Goodbye to Pedro Labowitz, great critical eye of Chilean art

With an analytical, eloquent, and critical gaze, which characterized him until his last days, the great Austrian-Chilean art critic Pedro Labowitz passed away yesterday at 96 years of age. Representative of the International Association of Art Critics (IAAC) of UNESCO and founder of the Chilean Chapter of that organization, Labowitz stood out for his important work as a promoter of national art in the Latin American region, in addition to his figuration as international critic.

Born in 1925 in Vienna, Austria, Labowitz came to our country at an early age, where he developed his career within the art circuit. Influenced by his stepfather, the bohemian artist and painter Francisco Otta (1908-1999), Labowitz was introduced to the art world from a young age, copying from the Czech engraver an ironic style that allowed him to develop a writing with a peaceful character, but with a sharp and distinguished gaze distinguished when analyzing various techniques, styles and expressions of Latin American art. Committed to the development of culture in the country, Labowitz made important donations to bring art closer to Chileans, delivering 300 prints from his collection to the Engraving Museum of the University of Playa Ancha and about 3,000 books from his library to the University of Talca.

Throughout his remarkable career as an art critic, his writing passed through different media, in various languages ​​and with curious nicknames. This is how, for years, Labowitz wrote for the magazine Nuevo Zig Zag under the name "Pierre Randall", and published different writings in the Chilean newspaper The South Pacific Mail, in English, and in the Seminario Cóndor, in German. He also collaborated with his criticism in important media, such as El Mercurio and La Nación, and was one of the five analysts of the well-remembered Political, Economy and Culture Seminar (PEC), a magazine directed by photographer Marcos Chamudez that emerged in the mid-1960s in order to provide a new look on national art.

"With sadness, we heard of the death of Pedro Labowitz, founder of IAAC Chile and great representative of AICA International in the country, who brought together art critics and promoted their relationship internationally," says Lisbeth Rebollo, IAAC world president. Ernesto Muñoz, president of the Chilean Chapter of AICA and world vice president of the UNESCO organization, adds that “Labowitz's work is a pioneer in founding IAAC Chile together with Antonio Romera, Ricardo Bindis and Victor Carvacho”.

From Venezuela, Bélgica Rodríguez, honorary president of IAAC International, regrets the death of this “renowned art critic and researcher, especially in Latin American art, whose research, criticism and theory have made a great contribution to the historiography of the plastic arts of the continent”. She adds that Pedro Labowitz "leaves us extraordinary memories, friendship and teachings, fundamental in our training and development as art critics and researchers," she concludes.

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Adiós a Pedro Labowitz, gran ojo crítico del arte chileno

Con una mirada analítica, elocuente y crítica, la cual lo caracterizó hasta sus últimos días, el gran crítico de arte austriaco-chileno Pedro Labowitz falleció durante la jornada de ayer, a sus 96 años de edad. Reconocido representante de la Asociación Internacional de Críticos de Arte (AICA) de la UNESCO y fundador del Capítulo Chileno de dicha organización, Labowitz destacó por su importante labor como promotor del arte nacional en la región latinoamericana, además de su figuración como crítico a nivel internacional. 

Nacido en 1925 en Viena, Austria, Labowitz llegó a muy temprana edad a nuestro país, en donde desarrolló su carrera dentro del circuito del arte. Influenciado por su padrastro, el artista y pintor bohemio Francisco Otta (1908-1999), Labowitz fue introducido al mundo del arte desde joven, copiando del grabador checo un estilo irónico que le permitió desarrollar una pluma de carácter pacífica, pero con una mirada aguda y distinguida a la hora de analizar diversas técnicas, estilos y expresiones del arte latinoamericano. Comprometido con el desarrollo de la cultura en el país, Labowitz hizo importantes donaciones para acercar el arte a los chilenos, entregando 300 grabados de su colección al Museo del Grabado de la Universidad de Playa Ancha y cerca de 3 mil libros de su biblioteca a la Universidad de Talca. 

A lo largo de su notable carrera como crítico de arte, su pluma pasó por diferentes medios, en variados idiomas y con curiosos sobrenombres. Fue así como, durante años, Labowitz escribió para la revista Nuevo Zig Zag bajo el nombre “Pierre Randall”, y publicó diferentes escritos en el periódico chileno The South Pacific Mail, en inglés, y en el Seminario Cóndor, en alemán. Asimismo, colaboró con su crítica en importantes medios, como El Mercurio y La Nación, y fue uno de los cinco analistas del recordado Seminario Política, Economía y Cultura (PEC), revista dirigida por el fotógrafo Marcos Chamudez que surgió a mediados de los 60 con el fin de proporcionar una nueva mirada sobre el arte nacional. 

“Con tristeza, supimos de la muerte de Pedro Labowitz, fundador de AICA Chile y gran representante de AICA Internacional en el país, reuniendo a críticos de arte y promoviendo su relación a nivel internacional”, asegura Lisbeth Rebollo, presidenta mundial de AICA. Ernesto Muñoz, presidente del Capítulo Chileno de AICA y vicepresidente mundial de la organización de la UNESCO, agrega que “la labor de Labowitz es de un pionero al fundar AICA Chile junto a Antonio Romera, Ricardo Bindis y Victor Carvacho”.

Desde Venezuela, Bélgica Rodríguez, presidenta honorífica de AICA Internacional, lamenta el fallecimiento de este “reconocido crítico e investigador de arte, especialmente en el arte latinoamericano, cuyos trabajos de investigación, crítica y teoría, han hecho un gran aporte a la historiografía de las artes plásticas del continente”. Agrega que Pedro Labowitz “nos deja extraordinarios recuerdos, amistad y enseñanzas, fundamentales en nuestra formación y desarrollo como críticos e investigadores de arte”, concluye. 

Traverses 2022 - Dispositif de soutien à la critique d’art - Appel à candidature

L’Institut français, en partenariat avec le ministère de la Culture – Direction générale de la création artistique et les Archives de la critique d’art s’associent pour promouvoir l’activité critique et théorique française portant sur la création artistique des années 1960 à nos jours et sa diffusion à l’international.

Le dispositif « Traverses » a pour objet de soutenir la production, la publication et la diffusion d’un essai critique portant sur une actualité internationale dans le domaine de l’art contemporain.

Elle comprend une aide financière d’un montant de 3 500 euros permettant de couvrir les frais du lauréat pour un voyage et un séjour d’études à l’étranger en vue de produire son essai.

L’article qui en sera issu, écrit en français, fera l’objet d’une publication bilingue (français/anglais) au sommaire du n°59 de « CRITIQUE D’ART » (automne/hiver 2022).

https://www.archivesdelacritiquedart.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Traverses_2022.pdf

Upcoming Meetings & Deadlines

08 & 10 NOVEMBER 2021

The next BOARD MEETING will be held on Monday, 8th of November 2021 and Wednesday 10th of November 2021 at 4pm (Paris Time) on ZOOM.

Only for Board members and Board Guests - Please find meeting documents HERE

=> PLEASE Remember to CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE to the Office in order to receive the ZOOM Link

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15 NOVEMBER 2021

DEADLINE for submitting candidacies for Vice-Presidents and International Board Members.

More information here.

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06 & 10 DECEMBER 2021

The next GENERAL ASSEMBLY will be held on Monday 6th of December 2021 and Friday 10th of December 2021 at 4pm (Paris Time).

=> PLEASE Remember to CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE to the Office in order to receive the ZOOM Link

Art Writing Futures: A View from the United States

Sunday, October 24, 4:00pm EST
Virtual event, hosted via Zoom
Free and open to the public

To register send an e-mail to aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com
The link to the zoom meeting room will be sent to you 24 hours before the event
Registration closing date: 21st October

Hosted in partnership with AICA International, Art Writing Futures: A View from the United States will address the multifaceted possibilities and diverse perspectives at the forefront of art criticism in the US today. Publications that are less visible, independent, internet-based, and regionally focused, as well as those focusing on gender-specific issues, compete for our attention with mainstream, legacy forums. The proliferation of novel publications and audiences presents possibilities for expanding the scope of critical discourse and championing artists and movements that subvert traditional boundaries. Art writing in the United States encompasses a multitude of voices working both traditionally and in more experimental forms, from a variety of perspectives. Today’s art critics come from cities and towns that are not the typical centers of intellectual discourses and cultural production. They are trained in regional writing workshops and small colleges, and inspired by local activism. And most importantly, they come to the table prepared and zealously interested in engaging the public with their writing and thinking about art, the ways in which life and art are profoundly interrelated, and how criticism can give us greater purchase with both. With this in mind, this discussion addresses the question: What do the futures of art criticism look like in the United States? Speakers will illuminate the varied approaches and contemporary issues that will bring new insight to art criticism—vanguard visions that are yet to be fully realized.

MODERATOR

Hrag Vartanian
The editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic, Hrag Vartanian is an art critic, curator, artist, and lecturer on contemporary art with an expertise on the intersection of art and politics. Some of his notable essays from the past few years include the forward to The Artist as Culture Producer, which is titled “Imagining the Future Before Us,” his keynote at the American Craft Council’s 2019 national conference, and his criticism of “Tribute in Light.”

SPEAKERS

Jasmine Amussen
Jasmine Amussen is the editor of Burnaway. Born in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, she has lived in the South for most of her working life. She is a 2020 MacDowell Calderwood Fellow of Journalism.

Jongwoo Jeremy Kim
Jongwoo Jeremy Kim is an Associate Professor of Art History and Critical Theory at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Art. As a specialist of modernism and contemporary art, Kim explores the transdisciplinary intersections of art history, queer studies, and Asian-American decolonial theory. Kim's publications include Painted Men in Britain, Queer Difficulty in Art and Poetry, and "Filming the Queerness of Comfort women." As a critic, Kim contributed articles to ASAP/Journal, The Brooklyn Rail, and CAA Reviews.

Greg Tate
Greg Tate is a writer, cultural producer and musician who has lived in Harlem since 1984. He was a Staff Writer at The Village Voice from 1987–2004. His books include Flyboy in The Buttermilk, Everything But The Burden—What White People Are Taking From Black Culture and Midnight Lightning: Jimi Hendrix And The Black Experience. In 1985 Tate helped co-found the Black Rock Coalition with Vernon Reid and other firebrands of the era. Since 1999 he has led the Conducted Improv ensemble, Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber, who've released 16 albums on their own AvantGroidd imprint. The group also recently launched the band Rebellum, which they call ''our avant-pop splinter-cell unit.'

Kaelen Wilson-Goldie
Kaelen Wilson-Goldie is a writer and critic based in New York and Beirut. A contributing editor for Bidoun, she writes regularly for Artforum, Aperture, and Afterall, among other publications. She spent a decade working as a reporter and editor for newspapers in the Middle East and continues to cover the intersections of art, culture, and politics in the Arab world. She was a 2007 fellow in the USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Journalism Fellowship Program and won a grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation Art Writers Grant Program in 2013. Her first book,Etel Adnan, on the paintings of the Lebanese-American poet Etel Adnan, was published in 2018.

Revue de Presse Colloque "Les femmes et l'art au Maghreb"

Le colloque sur «les femmes et l’art au Maghreb» a ouvert ses portes le 22 septembre à la Faculté des Sciences de l’Education à Rabat. Jusqu’au 23 septembre, artistes, critiques, commissaires d’expositions, directrices de centres d’art et de musées, journalistes et universitaires ont débattu de la place des femmes dans le monde de l’art.

Le colloque sur «les femmes et l’art au Maghreb» a ouvert ses portes le 22 septembre à la Faculté des Sciences de l’Education à Rabat. Jusqu’au 23 septembre, artistes, critiques, commissaires d’expositions, directrices de centres d’art et de musées, journalistes et universitaires débattront de la place des femmes dans le monde de l’art.Organisé par l’Association internationale des Critiques d’art, l’AICA International, et sa section marocaine, dans le cadre du Programme de Participation UNESCO 2020-2021 et en partenariat avec la Faculté des Sciences de l’Education –Université Mohammed V de Rabat, ce colloque ambitionne de valoriser l’apport des femmes dans le processus de dynamisation de la création au Maghreb, par leur engagement et leur innovation dans tous les domaines des activités artistiques ou encore par la gestion des institutions et lieux d’art. Et pour cause, la question de la visibilité des femmes ne se situe pas qu’à l’échelle des artistes, elle intervient dans tous les métiers qui se greffent autour de l’écosystème artistique, dans les galeries, les musées, le commissariat, le journalisme…

Il s'agit ainsi de permettre de faire une espèce de topographie de la présence féminine dans le milieu de l’art au Maghreb au-delà de toute ségrégation genrée. L’idée étant de recenser les difficultés ou les avantages que ces femmes rencontrent dans la pratique de leur métier tout en mettant en lumière les passerelles culturelles qui existent entre le Maroc, l’Algérie et la Tunisie.

Retrouver l’article complet sur le site de la revue le360 : https://fr.le360.ma/culture/videos-les-femmes-et-lart-au-maghreb-entre-avancees-et-obstacles-246188

Prix AICA France 2021

On Tuesday September 21, the 9th edition of the AICA France Art Critics' Award was held at the INHA auditorium. Every year the AICA France section appoints 10 French-speaking art critics to present the work of an artist around the projection of 20 images for a total duration of 6 minutes 40. Inspired by the principe of PechaKucha, the Prize invites to experiment the performative dimension of the art critic.

The 2021 winners of this original award are :

- AICA France Prize : Camille Bardin who presented the artist Kubra Khademi.

- Special Prize : Elisa Rusca who presented the artist Nina Haab. Elisa Rusca is a member of AICA Switzerland, and a member of AICA International Board.

- Special Prize : Laurent Courtens who presented the artist Eric Van Hove. Laurent Courtens is a member of AICA Belgium.

The members of the jury were : Régine Hatchondo (President of the Centre du Livre) ; Antje Kramer-Mallordy (Director of the Archives de la Critique d'Art); Marc Partouche (Secretary General of AICA International); Sandra Patron (Director of the CAPC- museum of contemporary art Bordeaux); Rafael Pic (editor in chief of the Quotidien de l'art)

Laurent Courtens, Camille Bardin and Elisa Rusca

LES FEMMES ET L'ART AU MAGHREB

Colloque organisé par L’AICA International et l’AICA Maroc, dans le cadre du programme de participation de l’UNESCO, et avec le partenariat de la Faculté des Sciences de l’Éducation-Université Mohammed V de Rabat. 

Date: 22 et 23 Septembre 2021

Lieu: Faculté des Sciences de l’Éducation de Rabat Boulevard Mohammed Ben Abdellah Regragui-Madinat Al Irfane, Rabat.

Colloque ouvert au public sur inscription et dans la limite des places disponibles suivant les règles de restriction sanitaire : info.femmesetartaumaghreb@gmail.com

Le colloque « Les femmes et l’art au Maghreb » qui a bénéficié du soutien de l’UNESCO concerne prioritairement les trois pays du Nord-Ouest de l’Afrique maghrébine que sont le Maroc, l’Algérie et la Tunisie. Ces rencontres sont organisées par l’AICA International (l’Association Internationale des Critiques d’art) et l’AICA Maroc, avec le partenariat de la Faculté des Sciences de l’Education- Université Mohammed V de Rabat. Cette rencontre sera l’occasion de mettre en exergue l’apport des femmes dans le processus de dynamisation de la création au Maghreb, par leur engagement et leur innovation dans tous les domaines des activités artistiques ou encore par la gestion des institutions et lieux d’art. 

La grande diversité de modalités d’action dans le domaine des arts a conduit à prévoir quatre panels complémentaires:
1) la critique au sens large, qui couvre aussi bien l’écriture et la rédaction de textes monographiques, d’essais, d’articles journalistiques, que la médiatisation via tous les moyens techniques actuels, les politiques d’édition et le commissariat d’exposition;
2) les institutions telles que musées ou fondations qui concrétisent les écritures de l’histoire de l’art nationale;
3) les artistes qui témoignent de leur engagement par leurs créations;
4) les lieux et les espaces qui contribuent à la promotion et à la production d’œuvres comme les centres d’arts, les associations et les galeries d’art.

Ce colloque, ses contenus, ses objectifs, sa richesse d’intervenantes et d’intervenants, est une occasion de répondre aux impératifs dictés par l’UNESCO, consistant à analyser et à étudier au mieux les prérogatives accordées aux femmes dans le Continent Africain à travers leur multiplicité, leur spécificité et leur exemplarité. 

Avec: Brahim Alaoui, Myriam Amroun, Amina Benbouchta, Rajae Benchemsi, Maya Benchikh El Fegoun, Dounia Benqassem, Nouha Ben Yebdri, Emna Ben Yedder, Saida Ben Zineb, Anissa Bouayad, Fatima Chafaa, Najet Dhahbi, Malika Dorbani Bouabdellah, Abdelaziz Elidrissi, Safaa Erruas, Wafa Gabsi, Rabâa Jedidi, Abdellah Karroum, Rhita El Khayat, Nadira Laggoune-Aklouche, Jacques Leenhardt, Amina Menia, Yasmina Naji, Elisabeth Piskernik, Nadia Sabri, Meryem Sebti, Wassyla Tamzali, Dalel Tangour, Rachida Triki, Farid Zahi, Najah Zarbout

COMITÉ SCIENTIFIQUE

Rachida Triki, professeure d’esthétique et de philosophie de l’art, Université de Tunis 
Nadia Sabri, critique et commissaire d’exposition, professeure d’histoire de l’art à l’Université Mohammed V de Rabat, Présidente de l’AICA Maroc 
Nadira Laggoune-Aklouche, commissaire d’exposition, directrice du Musée National d’Art Moderne et Contemporain d’Alger-MAMA (2016-2020) 
Malika Dorbani Bouabdellah, historienne de l’art, directrice du Musée des Beaux-Arts d’Alger (1977-1994) 
Ramon Tió Bellido, critique et historie

COMITÉ D’ORGANISATION

Marc Partouche, secrétaire général de l’AICA International
Nadia Sabri, Présidente de l’AICA Maroc, et coordinatrice du colloque

COMITÉ DE SOUTIEN

Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, Présidente de l’AICA International
Brahim Alaoui, membre du bureau chargé des relations internationales et de la coopération à l’AICA
Maroc Jacques Leenhardt, Président d’Honneur de l’AICA International
Henry Meyric-Hughes, Président d’Honneur de l’AICA International

Cliquez ici pour télécharger le programme

A lire une interview de Nadia Sabri, présidente d’AICA Maroc dans le magazine Le 360 :

RABAT ABRITERA LE COLLOQUE «LES FEMMES ET L’ART AU MAGHREB»

Cuestiones del arte (del 7 de agosto al 11 de septiembre)

NEW ISSUE - The international review for art criticism #56

Actualité internationale de la littérature critique sur l’art contemporain Printemps/été 2021 N°56
/
The International Review of Contemporary Art Criticism
Spring/Summer 2021
 

Artiste et auteur invités dans ce numéro :

John Akomfrah et Michel Thévoz

Sujets au sommaire :

L'Art anglais à l'heure du Brexit •  Imager le pouvoir • Ecologie et pandémie • Paysage et art contemporain • Art, politique et socialisme d'Etat • Artistes femmes et féminismes en Italie • Dakar, laboratoire des arts de l'Afrique • Le voyage comme objet d'archives

96 contributions rédactionnelles nationales et internationales

Revue imprimée – 176 pages – Bilingue (français/anglais)
/
Print journal – 176 pages – Bilingual (French/English)

Grab your copy here / Découvrez le nouveau numéro ici: https://www.archivesdelacritiquedart.org/revue-critique-d-art/numero-56

AICA INT. WEBINAR

Projet AICA/UNESCO à Rabat : rencontre avec les membres du comité scientifique

AICA International Webinaire autour du projet de rencontres “Les femmes et l’art au Maghreb : artistes, critiques, commissaires d’exposition, directrices de centres d’art et de musées, universitaires…” organisées par l’AICA International et l’AICA Maroc dans le cadre du Programme de Participation UNESCO 2020-2021 en partenariat avec la Faculté des Sciences de l’éducation- Université Mohammed V de Rabat les 22 et 23 septembre 2021.

Webinaire Avec les membres du comité scientifique : Malika Dorbani-Bouabdellah, Nadira Laggoune-Aklouche, Nadia Sabri, Rachida Triki

Modération : Ramon Tio Bellido, chargé de mission Afrique pour l’AICA

Mercredi 30 Juin 2021 à 18h (Paris)

Langue : Français

Pour recevoir le lien Zoom merci de vous inscrire au plus tard le 28 juin à l’adresses suivante : aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

AICA INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR: Art Criticism in time of the current crisis

Thursday 1st & Friday 2nd July, 2021, 4 pm (BRT)

The Latin American sections of AICA will meet in this webinar in an attempt to reflect on how art criticism is positioned in the face of economic, political, social, environmental challenges, etc. of our present time.

The seminar takes place over two days, July 1 and 2, 2021, at 4:00 pm (Brazil time) with the participation of a representative of the Latin American AICA chapters, with a duration of two hours each day. The participants will have a time of 15 minutes to present their concepts followed by  a moderator's synthesis of the previous presentations;  to finish, a reasonable space-time will be given for questions and answers.Introduced by Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves (Brazil), International President of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), Paris.

SESSION  1
July, 1st

Argentina: Laura Casanova
Brazil: Maria AméliaBulhões
South Caribbean: Mathilde dos Santos
Colombia: Oscar Roldán-Alzate
Chile: Gonzalo Leiva

Moderator: María Luz Cárdenas, Venezuela

SESSION 2

July, 2nd
Mexico: Algeria Castillo
Paraguay: Damian Cabrera
Puerto Rico: Abdías Mendez Robles
Dominican Republic: Carlos Acero
Venezuela: Bélgica Rodríguez
Moderator: Gerardo Mosquera, Colombia

Language: Spanish

Registration by Tuesday, June 27th : aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

La Crítica de arte ante las crisis actuales

Jueves 1 y Viernes 2 de Julio de 2021, 4pm (BRT)

Las secciones latinoamericanas de AICA se reúnen en este seminario en un intento para reflexionar sobre cómo se posiciona la crítica de arte ante los retos económicos, políticos, sociales, medioambientales, etc. de nuestro tiempo presente.

El seminario se realizará en dos días, 1 y 2 de julio 2021, a las 16h. (hora de Brasil) con la participación de un representante de cada sección latino americana, con duración de dos horas para cada día. Cada participante tendrá un tiempo de 15 minutos para exponer sus conceptos, siguiendo el moderador con una síntesis de lo expuesto.Para finalizarse dará un espacio-tiempo prudencial para preguntas y respuestas.

SESIÓN I

1 de julio

Argentina: Laura Casanova

Brasil: Maria Amélia Bulhões

Caribe Sur: Mathilde Santos

Colombia: Oscar Roldán-Alzate

Chile: Gonzalo Leiva

Moderadora: María Luz Cárdenas,Venezuela

SESIÓN II

2 de julio.

México: Argelia Castillo

Paraguay: Damián Cabrera

Puerto Rico: Abdías Mendez Robles

República Dominicana: Carlos Acero Ruiz

Venezuela: Bélgica Rodríguez

Moderador: Gerardo Mosquera, Colombia

Gratuito, registrarse hasta el 27 de junio : aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

La Critique d’art en temps de crise

Jeudi 1er et Vendredi 2 Juillet 2021, 16h (BRT)

Les sections latino-américaines de l'AICA se réunissent dans l’organisation d’un webinaire pour réfléchir à la critique d'art face aux enjeux économiques, politiques, sociaux, défis environnementaux, etc. de notre temps présent.

Le séminaire se déroulera sur deux jours, les 1er et 2 juillet 2021, à 16h00. (heure du Brésil) avec la participation d'un représentant des sections latino-américaines de l'AICA, pour une durée de deux heures. Chacun des participants disposera de 15mn pour sa présentation ; le modérateur réalisera une synthèse des interventions; pour finir, un espace-temps raisonnable sera accordé aux questions et réponses.

SESSION I

1er Juillet

Argentine: Laura Casanova

Brésil: Maria Amélia Bulhões

Caraïbes du Sud: Mathilde Santos

Colombie: Oscar Roldán-Alzate

Chili: Gonzalo Leiva

Moderation: María Luz Cárdenas, Venezuela

SESSION II

2 Juillet

Mexique: Argelia Castillo

Paraguay: Damián Cabrera

Puerto Rico: Abdías Mendez Robles

Repúblique Dominicaine: Carlos Acero Ruiz

Venezuela: Bélgica Rodríguez

Moderation : Gerardo Mosquera, Colombie

Inscription gratuite avant le 27 juin : aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

AICA WEBINAR: Tomáš Štrauss. Essays on European Avant-Gardes

Wednesday 9 June, 2021, 16.00 – 17.30 European Central Time.

A discussion in English, to mark the publication of the third volume in the series, Art Critics of the World, jointly published by AICA Press, Paris and Les presses du réel, Dijon.

Introduced by Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves (Brazil), International President of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), Paris.

Moderated by Henry Meyric Hughes (UK), Hon. President of AICA, with the participation of the publication’s three editors: Daniel Grŭń (Bratislava), Jean-Marc Poinsot (Series Editor, Rennes), Henry Meyric Hughes (London).

Featuring a dialogue between Andrea Euringer Bátorová (AICA Slovakia), whose review of this publication, in English, appears on ARTMargins (5 February 2021), and the AICA member (Slovakia), Daniel Grŭń.

Andrea Euringer Bátorová is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University, Bratislava. Her research focuses on alternative and unofficial art and its societal contextualisation, between the 1960s and the 1980s, in Eastern Europe and, especially, in former Czechoslavakia. She has published extensively in this field, most recently in her books, The Art of Contestation: Performative Practices in Slovakia in the 1960s and 1970s (2019) and Art as Life and Life as Art: from Ready-Made to Street Art, Comenius University, Bratislava, 2020

Daniel Grŭň is an art historian, curator, writer and AICA member, working as Associate Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design and the Institute of Art History, Slovak Academy of Sciences, in Bratislava. His conducts research in the fields of artists’ archives, the legacy of neo-avant-gardes, and contemporary arts.

He co-curated the international retrospective, Július Koller: One Man Anti Show in mumok, Vienna (2017). Recently he co-edited the volumes White Space in White Space, 1973−1982. Stano Filko, Miloš Laky, Ján Zavarský (Vienna, 2021), and was editor of Subjective Histories. Self-Historicisation as Artistic Practice in Central-East Europe (Bratislava, 2020). He is in charge of the Július Koller Society, lives and works in Bratislava.

Registration by Tuesday 8 June: aicainternacional.webinar@gmail.com

N.B. This event will be recorded.

Andrea Euringer Bátorová’s  review of AICA’s Tomáš Štrauss in ARTMargins (05/02/2021) may be found at: https://artmargins.com/ostkunst-a-different-yet-similar-art-some-notes-on-the-complexity-of-tomas-strausss-thought/ “

Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung Winner of The Seventh International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC)

The Seventh International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC) Announces Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung as Winner of the First Prize

In May 2021, the international jury panel for the Seventh International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC) held an online meeting hosted by the Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum to deliberate over the submissions and decide on a winner. After two days of intense discussions on May 14-15, it was announced that Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung, based in Berlin, had been awarded the first prize worth 80,000 yuan and a short residence in Shanghai.

Cheung won with a review titled: Aftermath: Lessons in Futurity from Lawrence Abu Hamdan, which is about the exhibition of Lawrence Abu Hamdan on YouTube. Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung is a writer based in Berlin, and founding editor of institutional critique platform Decolonial Hacker. He studied art history, gender studies and law at the University of Sydney, and is currently the curatorial assistant at the Julia Stoschek Collection, Berlin.

Peter S Brock, based in New York, and Wang Kaimei and Zhang Hao, both based in Shanghai, won joint second prizes, worth 10,000 yuan each.

This year, the IAAC7 received a record 253 submissions in both Chinese and English from authors based in 34 countries around the world. The largest number of submissions were from China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and Russia, accounting for 83% of the total.

There were 136 Chinese-language submissions, representing an increase of 7.9% compared with last year, with authors based in 24 provinces, cities and regions across China. The top three sources of submissions were Beijing, Shanghai and Sichuan Province, while Chinese-language submissions from overseas authors accounted for 18%, which was significantly lower than 31% received for the IAAC6. Among the domestic exhibitions critiqued by the entrants, 29% were in Shanghai, ranking first, followed by Beijing with 21%.

There were 117 English-language submissions, with the largest number from the United Kingdom followed by the United States. These two, combined, accounted for 49% of the total English entries, while 11 from China accounted for a further 9%.

Over the past seven years, the International Awards for Art Criticism have seen their international reach gradually grow. This year attracted submissions for the first time from entrants based in Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Afghanistan, and Albania.

Since the beginning, the International Awards for Art Criticism have received a total of 1,612 valid submissions from authors in 74 countries and regions around the world. There has been a total of 24 winners and 103 finalists selected from among contestants, including curators, artists, authors and freelance writers, as well as teachers, students, art industry figures and people who simply love and appreciate art.

This year’s jury panel was composed of five judges: Ding Ning, Professor of Art History and Theory, Peking University; Ken Neil, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities, The Royal College of Art; Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, President of the International Association of Art Critics; Richard Dyer, Editor-in-Chief of Third Text; and Pauline J. Yao, Lead Curator, Visual Art, M+ Hong Kong.

After two days’ critical scrutiny of forty shortlisted submissions – all of them, anonymised - the jury unanimously decided on four winners:

 First prize winner (English review): Eugene Yiu Nam Cheung

Joint second prize winner (English review): Peter S Brock

Joint second prize winner (Chinese review): Wang Kaimei

Joint second prize winner (Chinese review): Zhang Hao

Henry Meyric Hughes, Chair of the International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC), said: ‘Despite our early anxieties about holding this competition during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many museums and galleries had been closed to the public, we were once again rewarded with numerous submissions from all over the world. For the first time, contenders for these coveted Awards were permitted to review on-line exhibitions, and a number of participants took advantage of this possibility. Overall, the standard of entries in both Chinese and English was high, and the forty anonymised reviews on the final shortlist exceptionally high. Unsurprisingly, the final overall winner and several of the runners-up addressed issues of concern related to the epidemic and its consequences. We are especially grateful to the five highly qualified members of the jury for their fair-mindedness and deep engagement with the texts.’           

20 reviews from the final selection – one half of them in Chinese and the other half in English -, including the four Award-winning reviews, will be published towards the end of the year in the IAAC’s bilingual Exhibitions Reviews Annual 7.

The Seventh International Awards for Art Criticism are sponsored by Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, co-organised by the Royal College of Art (RCA), London and Edinburgh University College of Art (ECA). The chief sponsors are China Minsheng Banking Corp. Ltd and Shanghai Minsheng Art Foundation.

Update on the Fires that affected the Jagger Library at UCT

Karen von Veh (Open Section / South Africa)

Dear AICA Members,

I am sure most of you heard about the devastating fires in Cape Town on Sunday 18th April 2021.  The fires were started by vagrants on the lower slopes of Devil’s Peak (part of the Table Mountain range) and, fanned by strong winds, quickly spread across the landscape and destroyed the Jagger Library at the University of Cape Town. The fire is a disaster for the University and for scholarship in general as the Jagger library houses the University of Cape Town Libraries Special Collections in African Studies (including important materials relating to the history of African art) and has been noted by The Mail & Guardian newspaper (21 April 2021) as the most extensive collection of African studies material in the world.  The website description of the library holdings includes: printed and audio-visual materials on African studies and a wide array of other specialised subjects, as well as over 1,300 sub-collections of unique manuscripts and personal papers. The collection of books and pamphlets exceeds 85,000 items on African studies alone. The collection of African film is among the most extensive in the world, with over 3,000 films available for viewing and research. Special Collections actively makes digital materials curated by the University – including many of its important photographic collections.

In email correspondence from special collections archivist at UCT, Clive Kirkwood (10 May 2021), I was informed that Michal Singer, Principal Archivist of the Special Collections, is managing a “full scale disaster recovery project  to remove all holdings, triage and treat vulnerable materials by international conservators on site, and relocate material to safe locations away from the risk of water damage.  The recovery project has been running 7 days a week for more than three weeks and is nearing completion.”

In the aftermath of the fire there were reports of complete devastation and total loss of irreplaceable manuscripts.  With the reclamation project underway, however, there is some better news.  Much of the holdings were housed in secure basements which were not damaged by the fire although some lower lying areas were badly affected by flooding and water damage resulting from the fire-fighting measures.  The water damage was limited to a relatively small percentage of holdings and conservators are in the process of attempting to reverse some of this damage by using measures such as deep freezing.  Kirkwood estimates that about one fifth of the archival film holdings sustained water damage.

The upper levels were more directly affected by the fire so material in the reading room of the Jagger Library, and staff offices, processing and storage areas at the levels above it were largely destroyed. Kirkwood explains that this “comprised part of the holdings of the African Studies Library book stock; the African Studies Film Collection of published films (not archival films), part of the Government Publications holdings, and a fairly small number of manuscript archival collections.” He goes on to explain that material that was not burnt but sustained limited water damage includes “the holdings of the African Studies Library in the Dewey sequence 700s to 900s (this includes much related to art, architecture, literature and history) and a collection of publication series including the oldest Cape Almanacs and directories; the Rare and Special Book Collection; the manuscript archival collections kept in the Jagger Library (some 40 percent of the total, 60 percent being housed off-site); and the visual archives comprising archival film and contemporary photograph collections.”

Material in the library that was not damaged includes an extensive African Studies journal collection. Kirkwood also explains that the African Studies Library houses significant sought after research material off-site. This includes the collection of archival publications and periodicals, the entire hardcopy holdings of UCT theses (some reports said the latter had been destroyed); and newspapers that are preserved in the medium and long term.

Kirkwood acknowledges the destruction of archives and infrastructure will leave a considerable gap but his evaluation of lost knowledge concludes in fairly positive terms.  He explains that most of the lost material is not unique and is held in other collections.  In addition, through the reclamation efforts, it appears that more material has survived than was apparent in the immediate aftermath of the fire.

For those wishing to find out more details about the fire and the ongoing recovery efforts I am including some web page links below:

The public Jagger Library Support page at  http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/jagger-recovery which now also has a link on the page to a blog Memory@UCT in which updates are posted: http://blogs.uct.ac.za/memory/jagger-library-recovery/ ).

Some information similar to the contents of this report is in the blog at http://blogs.uct.ac.za/memory/2021/04/mourning-session-report/  

Other updates and pictures appear on the Twitter accounts of @UCTLibrary and @UCTLibrary_SC as well as the Facebook account of UCT Libraries.

 The Special Collections website at www.specialcollections.uct.ac.za

NEW AICA PUBLICATION: WALTER GRASSKAMP, The Angel Vanishes. Profiles in Postmodern Art

This volume commemorates AICA’s award to Walter Grasskamp of its Prize for a Distinguished Contribution to Art Criticism.

Fascinated by how artists must build up, develop, and defend their work, Walter Grasskamp wrote numerous portraits of artists between 1979 and 2019. They span four decades of writing about contemporary art, driven by enthusiasm and scepticism, in equal measure.

Under the poetic title An Angel Vanishes, he has collected nineteen monographic portraits of artists, which appear here in chronological order. The anthology focuses on the work of artists with whom he has been associated over a number of years longer period of time and has written about on several occasions, which is why there are two essays each on Hans Haacke, Sigmar Polke, and Gerhard Richter. In addition to these and other artist personalities such as Joseph Beuys and Anselm Kiefer, who achieved an early international breakthrough, lesser-known artists with their idiosyncratic works, including Markus Raetz, Aldo Walker, Axel Kasseböhmer, and Ben Willikens, also receive attention.

The main body of texts is followed by Grasskamp’s detailed reflections on the Art Market Hangover, in which he discusses the changing role of art criticism. This public sphere is critically questioned by him time and again with the same wry humour that is exemplified in the title of his recent book, Das Kunstmuseum, eine erfolgreiche Fehlkonstruktion (The Art Museum, a Successful Folly).

Nevertheless, Grasskamp never gave up art criticism. Even when he began teaching at universities and art academies, he continued to write for newspapers, magazines, and catalogues. He became known for his expertise in the fields of political theory and the social history of the museum, the exhibition business, and art in public spaces. His conversations with painters, curators and gallerists have made a significant contribution to the oral history of post-war German art.

The book concludes with an encomium by the author and art historian Julia Voss and Walter Grasskamp’s acceptance speech on the occasion of the award ceremony, which he delivered to the participants in the 52nd International AICA Congress (Cologne/Berlin) on 1 October 2019.

The English version is published by AICA Press/les presses du réel. ISBN 978-2-37896-221-0. Price: 22 euro.

Previous publications in this series:

• Ticio Escobar, La invención de la distancia/The Invention of Distance (bilingual edition), n.d. AICA Press/ Ridinghouse, London, 5 x 9.13 in, publ. 8 Jan. 2014. Price $25.00. ISBN 9781905464495164. Obtainable from: info@ridinghouse.co.uk

• Lee Yil, Dynamics of Expansion and Reducttion – Selected Writings on Korean Contemporary Art, 2018. Engl. ed. 17 x 23 cm. (softcover), 216 pp. (b.& w. ill.), publ .Feb. 2018. Price 18.00 €ISBN9782840669722. AICA Press/Les presses du réel, Dijon.

=> GO TO AICA PUBLICATIONS

STATEMENT ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN CUBA

As a global organization anxious to improve international cooperation in the fields of artistic creativity, mediation and endeavour, AICA is committed to defending freedom of expression as a basic civil and human right. We therefore feel compelled to draw attention to the deteriorating relations between the government of Cuba and artists linked to the 27N activist group and San Isidro movement. Arbitrary arrests and harassment, crackdowns on protestors, and direct targeting of individuals with defamatory statements have been reliably reported. So far, the response from authorities has been to disqualify the groups as anti-Cuban agents, deflecting attention from legitimate grievances and closing the door to dialogue.

Four months ago, in November 2020, police stormed a house in the San Isidro district of Havana, purportedly to enforce health regulations, and arrested artists engaged in protesting against censorship. Though almost all were subsequently released, a steady escalation of tensions followed, culminating in a confrontation on 27 January 2021, in which Minister of Culture Alpidio Alonso reacted to protestors with a display of personal violence. Two months on from that incident, a campaign of intimidation has taken hold, with authorities citing the activists as “mercenaries”, disparaging the reputations of established artists, inciting resentment against them and even releasing their personal data – phone numbers and private audio messages – on national media outlets. Such actions generate a climate of fear and intimidation under which artists are pressured into silence. We view this as a cause for grave concern.

AICA calls on the government of Cuba to curtail individuals and agencies that act against the principle of human dignity enshrined in the ideals of the Revolution.

Regardless of their political opinions, criminalizing artists and stifling dissent are never acceptable practices under the rule of law.

On behalf of AICA International,

Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, International President

Rafael Cardoso, Chair of Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee

Download this letter on a .pdf file

Statement for Anadolu Kültür

The Turkish Trade Ministry has filed a lawsuit to dissolve Anadolu Kültür, a not-for-profit institution operating since 2002. Anadolu Kültür is a cultural agency that brings together artists and the public, in the spirit of mutual understanding and respect for difference, by way of social projects emphasizing cultural diversity as well as artistic expression and training. Its closure would deprive audiences of a popular cultural platform and impact negatively a large number of art professionals.The Ministry alleges that the organization’s activities go “against public order or the field of operation of the business” on the grounds that it “carries out its activities without profit, similar to associations and foundations”. This is the first such lawsuit filed in Turkey’s history and represents a clear attempt to instrumentalize the country’s commercial code as a weapon to silence cultural dialogue and thwart freedom of expression. It sets an ominous precedent for all those whose opinions do not reflect a particular government's views. AICA stands in solidarity with Anadolu Kültür and condemns the pending termination lawsuit against it as an unambiguous example of lawfare. We call upon the Turkish government and especially the Minister of Trade to reconsider this decision, which goes against the interests of so many Turkish citizens.

Lisbeth Rebollo-Gonçalves, AICA International President

Rafael Cardoso, AICA Chair of Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee

Find HERE the letter in pdf format