artist-led arts coverage with content organized into thematic sections including ART/ICLES, Art Living, Artist X Artist, Culture, Fresh Take, In Conversation, Second Sight, SEX/ART, The Anecdote, and The Index. The brand maintains a companion e-commerce shop (Elephant Kiosk) for merchandise and subscriptions, and operates a contributor program for freelance writers. Elephant positions itself as a non-hierarchical, artist-centric publication with Tschabalala Self serving as Editor-in-Chief.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Elephant Kiosk: Online shop for Elephant Magazine merchandise, subscriptions, and print editions at elephantkiosk.art
Products and services
- Elephant Magazine (Print Publication) Quarterly print magazine providing artist-led contemporary art coverage including artist profiles, exhibition reviews, interviews, and cultural criticism, distributed through specialist retailers and newsstands worldwide.
- Elephant.art (Digital Platform) Online editorial platform at elephant.art publishing articles, artist profiles, exhibition coverage, and multimedia content across themed sections such as ART/ICLES, Art Living, Artist X Artist, Culture, Fresh Take, In Conversation, Second Sight, SEX/ART, The Anecdote, and The Index.
- Elephant Kiosk (Online Shop) E-commerce platform at elephantkiosk.art selling Elephant Magazine print issues, subscriptions, and merchandise directly to consumers.
Companies that use Elephant Magazine
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Elephant Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Elephant Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Elephant Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aperture Magazine: Aperture is a renowned photography and visual culture magazine with a globally respected editorial voice and bookstore presence. It is closely comparable to Elephant as a quarterly print-focused art publication with museum and bookstore distribution and a curatorial brand identity.
- Hyperallergic: Hyperallergic is a digital-first arts publication covering contemporary art, culture, and politics with a focus on diverse voices and emerging artists. It shares Elephant's editorial mission of platforming underrepresented artists and operates a comparable content-plus-commerce model.
- ArtReview: ArtReview is a London-based contemporary art magazine featuring criticism, artist profiles, and its influential Power 100 list. It is a direct competitor to Elephant with a similar editorial product, UK base, and focus on contemporary art, and a comparable international readership.
- Frieze: Frieze is a leading contemporary art magazine with print issues, digital content, and a network of global art fairs. It directly competes with Elephant in serving art-interested readers with in-depth contemporary art coverage and is the most established comparable in the artist-led, internationally distributed art magazine category.
- Juxtapoz Magazine: Juxtapoz is a quarterly print art magazine focused on contemporary art, street art, and underground creative culture. It competes with Elephant for collector and enthusiast readers, with a print-stockist distribution model similar to Elephant's and a strong identity-led editorial proposition.
- Apollo Magazine: Apollo Magazine is a long-established art publication covering visual arts, museums, exhibitions, and the art market. While it skews more traditional and fine-art-historical, it competes with Elephant for the same pool of serious art readers and museum shop visibility.
- Brooklyn Rail: The Brooklyn Rail is a nonprofit publication covering contemporary art, culture, and criticism with in-depth interviews and criticism. It overlaps with Elephant's editorial depth and audience of culturally engaged readers, though its distribution model is digital-plus-events rather than print newsstand.
- Artforum: Artforum is one of the most recognised contemporary art magazines globally, offering criticism, artist interviews, and exhibition reviews. It overlaps directly with Elephant's editorial mission and serves a similar art-enthusiast and collector audience, though it skews more institutional and academic.
- Mousse Magazine: Mousse is an independent contemporary art magazine published in Milan with international distribution and a focus on contemporary theory and emerging artists. It is conceptually very close to Elephant in its artist-led, non-hierarchical approach and is a natural peer for niche, indie art-magazine positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Wallpaper*: Wallpaper* is an established design, architecture, and art lifestyle magazine covering contemporary culture broadly. While it spans multiple categories beyond art, it competes for the same premium creative-class audience and advertising budgets, and is available in comparable upscale museum and gallery stockists.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elephant Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceElephant Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elephant Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Elephant Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elephant Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elephant Magazine
What does Elephant Magazine do?
Elephant Magazine publishes a quarterly print magazine and a companion digital platform (elephant.art) delivering artist-led contemporary art coverage, including artist profiles, exhibition reviews, interviews, and cultural criticism organized into themed sections. The brand is extended through the Elephant Kiosk online shop, which sells print issues, subscriptions, and merchandise directly to consumers, with global distribution via museum shops, independent bookstores, and gallery shops.
Is Elephant Magazine a public or private company?
Elephant Magazine is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Elephant Magazine founded?
Elephant Magazine was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Elephant Magazine based?
Elephant Magazine is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Elephant Magazine make money?
One revenue line is on record: magazine Sales.
Who are Elephant Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aperture Magazine, Hyperallergic, ArtReview, Frieze, Juxtapoz Magazine, Apollo Magazine, Brooklyn Rail, Artforum and Mousse Magazine. Wallpaper* is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Elephant Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elephant Magazine.
What industry is Elephant Magazine in?
Elephant Magazine's product category is Arts and Culture Magazine Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2721.