View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and arts, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry.

We have a solid content base available to our readers and we are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts worldwide.

MAGGIE GOGLER 

Maggie Gogler is an arts journalist and film critic who is passionate about Korean and European Cinema as well as music, arts, and fashion. Maggie has been interested in cinema since she was 15 and discovered love for Korean films in 2004 when she saw Kim Ki Duk’s The Isle. She supports British and Asian independent film-making and enjoys producing creative and interesting projects, including dance shows. Maggie is the co-founder and the owner of View of the Arts as well as the main contributor. 

ROXY SIMONS 

Roxy Simons is a journalist and film critic who has been in love with Japan and Japanese cinema ever since she first set her eyes on Sailor Moon at the age of five. Since then she has become fascinated with the culture, cuisine, and history of the country, and has a particular love for Rurouni Kenshin and Shaman King. She has also developed a love for Korean cinema over the years, and can often be found listening to K-Pop during her free time. Roxy is the co-founder of View of the Arts and the chief editor of View of the Arts. Roxy is also a TV & Film reporter for Newsweek US.

JULIA LITWINOWICZ

Julia can be defined by two things: her love of literature and her love of music. As an English graduate from the University of Birmingham, she spends most of her time reading fantasy fiction and attempting to write it herself. She also enjoys immersing herself in Korean entertainment and culture – a passion which began when she was first introduced to the world of K-pop as a teenager. On top of working as a copy editor for View of the Arts, Julia is also currently studying MA Writing at the University of Warwick.

CONTRIBUTORS: 

MARIANNA BAROLI

Marianna Baroli is an Italian journalist. She currently works for La Verità newspaper as an investigative reporter and Panorama magazine where she is in charge of the K-Entertainment section. She knew she wanted to be a journalist from the age of 7. Part of the Honorary Reporter team for Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, she’s the biggest voice for the Hallyu in Italy and the first Italian journalist to conduct interviews with Korean idols and celebrities for the Italian public. Every European Hallyu fan knows the iconic saying “Ciao Marianna and Panorama” – a tagline said by many Korean artists during her interviews. She also actively works on projects with the Korean Cultural Institute in Italy and with KOCIS in Seoul to promote Korean Culture and Tourism in Europe. Marianna will be responsible for the K-Entertainment section.

ABI AHERNE

Abi Aherne is a film critic based in London. Her favourite type of film is anything incredibly melodramatic, over the top, and bound to make you cry. When she’s not watching films, you can find her talking about Moulin Rouge, eating pasta, or waiting for her Nintendo Switch to charge. Some of her favourite films include God’s Own Country, Memories of Murder, Lady Bird, and A Streetcar Named Desire.

ALISTAIR RYDER

Alistair is a film and culture journalist from Leeds. As a freelance writer, he’s been published in Vice, GQ, Little White Lies, Digital Spy, and the BFI website, in addition to regularly contributing reviews and interviews for Film Inquiry, The Digital Fix, Awards Watch, Vague Visages, and Zavvi. He’s also a member of GALECA, the LGBTQ film critics’ association.

AMARSANAA BATTULGA

From Ulaanbaatar but based in Shanghai, Amarsanaa Battulga is a film critic and researcher with a particular interest in Asian cinema. Amarsanaa is the associate editor and Chinese cinemas columnist of ChinaNauts, an online magazine on contemporary China. His writing has appeared in Asian Movie Pulse and easternKicks, and he was a participant in the 2022 Far East Film Festival Campus. When he is not watching, researching, or writing about films, he enjoys playing board games, practicing classical Mongolian, and thinking about going to the gym. He cannot ride a horse.

CLAIRE CAMPION

Claire Campion is a journalist and podcaster from London. She loves concerts and writing about the small moments between fans and their favourite artists. Claire writes with the aim of providing fans with an article that will evoke fond memories. She is also a keen watcher of LGBTQ+ dramas with some of her favourites including A Tale of Thousand Stars, Young Royals and Semantic Error.

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

NARINE CHALABI 

Narine Chalabi is a freelance photographer who loves to capture the reactions and interactions between artists and their fans. She first got into concert photography back in 2015 when she took a camera along with her to The London Korean Festival and captured F(x) and Guckkasten live. The same year she also photographed MIYAVI and One Ok Rock. Narine is View of the Arts‘ live music photographer.

MADDIE ARMSTRONG

Maddie is a photographer from West Yorkshire who’s done a bit of everything. With a portfolio including K-pop legends Kai, Chen and Suho of EXO; Red Velvet, Jay Park, and Jessi, Maddie’s music photography career all started with covering several local indie rock bands. While she enjoys all aspects of photography, Maddie’s favourite thing to capture is the passion of a singer in their most intense moments on stage. Maddie is also the occasional writer.

JINNY PARK 

Jinny Park is a creative photographer who is passionate about live music photography. She has been a professional photographer for the past five years and has never looked back. Jinny captured the likes of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Oh Sees, Papooz, Madison McFerrin, and many Korean artists including Dok2Gonzo, Bursters, and Seven O’Clock while living in London. She has also had solo photography exhibitions in London and in Seoul. She has now moved back to Seoul, where she is pursuing her passion for photography. She is View of the Arts’ live photographer for events taking place in South Korea.

GUEST CONTRIBUTORS:

Dr. Colette Balmain is a Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Kingston University. She specialises in East Asian cinema and cultures and has written numerous articles and reviews focussing on identity politics, aesthetics, and ideology. Her first book was Introduction to Japanese Horror Film (EUP: 2008) and she is currently working on an edited collection on BTS as well as a monography with a working title, Beyond the symbolic: performative masculinity, authenticity, and emotionality in BTS. She also writes for London Korean Links, EasternKick, and Asian Movie Pulse. Dr. Colette Balmain is View of the Arts‘ guest contributor.

 PAST CONTRIBUTORS:  

SANJA STRUNA 

Sanja has decided to concentrate on her own writing. Thank you for everything and we wish you all the best. 

Sanja Struna is a freelance translator, film journalist, writer, an avid reader, and a perpetual dreamer. She loves cinema in general, but fell especially in love with Korean cinema some odd years ago – and never looked back. She now spends a solid portion of the year travelling the world, discovering great new (and old) films at various global (and local) film festivals. Sanja is a member of FIPRESCI and was a contributor and the chief editor of View of the Arts.