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벗(but) is a platform that shares works across the boundaries of art and anthropology.

벗(but) is a native Korean word for “friend,” and we use its coincidence with the English “but” as a lens for thinking about relationalities. Rather than emphasizing the “and,” we turn to the “but,” the “despite,” the “nevertheless”—being together despite all misalignment and differences, the sighs and mixed feelings, the fractures in between.

The field of art and anthropology is an arduous process in which greetings, eye contact, touch, fractures, and breakdowns erupt. Misunderstandings and commotion are the (genuine) vitality of our lives, yet they are often filtered out in the service of writing.

BUT turns to friendship as a way of understanding the relations that are inevitably produced in the fields of anthropology and art. The relationships between anthropologists and (more-than-)human entities, between artists and their materials, rarely operate smoothly or symmetrically. We encounter numerous frictions and hesitations that arise from the relationships, yet we persist in trying to reconnect. These moments make relationships difficult, but at the same time, meaningful.

BUT seeks to call the relationships we inevitably encounter in the field by the name of friendship.

We actively engage with the everyday life of errors, attempts, and dissonances that have until now been left out, and we cheer on those who wish to begin a dialogue (with themselves) through their struggle with their work. We embrace both small stories that lean away from theory and writing that speaks to society through relationships.

We welcome writings that think with the relationalities of BUT—whether centered on methods, theory, fieldnotes, or creative experimentation. Contributions can take the form of essays, visual pieces, conversations, or hybrid formats that blur disciplinary boundaries. We look forward to hearing how you experience the relationships you form with your own BUT, and what those relationships mean within the worlds of art and anthropology.

BUT Open Submission Guidelines

  1. Please send your manuscript to info.but.but.but@gmail.com. If you're interested in becoming a regular contributor, please let us know in the same email.
  2. All submitted pieces will be published in principle; however, defamatory or discriminatory content may be restricted from publication.
  3. Pieces published in BUT may be freely reposted on other platforms, as long as BUT is credited as the original source.

How to Submit

Please send your file in Google Docs, MS Word, .docx, Pages, or HWP format. (PDFs cannot be accepted.)

What We Accept

Fieldnotes, free-form essays, interviews, video, and images are all welcome.

Length & Format

  • Author Bio (English name required)
    • All contributor bios will be archived on the BUT archive page.
    • No longer than one paragraph.
    • Feel free to include your Instagram account, email address, LinkedIn, or any other links you'd like to share.
  • Essay/Fieldnotes
    • Approximately 1-3 pages in Google Docs (length is limited due to translation capacity.)
    • Photo and video links may be embedded and are not counted toward the page limit.
    • Any accompanying materials should be attached as separate files along with the manuscript.
  • Interview
    • A brief introduction of both the interviewer and interviewee is required. (If either party wishes to remain anonymous, please include a note explaining the context.)
    • No length limit, up to 5 questions.

Language & Translation

  • Manuscript may be submitted in Korean or English
  • Translation is handled by the editorial team; the translator's name will be credited at the bottom of the piece.
  • Feedback beyond corrections of typos and proper noun translations cannot be incorporated.
  • The original and translated versions may be published at different times.

Republication of Previously Published Work

  • If resubmitting a previously published piece — whether revised or not — please include an acknowledgement at the end of the text.
  • Intentional omission of this acknowledgement may result in the piece being withheld from publication during the editorial process.