ART iT launched in 2003 as a bilingual Japanese-English quarterly print publication, the first of its kind in Japan. From its inception, the magazine's mission was to link contemporary art events happening in Japan to those taking place elsewhere in the region and around the world.

In 2009, ART iT began the next phase of its development by converting to an exclusively online publication and social networking site combining both editorial and user-generated content created by leading Japanese and international artists and art professionals as well as casual art enthusiasts.

ART iT intends to rethink the nature of online media. Rather than focusing on constantly updated information, the publication features in-depth, articulated ideas about contemporary art and culture.