Xuezhu Jenny Wang is a New York-based journalist focusing on contemporary visual culture, current affairs, and media theory. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of IMPULSE Magazine, and she contributes to publications such as Vogue Scandinavia, Cultbytes, Art Spiel, COPY, Artslooker, and Odalisque. Wang serves on the board of The Immigrant Artist Biennial.

Can you tell us about your background and how you started your journey as a writer and editor?

I actually have a background in architecture and architectural history (my thesis was on ergonomic chairs and the evolution of the 20th-century American office). That said, there is a lot of overlap between art and architecture, and out of curiosity, I worked for a little while at various contemporary art galleries and advisory firms. Eventually, an internship at Harper’s Magazine brought me to the intersection of writing, editing, and art. During my junior year in college, I became interested in arts journalism and began pitching to publications as a freelance art critic. I soon became the writer-in-residence of The Immigrant Artist Biennial’s 2023 edition. That’s when I started considering pursuing a career as a writer and editor.

You’ve described IMPULSE as tuning into the “nowness” of visual culture. How do you define or recognize that sense of immediacy?

We make it our priority to support emerging to mid-career artists and identify those who will shape the future of art. This means a lot of legwork, visiting exhibitions, residencies, and BFA/MFA open studios. In a broader sense, I think that much of this “sense of immediacy” rests in the instability of meaning and form—the inability for something to be described and analyzed through existing lexicon and knowledge systems. Tuning into the “now” means identifying where unresolved tension lies, asking questions, staying close to early-stage practices, and participating in informal conversations that could lead to new discourses.

You frequently highlight immigrant and transnational artists. In what ways do you see migration and cross-cultural experiences shaping the way art is created and discussed today?

Migration and cross-cultural experiences have become an indispensable part of contemporary life. Inevitably, migration alters the conditions under which art is produced and interpreted. Artists reorganize form and context from a place of constant translation between languages, experiences, and visual expressions. We want to capture these sensibilities by highlighting their practices and approaching art criticism through a socially engaged lens. I’m also interested in how this discourse would shift in the next decade, with local and global conflicts impacting our ability to cross borders and to exist in settings that feel safe. We are committed to the continuation of this dialogue going forward. 

In a rapidly evolving media environment, how do you see the function of art writing shifting?

I think art writing is less and less about adjudicating taste and more about generating legibility. The authority of the critic as arbiter has become equally important as situating the works within overlapping social, political, and technological conditions and to make them accessible without settling on description alone.

At the same time, the proliferation of voices (through social media, newsletters, independent platforms) has flattened traditional hierarchies of criticism. This doesn’t eliminate expertise so much as redistribute it. The challenge, then, is the cultivation of rigor along with rapidly producing a sheer mass of content. Art journalists now are confronted with the question of how to maintain depth, precision, and accountability in a landscape that rewards speed.

What continues to challenge or surprise you about sustaining an independent publication?

The main challenge for most publishers is funding. The industry is not that lucrative, and the changing media landscape renders it impossible for most publications to survive on ad revenue alone. Grants are helpful but are unlikely to be substantial compared to most publications’ operating costs. I went to a talk at The New School earlier this year, and a few publishers mentioned that subscription-based revenue models might be a solution for independent outlets going forward. I don’t know what the solution is, but I remain optimistic and hope to work out a hybrid funding structure that will make the magazine self-sustaining.

What advice would you give to emerging writers or editors who are trying to establish themselves in the art world?

I think the journey will look different for everyone, and the most important thing is just to enjoy the process as much as possible. Writing is always going to feel hard (and yes, editors feel for you), and reading always helps with writer’s block!

P.S. Come to our IMPULSE happy hours if you would like to meet more writers, curators, and editors! We want to meet you and hear from you.

Text and photo courtesy of Xuezhu Jenny Wang

Website: https://www.jennywang.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x_jenny_wang/