Spike Art Quarterly is a contemporary art magazine that was founded by artist Rita Vitorelli in 2004. At the heart of each issue are major contributions on artists whose works we consider critical to current debates in art. Situated between art theory and practice, Spike is both rigorously academic and literary essayistic. Writers from various backgrounds observe and reflect on contemporary art and analyse developments in contemporary culture. The inclusion of heterogeneous voices – critics, curators, art dealers, collectors and artists – and the immediacy of the source offers an intimate proximity to reality. The concept of the important connection between art and life, and theory and practice also informs Spike’s curatorial projects such as the »Speak & Spell« performance festival, and the independent art fair Fruits, Flowers, and Clouds that debuted in Vienna in 2011.