3rd Round Results - Résultats du 3ème tour - Resultados de la 3ª vuelta

Dear Colleagues,

The third and final round in the presidential election organized by the AICA International Office and supervised by the EMC Committee ended on January 28th 12pm (CET).

For this third round we reached 16,77% of participation with 780 votes.

Che.r.e.s membres,

Le scrutin du troisième et dernier tour de l'élection pour la présidence de l’AICA International organisé par le Bureau de l’AICA et supervisé par le Comité EMC s’est terminé le 28 janvier à 12h (CET).

Le taux de participation pour ce dernier scrutin est de 16,77% avec 780 votes.

Estimados/as miembros,

El escrutinio de la tercera y última vuelta de las elecciones a la Presidencia de AICA Internacional, organizado por el Buró de AICA y supervisado por el CEM, se cerró el 28 de enero a las 12h00 (CET).

La participación en esta tercrea vuelta de las elecciones fue del 16,77%, con 780 votos emitidos.

The results are / Les résultats sont les suivants / Los resultados son los siguientes

  • Malgorzata Kazmierczak: 407 votes / voix / votos

  • Mathilde Roman: 326 votes / voix / votos

  • No: 4 votes / voix / votos

  • Abstentions: 9 votes / voix / votos

  • Blank votes: 34

Congratulations to the new President of AICA International

Malgorzata Kaźmierczak (AICA Poland)

AICA's general assembly has appointed Christian Chambert (b. 1940) as International Honorary Member.

 

Foto: Stewen Quigley

 

Christian Chambert is one of AICA’s most devoted members. Ever since 1975, for a full 48 years, he has been continuously active in various positions, both in the international AICA and its Swedish section.

In international AICA, Mr. Chambert has been vice president for a maximum of twelve years and has been a member and chairman of several committees since the 1980s. During his chairmanship of the statutes committee, the statutes and regulations were updated from scratch in 2016. As a treasurer, secretary and then chairman from 1978 – 2013, Mr. Chambert made AICA Sweden the third largest section after France and the USA.

Mr. Chambert has overseen several national and international roundtable discussions, specifically in collaboration with Kim Levin and the Swedish AICA's board, he conducted round table discussions in Frankfurt, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Luxembourg and Sarajevo.

A highlight was the AICA congress in Stockholm and Malmö in 1994 on the theme “Strategies for Survival – Now!” that included talks by Jimmie Durham, Thomas McEvilley,  Ilya Kabakov, Julia Kristeva and Gerardo Mosquera among others. The congress resulted in an anthology with the same title and the book “Swedish Samples - A Conversation on Contemporary Art”, which introduced the current Swedish art scene.

Beside his deep involvement in AICA, Mr. Chambert has been a teacher at the Department of Art History at Uppsala University, where he introduced the course "Current visual art", which broadened the art field with alternative comics, graffiti, textile images and feminist aesthetics.

In 1977 he published the significant book ”Drömmen Verkligheten Upproret” [Dream Reality Insurrection] and has co-published many other books since then. Mr. Chambert is an industrious contributor to several international and Swedish art magazines. He has been writing art criticism in the newspaper Upsala Nya Tidning, in which he also has for decades tirelessly argued for a centrally located newly built art museum in his hometown of Uppsala.

AICA Sweden

INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE

EXHIBITIVE CARTOGRAPHIES II

Critical Instrumentation, Exhibitive and Curatorial Narratives
 
Croatian Architects’ Association

25 January, 2024

ORGANIZED by Croatian Section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA Croatia)

CO-ORGANIZERS Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split

The aim of this conference is to present, examine and contextualise curatorial practices in contemporary art, in Croatian and in a region, but also specifically in regard to our lecturer Pedro Lorente’s thesis on “museums as cathedrals of urban modernity”. (1)  It is important to note that the history of curatorial practices is a relatively little studied area in Croatian art history, while it is increasingly present at the international level. Our objective with this conference is to address this important subject at the crossroads of art criticism, theory and practice. The starting point of the conference is the curatorial figure of Želimir Koščević, the 2018 laureate of AICA Croatia’s Annual Award and Lifetime Achievement Award.

INVITED LECTURERS

Maja Ćirić, PhD (curator and independent researcher, Belgrade, Serbia); Professor Marina Gržinić, PhD (Institute of Philosophy ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana, Slovenia); Želimir Koščević (curator, Zagreb, Croatia); Jovanka Popova (curator, Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, North Macedonia)

The conference is supported by AICA International and City of Zagreb, City Office for Culture and Civil Society. We would like to thank DAZ for providing the space for the conference.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Assistant Professor Silva Kalčić, PhD (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split), President of AICA Croatia with Associate Professor Asja Mandić, PhD (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sarajevo) and Professor Krešimir Purgar, PhD (Academy of Arts and Culture, J.J. Strossmayer University, Osijek)

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE ASSISTANT

Miona Muštra (lecturer at Academy of Fine Arts, University of Zagreb)

The conference EXHIBITIVE CARTOGRAPHIES III will be held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split, on 14 May, 2024.

The conference is part of a wider program that includes the workshop “How to Write about Contemporary Art” which seeks to examine relations between art and contemporarity, the discourses that shape them and figures who produce them.  The workshop in 2024 will be held in Zagreb, in collaboration with ULUPUH  and in Rijeka, in collaboration with the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU).

1. Jesus Pedro Lorente, Cathedrals of Urban Modernity: The First Museums of Contemporary Art 1800-1930, Farnham: Ashgate, 1998.

2nd Round Results - Résultats du 2nd tour - Resultados de la 2ª vuelta

Dear Colleagues,

The second round of the presidential election, organized by the AICA International Office and supervised by the EMC Committee, concluded on January 17th at 12 pm (CET).

During this second round, we achieved a participation rate of 14.95%, with a total of 685 votes.

Che.r.e.s membres,

Le scrutin du second tour de l'élection pour la présidence de l’AICA International organisé par le Bureau de l’AICA et supervisé par le Comité EMC s’est terminé le 17 janvier à 12h (CET).

Estimados/as miembros,

El escrutinio de la segunda vuelta de las elecciones a la Presidencia de AICA Internacional, organizado por el Buró de AICA y supervisado por el CEM, se cerró el 17 de enero a las 12h00 (CET).

La participación en esta segunda vuelta de las elecciones fue del 14,95%, con 685 votos emitidos.

The results are / Les résultats sont les suivants / Los resultados son los siguientes

  • Malgorzata Kazmierczak: 273 votes / voix / votos

  • Mathilde Roman: 198 votes / voix / votos

  • Elisa Rusca: 179 votes / voix/ votos

  • No: 2 votes / voix / votos

  • Abstentions: 5 votes / voix / votos

  • Invalid votes: 28

Third round / Troisième tour / Tercera vuelta

Since the election requires an absolute majority, a third round of voting will take place from 22 to 28 January. The candidates are:

L'élection se faisant à la majorité absolue, nous sommes conduits à engager un troisième tour du 22 au 28 janvier avec:

Dado que las elecciones se celebraron por mayoría absoluta, del 22 al 28 de enero tendrá lugar una tercera vuelta electoral con:

 

Małgorzata Kaźmierczak (Poland)

APPLICATION (Part 1): ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

APPLICATION (Part 2): ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

CV: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

NOMINATION LETTER: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

VIDEO PRESENTATION

ENGLISH | SPANISH

Mathilde Roman (France)

APPLICATION: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

CV: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

NOMINATION LETTER: FRENCH

VIDEO PRESENTATION

ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

Schedule of the Presidential Election

  • 22th to 28th January: 3rd Round of Elections - Simple majority online voting

All paid-up members before the electoral process begins will receive an email from the eballot voting platform on January 22 at 12pm (CET), with a link to vote and personal usernames / access codes.

For more details on the process refer to : E-vote Protocol

If you encounter any issues or face difficulties while voting, please contact us at : aicainternationalelection@gmail.com

Calendrier de l'élection pour la présidence

  • 22 au 28 janvier : 3ème tour des élections - Vote en ligne à la majorité simple

Tous les membres à jour de leur cotisation avant le début du processus électoral recevront un courriel de la plateforme de vote eballot le 22 janvier à 12h (CET), avec un lien pour voter et des noms d'utilisateur/codes d'accès personnels.

Pour plus d’information voici un petit guide pratique : E-vote Protocol

Si vous avez des difficultés pour voter merci de nous contacter : aicainternationalelection@gmail.com

Calendario de la elección de la Presidencia

  • Del 22 al 28 de enero: 3ª vuelta de las elecciones - Votación en línea por mayoría simple

Todos los miembros abonados antes del inicio de las elecciones recibirán un correo electrónico de la plataforma de votación eballot el 22 de enero a las 12h (CET), con un enlace para votar y los nombres de usuario / códigos de acceso personales.

Para más detalles sobre el proceso : E-vote Protocol

Si tiene algún problema para votar, póngase en contacto con nosotros : aicainternationalelection@gmail.com

 

AICA Election Results

Treasurer - 4 years mandate

* Jesus Pedro Lorente : 33 Yes - 1 No - 2 Abstentions --> elected 

Vice-Presidents - 3 years mandate

* Rui G. Cepeda: 33 Yes - 3 No - 5 Abstentions --> elected

* Margarita Grullon Perea: 25 Yes - 9 No - 6 Abstentions --> elected

* Roula Matar Perret: 20 Yes - 10 No - 8 Abstentions --> not elected

* Danièle Perrier: 29 Yes - 6 No - 5 Abstentions --> elected

International Board Members - 1 year mandate

* Laura Batkis: 30 Yes - 3 No - 8 Abstentions --> elected

* Ana Lucia Beck: 30 Yes - 4 No - 7 Abstentions --> elected

* Susana Benko: 33 Yes - 2 No - 6 Abstentions --> elected

* Sandra Hitner: 29 Yes - 3 No - 8 Abstentions --> elected

* Mihaela Ion: 35 Yes - 1 No - 4 Abstentions --> elected

*Gonzalo Leiva Quijada: 29 Yes - 5 No - 6 Abstentions --> elected

* Robert-Jan Muller: 29 Yes - 5 No - 6 Abstentions --> elected

* Mathilde Roman: 24 Yes - 7 No - 9 Abstentions --> elected

* Bernhard Schulz: 30 Yes - 2 No - 8 Abstentions --> elected

Honorary president

* Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves: 28 Yes - 5 No - 1 Abstention --> elected

Chair of the Censorship committee

* Niilofur Farrukh 23 Yes - 1 No - 7 Abstentions --> elected for a 3 years mandate

RESULTS OF AICA AWARDS: INCENTIVE PRIZE FOR YOUNG ART CRITICS 2023

 

3rd prize: Tabish Rafiq Mir (Indian-administered Kashmir)

Essay: Rumours of Spring—A commentary

Thank You:
AICA Awards Committee
AICA Jurors: Jean Bundy (AICA-USA), Sandra Hitner (AICA-Brazil), Marja-Terttu Kivirinta (AICA- Finland), Susana Sulic (AICA-France), Niilofur Farrukh (AICA Pakistan), Esra Yildiz (AICA-Turkey), Rui G, Cepeda (AICA-UK)

ONLINE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DECEMBER 15TH AT 3PM (PARIS TIME)

Dear Members

You are invited to the annual General Assembly on Friday 15 December 2023.
All paid-up members may attend the General Assembly and take part in the voting.

December 15: Online meeting at 3pm (Paris Time):
The second part of the General Assembly is organised online and dedicated to the points submitted for voting.

Here is the detailed AGENDA

ENGLISH FRENCH SPANISH

THANK YOU TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE to the Office by sending a picture of your AICA Card: aica.office@gmail.com

AICA Academy Webinar

Wednesday, December 13th at 12:00pm (Paris Time)
Language: English
The webinar is free and open to non-members
Please register by sending an email to aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com by 12th December.

AICA Academy was launched in 2020 by Marc Partouche, General Secretary of AICA Int, who inaugurated the program at Paris La Sorbonne. However, the initiative faced a pause due to the pandemic. In 2023, Mathilde Roman, Treasurer of AICA Int, breathed new life into the program, aligning it with the 53rd AICA Congress in Krakow. Recognizing the need for greater inclusivity, the relaunch welcomed art critics worldwide, extending invitations beyond AICA members and including artists.

Ten art critics from diverse corners of the globe were carefully selected through an open call for participation. These individuals were granted the unique opportunity to stay at the House of Empathy in Krakow during the Congress. Facilitated by the active involvement of AICA Int members, the residency fostered an environment for the exchange of ideas, dialogue, and networking.

Throughout the 5-day Congress, AICA Academy participants actively engaged with pressing questions that resonate in the realm of art criticism. Topics such as the motivation behind writing about art, the intertwining roles of language and identities in art discourse, and the economic conditions of art critics were explored. Participants interacted with speakers, posed questions, and actively contributed to the ongoing discussions.

During the upcoming webinar, AICA Academy participants will share their reflections, research findings, and unique perspectives. The audience is invited to actively engage in dialogue, posing questions and contributing to the ongoing discourse. This webinar serves as a continuation of the Academy's mission to foster inclusivity and amplify the voices of emerging art critics.

Election of the President of AICA International: New Schedule

Dear members,

In adherence to established precedents from past presidential elections, we initially communicated that only the top two candidates from the first round would progress to the second round of the AICA Int. presidency election.

However, a critical observation made by one of our esteemed members, Mr. Christian Chambert, has brought to light a precise stipulation within our regulations (Article V9). According to this provision, in the absence of an absolute majority, the three candidates securing the highest positions in the initial round are to be retained for the subsequent round.

Unfortunately, this specific detail had eluded the notice of everyone.

Given this information, coupled with the various technical incidents that marred the voting process, we propose to modify the electoral schedule to ensure transparency, streamline efficiency, and uphold the integrity of the democratic process. This adjustment allows for a necessary breathing space, with the hope that a larger number of voters will participate.

It is our fervent aspiration that the next president will be elected under optimal conditions, ensuring a fair and impartial electoral process.

The revised schedule for the election is as follows:

  • 10th to 17th January 2024: 2nd Round of Elections - Online Voting

  • 22th to 28th January 2024: 3rd Round of Elections - Simple majority online voting (if an absolute majority is not achieved by a candidate in the 2nd round)

We extend our sincere apologies for any inconvenience you may encounter while navigating the electoral processes and sincerely appreciate your understanding. Your support and cooperation are integral to the success and credibility of this democratic undertaking.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

The Secretariat
Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, President
Marc Partouche, Secretary-General

Élection de la Présidence de l’AICA International: Nouveau Calendrier

Che.è.r.e.s membres,

Nous basant sur la jurisprudence des précédents scrutins présidentiels nous avons annoncé que seules les deux candidates arrivées en tête à l'issue du premier tour restaient en lice pour le deuxième tour de l'élection à la présidence de l'AICA Int. 

Suite à une remarque de l'un de nos membres , Christian Chambert, il apparaît que notre règlement stipule très précisément (article V9)  que faute de majorité absolue, ce sont les trois candidats arrivés en tête à l'issue du premier tour qui sont retenus pour le deuxième. 

Ce point avait échappé à tout le monde. 

Au vu de cette information nouvelle et incontournable et après différents incidents techniques qui ont émaillé le vote, nous proposons de remettre le processus électoral sur des bases plus sereines et en laissant un temps de respiration, avec l'espoir également qu'un plus grand nombre de votants sera au rendez-vous.

Notre souhait est que la future présidente soit élue dans les meilleures conditions possibles et avec la plus grande légitimité. 

Les nouvelles dates  sont les suivantes:

  • 10 au 17 janvier 2024 : 2ème tour des élections - Vote en ligne

  • 22 au 28 janvier 2024 : 3ème tour des élections - Vote en ligne à la majorité simple (si un candidat n'atteint pas la majorité absolue au 2ème tour).

Nous sommes vraiment désolés des aléas qui ponctuent le cours de cette élection très importante dans la vie de notre association. Comptant sur votre compréhension et votre mobilisation. Votre soutien et votre coopération sont indispensables à la réussite de cet exercice démocratique.

Cordialement,

Le Bureau
Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, Présidente
Marc Partouche, Secrétaire Général

Elección del Presidente de AICA Internacional: Nuevo calendario

Estimados miembros,

Basándonos en la jurisprudencia de anteriores elecciones presidenciales, anunciamos que sólo los dos candidatos que quedaron en primer lugar en la primera vuelta permanecerían en la carrera para la segunda vuelta de la elección a la presidencia de AICA Int.

A raíz de una observación de uno de nuestros miembros, Christian Chambert, parece ser que nuestro reglamento estipula de forma muy precisa (artículo V9) que en ausencia de mayoría absoluta, los tres candidatos que quedaron primeros en la primera vuelta se mantienen para la segunda vuelta.

Este punto se le había escapado a todo el mundo.

A la vista de esta nueva e ineludible información, y tras los diversos incidentes técnicos que empañaron la votación, proponemos que el proceso electoral vuelva a tener una base más sólida con un respiro, con la esperanza de que vote más gente.

Nuestro deseo es que el futuro Presidente sea elegido en las mejores condiciones y con la mayor legitimidad posibles.

Las nuevas fechas son las siguientes

  • Del 10 al 17 de enero de 2024: 2ª vuelta de las elecciones - Votación en línea

  • Del 22 al 28 de enero de 2024: 3ª vuelta de las elecciones - Votación en línea por mayoría simple (si un candidato no alcanza la mayoría absoluta en la 2ª vuelta).

Sentimos mucho las molestias causadas por estas elecciones tan importantes en la vida de nuestra asociación. Contamos con su comprensión y su compromiso. Su apoyo y cooperación son esenciales para el éxito y la credibilidad de esta empresa democrática.

Atentamente

La Junta Directiva
Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, Presidente
Marc Partouche, Secretario General

Sertão Negro launches call for artistic residencies

 

Photo credit: Jhony Aguiar

Applications for the 2024 Artist Residency Program at Sertão Negro Ateliê e Escola de Artes are open until December 15. Five places are on offer, one international, two national and two local.

The program aims to create a dialogue between the visual arts, the environment and traditional knowledge. This proposal, which is scheduled to take place between May and September 2024 in both national and international modalities, will last four weeks, the first of which will be spent in a Quilombo in the state of Goiás and three weeks at Sertão Negro, located in the Shangri-la neighborhood, in the northern region of Goiânia, capital of the Goiás State. Two places are on offer for the local residency, which also includes this experience in the Quilombola community, lasts 12 months and is aimed at artists or people living in Goiás. For this, Sertão Negro provides structure, resources and guidance to enable training and improvement in contemporary art. Scheduled to begin in May 2024, this type of residency offers a monthly grant of two thousand reais. By encouraging the local economy, community-based tourism and, above all, valuing traditional knowledge, this artistic residency program seeks to stimulate connections between Quilombola communities (daily life and the relationship with the land, their cultural and religious expressions) and artists in their research processes, practice and artistic poetics in the most diverse media, pictorial components and languages. During the three weeks at the Sertão Negro Ateliê e Escola de Artes, located in Goiânia/GO, the resident artists (national and international) have access to accommodation in individual chalets and food; and receive a subsidy of 1500 dollars plus the cost of airfare.

Sertão Negro
Conceived and created in 2021 by visual artist Dalton Paula and his partner Ceiça Ferreira, Sertão Negro Ateliê e Escola de Artes began its activities in 2022; and its purpose is to be a quilombo, an artistic-cultural space for experiences and exchanges with the environment.

The shared studio has a library with a collection of three thousand books, as well as equipment such as an engraving press and an industrial oven. In the backyard, as well as chalets for residents to stay in, there is a shack covered in piassaba straw, where capoeira angola, printmaking and ceramics classes are held, as well as sessions of the Maria Grampinho Film Club, whose curatorial programming highlights black cinematic productions. Built in an area of more than 960 m2 surrounded by various trees, medicinal plants and flowers, Sertão Negro was designed to be ecologically conscious, from collecting rainwater and using bio-construction techniques to preserving species native to the cerrado.

In just two years of existence, this space has made a name for itself on the art scene in the Brazilian Midwest, enabling it to connect internally, with the Goiânia community in general and with various agents in the art market, such as national and international artists, curators, gallery owners and collectors. This Sertão Negro Edital 2024 artist residency program is supported by the Open Society Foundations, through the Soros Arts Fellowship awarded to Dalton Paula in 2023.

"The residency is very important for many reasons. We could start from the perspective of exchange between different territories, countries and cultures; it's a good opportunity for residents to exchange knowledge and meet people. The residency has this character of immersion, of a time that makes it possible to develop research and this has to do with displacement, of leaving your place of comfort and this tensions, creates a situation that can be very favorable for the development of new work in terms of creativity. So, our residency has this proposal of being a leap into the deep, of giving density to be able to develop research," adds Dalton Paula.

Second round of the Presidential Election

Candidates

The three candidates for the second round are MAŁGORZATA KAŹMIERCZAK (AICA Poland), MATHILDE ROMAN (AICA France) and ELISA RUSCA (AICA Switzerland)

Here are their applications :

MAŁGORZATA KAŹMIERCZAK

APPLICATION (Part 1): ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

APPLICATION (Part 2): ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

CV: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

NOMINATION LETTER: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

Video Presentation ENG

Video Presentation ESP

MATHILDE ROMAN

APPLICATION: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

CV: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

NOMINATION LETTER: FRENCH

Video Presentation ENG

Video Presentation FR

Video Presentation ESP

ELISA RUSCA

APPLICATION: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

CV: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

NOMINATION LETTER: ENGLISH I FRENCH I SPANISH

Video Presentation FR

Video Presentation ESP

Video Presentation ENG

New Schedule for Presidential Election

The Ballot for the 2nd round of the Presidential Election will take place between January 10th and 17th, 2024..

All paid-up members will receive an email from the eballot voting platform on Janauary 10th at 12pm (CET) with a link to vote and personal usernames / access codes.

For comprehensive information on the voting process, please refer to the E-vote Protocol

In case of any issues or difficulties during the voting process please contact us: aicainternationalelection@gmail.com

AICA Statement on Artistic Freedom: Defending Jenin Yaseen and Challenging Censorship at the Royal Ontario Museum

As an organization dedicated to defending freedom of artistic expression, AICA expresses grave concern over the recent occurrence at the Royal Ontario Museum, in Canada, involving artist Jenin Yaseen. Days before the scheduled opening of an exhibition titled Death: Life’s Great Mystery, examining different cultural traditions of mourning and burial, the artist was contacted by ROM staff who asked her to alter specific works out of fear they would inflame tensions around the hostilities in Israel and Palestine. The museum then proceeded to interfere with the works, substituting words and cropping an image. After the artist protested by staging a sit-in inside the exhibition, the museum reversed its decision and decided to show the original works accompanied by a disclaimer. The ROM subsequently issued an apology for causing “pain and frustration”, a fact that underscores how arbitrary and precipitated its actions were in the first place.

When museums cannot be relied upon to defend the artists they exhibit and safeguard works of art in their care, but instead engage in censorship and iconoclasm, we have reached a point at which their core institutional mission is at risk. Recent cancellations and postponements of exhibitions at other venues (e.g., Islamic Art at the Frick Pittsburgh, last week; Vkhutemas at the Cooper Union, New York, in February; Philip Guston at Tate Modern, London, in 2020) point to a worrying tendency to sacrifice artistic values to political expediency. In all three cases, the cultural significance of the works is amply recognized, and their historical meaning is uncontroversial. Yet, the respective institutions chose to pratice self-censorship for fear of offending those who would misinterpret their intentions.

AICA believes fervently that the purpose of exhibitions is to make art and culture accessible to those who wish to partake in them. Challenging assumptions, instigating debate and promoting dialogue rank among the most cherished goals of free artistic expression. Fearfulness serves no one except those who seek to control the thoughts of others through intimidation. We call on exhibition venues and cultural professionals everywhere to stand their ground against political belligerence and moral panic. If we do not stand up for art and artists, who will?

On behalf of AICA,
Lisbeth Rebollo GONÇALVES
President of AICA

Rafael CARDOSO
Chair of Censorhip & Freedom of Expression Committee

This is how I write

The art section of the Norwegian Critics’ Association (Norsk kritikerlag) welcomes you to the international, online edition of «This is How I Write» with the invited guests Julia Grosse and Estelle Nabeyrat. Moderated by philosopher, independent researcher, curator, and art critic Sofia M. Ciel. The conversation will be held in English and streamed via Zoom. 

Time and place: 
27 October 2023 at 18:00–19:00, on Zoom and Kunstnernes Hus Kino

ZOOM LINK (Meeting ID: 975 6652 8624)

The work of the critic has been much discussed in recent years; particularly with a focus on the critic and criticism’s increasingly vulnerable situation. The conversation series «This is How I Write» aims to give a professional insight into the art critic’s work as a writing practice. In 2021 and 2023, the Norwegian Critics’ Association conducted four critic talks in Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, and Tromsø, intending to strengthen the conversation around the critic’s role and create a better understanding of the importance of criticism for the local art scene in the listed cities. The international edition seeks to broaden that perspective. We therefore invite two experienced, international critics to a conversation about their work as art critics, and how they operate within their specific fields.

Julia Grosse is co-founder and artistic director of the platform Contemporary And (C&). She is a lecturer at the Institute for Art in Context at the University of the Arts in Berlin and associate curator at Gropius Bau. Grosse studied art history and worked as a columnist and arts journalist in London for taz, FAZ and AD Magazine. She has written and co-edited several books and in 2020 was (together with Yvette Mutumba) the winner of the prize «European Cultural Manager of the Year». At the moment she is curating the solo show «John Akomfrah. A Space of Empathy» at Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt.

Estelle Nabeyrat is a curator and art critic. She lives and works in France and Spain. Her texts are regularly published in various magazines (Camera Austria, Le Quotidien de l’art, Texte zur Kunst, Contemporânea) and catalogues. As a curator, she has organised several exhibitions at Centre d’art Le Lait (Albi), Municipal Galleries of Lisbon, Quadrado Azul Gallery (Lisbon), Neuer Aachner Kunstverein (Aachen), the Republic Museum (Rio de Janeiro) among other venues. Together with Pedro De Lano, she recently completed a research followed by an online curatorial selection entitled «Hors-sol, formes en exil», focusing on Latino & Caribbean artists from the Cnap collection. With Eva Barto, she is a co-founder of the radio show «ForTune» (Duuu* Radio), dealing with art workers’ working conditions. She is currently tutoring at the design department of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Paris-Saclay.

WEBINAR: Above and Under the Radar. Freedom of Artistic Expression in Japan, Turkey, Hungary and Poland

Friday, October 27th

12:00 PM (Paris Time)

Language: English

The webinar is free and open to non-members

Please register by sending an email to aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com by 26th October

One of the main objectives of AICA is “to defend and promote freedom of expression and thought”. Protection of freedom of artistic expression lies within the Guiding Principles of the UNESCO 1980 Recommendation Concerning the Status of the Artist, which calls on member states to protect and defend artists in their freedom to create. Freedom of expression is also referred to as a fundamental right within the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The UN human rights treaties and the Convention, however, contain “exceptions” – restrictions can be applied to expressions that damage “the rights and reputations of others”, that threaten “national security or public order” or “public health or morals”. [1]

The shrinking space for the freedom of expression has been a concern of many AICA members, as well as institutions and NGOs devoted to the protection of human rights. In 2022, the Artistic Freedom Initiative (AFI) published reports on the situation in Poland and Hungary. The document on Poland was partly based on the Report on Censorship prepared by AICA Poland for the AICA Censorship Committee. The document on Hungary was prepared in cooperation with Gergely Nagy (AICA Hungary). Firat Arapoğlu (AICA Türkiye) presented his thoughts on the limitations of the freedom of expression in Türkiye in front of AICA in Paris. Andrew Maerkle (AICA Japan) presented a case of the Aichi Triennial in 2019 and moderated a webinar on the freedom of expression organized by AICA Japan for the sections of AICA in Asia.

Censorship in today’s world, overcome by populism and fascism, is only a tip of an iceberg. In his recent article Jakub Dąbrowski, the author of the most comprehensive study on censorship in Poland between 1989 and 2010 asked: “So maybe it's not time to lament the censorship of the visual arts, ‘when the forests burn’”. [2] The webinar participants will try to answer this, and many further questions concerning the conflict zone between the states and visual arts. They will discuss the most recent cases of censorship, and the strategies of self-defence and resistance, as well as the possible ways forward. Concerning the last topic, especially valuable will be the expertise of Sara Whyatt – the author of the most recent report on Censorship for the Council of Europe and an experienced human rights activist. The conversation will focus on both “above the radar” obvious cases of legal repressions, and the “under the radar”, subtle practices leading to self-censorship. 

[1] Based on: Sara Whyatt, "Free to Create: Artistic Freedom in Europe. Council of Europe report on the freedom of artistic expression," (Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2023), 14.

[2] Jakub Dąbrowski, "Wolność sztuki 2010-2020 albo o kulminacji wielkiej smuty," Magazyn Szum, no. 35 (2021 / 2022): 24-37.

SPEAKERS

Fırat Arapoğlu, Ph.D, is an art historian, art critic, and independent curator. He lives in Istanbul and works as an Asst. Prof. Dr. at Altınbaş University, Department of Common Courses. He has curated many exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. His recent projects include In a Multi-perspective, Group Show (2022, Yarat, Baku, Azerbaijan), Other Urban Order(s), Sophia Grancharova solo exhibition (2022, the ICA, Sofia), Lines of Site, International Traveling Exhibition (2022, Istanbul, Dundee, Barcelona), 6th International Istanbul Biennial for Children and Youth (2022, Istanbul), Unforgettable Future, Krassimir Terziev solo exhibition (2019, Versus Art Projects, Istanbul), Fifth Agreement, Esra Satiroglu solo exhibition (2019, Summart, Istanbul), and Simbart's one-day solo exhibition programs. He co-curated the 3rd Çanakkale Biennial and the 3rd and 4th International Mardin Biennials. Among the art magazines he contributed to in Turkey and abroad are Sanat Dünyamiz, Genç Sanat, Art-Ist Modern & Actual, ICE, ARTAM, Art Unlimited, Critical Culture, RH+, Istanbul Art News, Artdog, Varlık, and Flash Art. In addition, his articles were published in the newspapers Birgün, Cumhuriyet, and SOL. He presented his articles on art and art education at national and international symposiums and wrote book chapters. He gave speeches and workshops at Istanbul Modern Art Museum, Moda Stage, Atelier Maçka, Narmanlı Art, Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center, and Istanbul Bilgi University. He is the vice president of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) 2020-2023.

Jakub Dąbrowski, PhD - graduated in both law and history of art. In 2013 he has completed a PhD thesis at the History of Art Faculty at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. He is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Artistic Research and Curatorial Studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw where he lectures on History of Contemporary Art and Copyright Law. In 2015 he won The Award of the Polish Art Critique for a book Cenzura w sztuce polskiej po 1989 roku (English edition: Censorship in Polish Art after 1989. Art, Law, Politics, Mosaic Press 2019). 

Andrew Maerkle is an art writer, editor, and translator based in Tokyo. He is currently Editorial Director of Art Week Tokyo, an annual event connecting 50 of the city’s leading art spaces through four-days of coordinated programming, and is Deputy Editor of the bilingual online art portal ART iT | International Edition, a position he has held since 2010. From 2020 to 2021 he was Editorial Director of the Bunka-cho Art Platform Japan translation project. From 2006 to 2008 he was Deputy Editor of ArtAsiaPacific in New York, and one of the creators of the magazine’s annual Almanac edition. His book of translations Kishio Suga: Writings, vol. 1, 1969–1979, was published by Skira in 2021. Maerkle contributes to international publications including Aperture, Art & Australia, Artforum, and frieze. He is also active as an educator. From 2018 to 2023 he taught in the Graduate School of Global Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts, and from 2015 to 2018 he led the seminar and publishing project Discourse Lab for the alternative education program MAD (Making Art Different), run by Arts Initiative Tokyo. 

Gergely Nagy (1969), journalist, editor, author. Lives and works in Budapest. His main fields of interest are contemporary art, cultural policies and cultural resistance. After many years in journalism, since 2013, he has been the editor-in-chief first of the online art magazine Artportal, and then of the online magazine A mű (The Artwork). He currently works as a freelancer and he is a PhD fellow at ELTE University in Budapest. He is also the initiator of East Art Mags, a collaborative project of art magazines in the East Central European region. He is one of the founders of the OFF-Biennále Budapest, which has become the largest civic contemporary art initiative in the region. Gergely contributed to several reports dealing with the state of artistic freedom and freedom of speech in Hungary.

Sara Whyatt is a campaigner and researcher on freedom of artistic expression and human rights, notably as director of PEN International ‘s freedom of expression program for over 20 years and previously as a coordinator in Amnesty International’s Asia Research Department. In 2013 she took up freelance consultancy, working on projects including for the Council of Europe Free to Create program, the International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Associations, the Institut fur Auslandsbeziehungen, and the Swedish Arts Council.  She also works for civil society organisations such as Freemuse and PEN International. She has been a member of the EU/UNESCO Expert Facility 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions since 2019 and was the author of the chapters on freedom of artistic expression in the Convention global reports 2018 and 2022. She continues to work with UNESCO developing training programs for governments and CSOs, developing monitoring and reporting strategies to promote artistic freedom under the Convention.

MODERATOR

Małgorzata Kaźmierczak, Ph.D. in History. Since 2004 an independent curator of art projects in Poland and USA, especially performance art events. Researcher and author of many essays and reviews. Between 2011-2014 – editor, writer and translator of livinggallery portal; 2006–2012 – president of the Foundation for the Promotion of Performance Art “Kesher” in Kraków, Poland; 2012–2014 – managing editor of the Art and Documentation journal; 2014–2016 – director of the City Art Gallery of Kalisz, Poland. Between 2016–2017 – editor-in-chief of the Publishing House and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Painting and New Media of the Art Academy of Szczecin, Poland. Currently an Assistant Professor at the KEN University of Krakow. Since 2020, vice-president of AICA Poland and AICA International. Co-author of the report on Censorship in Poland between 2017-2021 for the AICA Censorship Committee, and a participant of the Council of Europe Workshops on the Freedom of Expression in 2022 and 2023, as well as the Artistic Freedom Initiative panel discussion organized at the Columbia University in New York (2022).