Esse arts + opinions, published three times a year by Les éditions Esse, is a contemporary art magazine that focuses on disciplinary and interdisciplinary practices and all forms of socially inclined, site-specific or performative intervention. It favours analyses that address artworks within their contexts. It seeks to offer readers a topical magazine in the field of multidisciplinary art, as well as a communication, information and research tool that answers their needs. More than a magazine publisher, Esse plays an active role in the art world. From time to time, Les éditions esse organizes art symposiums and publishes their proceedings in bilingual books that are internationally distributed. They also publish an edition/collection of artists stamps disseminated across Canada.
History
Esse was founded in 1984 at UQAM, becoming a not-for-profit organization in 1987. Esse is distributed in Canada and the United States by , in France by , and in Europe and Asia by . Esse arts + opinions is a contemporary art magazine that focuses on disciplinary and multidisciplinary practices and all forms of socially inclined, site-specific or performative intervention. It favours analyses that address artworks within their contexts, as well as relational and socially engaged works. The magazine stands out for its commitment to creating links between art practice and analysis. It is recognized for the quality of its articles, offering both in-depth analyses and rigorously argued opinions on art and society. Each issue contains a thematic section and articles on international cultural projects. Esse magazine is published by Les éditions Esse.
Awards
, Worldwide Competition for Corporate Medias, Books, Corporate Design and Magazines, Allemagne. Silver : Print Magazines - Art, Architecture, Design and Music, 2019. , Best Magazine: Art, Literary, & Culture, 2019. Prix d’excellence de la , Category "Conception graphique", "Page couverture" by for issue #91 LGBT+, 2018. Prix d’excellence de la , Category "Conception graphique", "Pages intérieures" by for issue #91 LGBT+, 2018. Prix d’excellence de la , Category "Critique", "Texte d’opinion critique" for Sylvette Babin's article titled "Retranscription of Foundational Texts in Simon Bertrand’s Work" in issue #89 Bibliothèque | Library, 2018. National Magazine Awards, Best Magazine: Art, Literary, & Culture, 2017. The ICMA – International Creative Media Award – is a Worldwide Competition for Corporate Medias, Books, Corporate Design and Magazines, Allemagne. Silver : Print Magazines - Catégorie Art, Architecture, Design and Music, 2017. The ICMA – International Creative Media Award – is a Worldwide Competition for Corporate Medias, Books, Corporate Design and Magazines, Allemagne. Award of Excellence : Catégorie Front Page, Esse #91 LGBT+, 2017. National Magazine Awards, Honourable Mention for the Cover Grand Prix, Esse #91 LGBT+, 2017. National Magazine Awards, Honourable Mention for the Art Direction Grand Prix, Esse #91 LGBT+, 2017. Prix d’excellence de la SODEP, Category "Conception graphique", "Page couverture" by Studio FEED for issue #88 Paysage | Landscape, 2017. Prix d’excellence de la SODEP, Category "Conception graphique", "Pages intérieures" by Studio FEED for issue #87 Le Vivant | The Living, 2018. National Magazine Awards, Best Magazine, Category "Literary, art, and poetry", 2017. , « Complete Magazine Design – Series » for #87 The Living, #88 Landscape, # 89 Library, 2017. National Magazine Awards, Silver price for the Art Direction of an Entire Issue Esse #87 The Living, 2016. , « Complete Magazine Design – Series » for #85 Taking a Stance, #86 Geopolitics, 2016. In 2005, Esse tied for first place for the Grafika Grand Prix with issue no. 52. In 2006 issue no. 57 received awards from Applied Arts Magazine and Coupe Magazine for its graphic design. Issue no. 58 received another Grafika award in 2007. In 2009, Esse's 25th anniversary issue rethinking the meaning of celebration wins a Grafika award in the "Magazines" category. In 2010, Esse is among the finalists of the Conseil des Arts de Montréal's 2009 Grand Prix and in 2011, Esse wins the Grafika award once more, for the previous year's three issues, Sabotage, Bling Bling, and Miniature.
