Statement Against the Conviction of Sebastian Coronel, Head of the independent space La Chispa in Asunción

The International Association of Art Critics (AICA International), wishes to express its deep concern and protest at the recent conviction of cultural manager Sebastián Coronel, head of the independent space La Chispa in Asunción.

We find it unacceptable that Coronel has been sentenced to nine months in prison for alleged noise-related violations. A sentence of this magnitude is disproportionate and ridiculous, and demonstrates a punitive use of justice against cultural activity.

La Chispa has, for years, been a fundamental place for the circulation of ideas, the practice of contemporary art, and civic engagement in Paraguay. Sebastián Coronel's work is framed within the defence of freedom of expression, cultural diversity, and basic human rights, values that also constitute the core of our mission as an international association.

The conviction against Coronel cannot be read in isolation: it is part of a growing pattern of pressure and sanctions against cultural leaders, artists, and independent spaces around the world. These measures threaten not only artistic freedom, but also the democratic health of societies.

We therefore demand that the Paraguayan authorities urgently review this conviction, respecting the fundamental guarantees of due process and freedom of expression. The persecution and criminalization of cultural actors is unacceptable and contradicts Paraguay's international human rights commitments.

AICA International stands in solidarity with Sebastián Coronel and the entire Paraguayan artistic and cultural community. We will continue to publicly denounce any violation of artistic freedom and call for dialogue with institutions to find solutions that strengthen, rather than weaken, the country's cultural fabric.

Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President of AICA Internacional
Niilofur Farrukh, Chair of the Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee

This statement is also available in Spanish.

AICA Critics' Colloquium at the 36th Sao Paulo Biennial

On the occasion of the 36th São Paulo Biennial, which will take place from September 6th, 2025 to January 11th, 2026,  and is entitled "Nem todo viandante anda estradas / De la humana como práctica," the president of AICA International, Malgorzata Kazmierczak, the Brazilian Art Critics Association (ABCA), and the AICA Latin America and Caribbean regional body have convened an in-person colloquium of the association's critics on September 6th at 3:00 PM in the auditorium of the Museum of Contemporary Art, in Ibirapuera Park (Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, 1301 - Vila Mariana, São Paulo - SP, 04094-050).

The president of AICA and the Brazilian section of AICA are participating in and supporting this project, which has already received confirmation from members of the national sections of Paraguay, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Costa Rica. This will be the first time art critics belonging to the national sections of Latin America and the Caribbean will gather to work collaboratively in person since the COVID pandemic.

The objective of the colloquium, which will be broadcast live on YouTube under the coordination of the president of AICA International, is to share critical and curatorial perspectives on the São Paulo Biennial. We invite you to join the colloquium if you are in São Paulo!

Gabriele Romeo Appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Gabriele Romeo, born in Palermo (Italy) in 1983, tenured professor of Phenomenology of Contemporary Arts at the Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti in Turin, President of AICA Italy (International Association of Art Critics), art critic, historian, and essayist, has been awarded the prestigious title of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. The appointment was conferred on April 30, 2025, by the Ministry of Culture of the French Republic.

Throughout his career, Romeo has distinguished himself for his ongoing commitment to historical-critical research, with a focus on the analysis, theoretical-practical engagement, and promotion of contemporary art on both national and international levels. Deeply dedicated to enriching Italy’s cultural landscape, he has established solid ties with the international art scene most notably with France, a country with which he maintains important collaborations.

Message from the French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati:
“France has chosen to honor your contribution to the dissemination of Arts and Letters in France and around the world. I am especially pleased to recognize your dedication to culture, which lies at the heart of the French people.”

Statement from Gabriele Romeo:
"Receiving this honor is both a personal and professional milestone. It is a recognition that goes beyond myself and highlights our shared efforts as Europeans and art critics efforts essential to building a collective cultural awareness. Our work is key to fostering a shared imagination, from which vital experiences and new impulses for art can emerge in an increasingly 'glocal', borderless world."

Acknowledgements:
Romeo wishes to express his sincere thanks to Minister of Culture of the French Republic, Rachida Dati, for recognizing and supporting the value of his cultural engagement, and to French Ambassador to Italy, Martin Briens, for his words of appreciation.

A special thank-you also goes to all colleagues and students who, over the years, have shared in his academic and professional journey. Their support, passion, and dedication, along with daily interaction with students, have been crucial in strengthening his teaching methods and achieving the success of this experience.

Finally, Gabriele Romeo highlights the important role played by the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) in Paris, whose commitment to international openness began with by the presidency of Henry Meyric Hughes, continued by Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, and is now carried forward through the innovative vision of Malgorzata Kazmierczak.

With this appointment, Gabriele Romeo joins a distinguished list of individuals who, through their dedication to the arts and culture, have significantly contributed to the global promotion of cultural and artistic values.

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Gabriele Romeo nommé Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Gabriele Romeo, né à Palerme (Italie) en 1983, professeur titulaire de Phénoménologie des Arts Contemporains à l’Académie Albertina des Beaux-Arts de Turin, Président de AICA Italie (Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art), critique et historien de l’art, essayiste, a reçu la prestigieuse distinction de Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. La nomination lui a été attribuée lors de la promotion du 30 avril 2025 par le Ministère de la Culture de la République Française.

Tout au long de sa carrière, Romeo s’est distingué par son engagement constant dans la recherche historico-critique, axée sur l’analyse, la pratique théorique et manuelle, ainsi que sur la promotion de l’art contemporain tant au niveau national qu’international. Dévoué à la valorisation de la culture en Italie, il a su tisser des liens solides avec la scène artistique internationale, notamment avec la France, pays avec lequel il entretient d’importantes collaborations.

Message de la Ministre de la Culture, Rachida Dati :
«Notre pays a choisi de rendre hommage à votre contribution à la diffusion des Arts et des Lettres en France et dans le monde. Je suis particulièrement heureuse de souligner votre engagement au service de la culture, chère au cœur du peuple français.»

Déclaration de Gabriele Romeo :
«Recevoir cette distinction représente une grande satisfaction personnelle et professionnelle. C’est une gratification qui dépasse ma personne et qui récompense notre engagement en tant qu’Européens et critiques d’art, essentiel à la construction d’une conscience collective. Notre travail est fondamental pour favoriser la création d’un imaginaire commun, d’où peuvent naître des expériences vitales et de nouveaux élans pour l’art, dans une époque de plus en plus ‘glocale’, sans frontières.»

Remerciements:
Romeo souhaite exprimer ses remerciements sincères à Madame Rachida Dati, Ministre de la Culture de la République Française, pour avoir reconnu et soutenu la valeur de son engagement culturel, ainsi qu’à Monsieur Martin Briens, Ambassadeur de France en Italie, pour ses mots d’appréciation.

Un remerciement particulier est également adressé à tous les collègues et étudiants qui ont partagé avec lui son parcours pédagogique et professionnel au fil des années. Leur soutien, leur passion et leur dévouement, ainsi que l’interaction quotidienne avec les étudiants, ont été des éléments clés dans le développement de ses méthodes d’enseignement et dans le succès de cette expérience.

Enfin, Gabriele Romeo souligne le rôle important joué par l’Association Internationale des Critiques d’Art (AICA) à Paris, avec un travail d’ouverture à l’international amorcé sous la présidence internationale de Henry Meyric Hughes, poursuivi par Lisbeth Rebollo Gonçalves, et porté aujourd’hui par les intuitions novatrices de Malgorzata Kazmierczak.

Par cette nomination, Gabriele Romeo rejoint une longue liste de personnalités qui, par leur dévouement à l’art et à la culture, ont contribué de manière significative à la diffusion des valeurs culturelles et artistiques à l’échelle mondiale.

OPEN CALL: Contours - Research-based residency programme for EU-based curators and/or art critics

Application deadline: September 7, 2025

The Regional Department for Cultural affairs of the Île-de-France region, the TRAM network, and the Cité internationale des arts have developed Contours, a research-based residency programme aimed at curators and/or art critics working and residing outside of France and its overseas departments, within the European Union. Initiated in 2024, the aim of this programme is to support research and to facilitate mobility and encounters with the French artistic and curatorial art scene, while also supporting projects that can benefit from the community environment provided by the Cité internationale des arts.

The partners are committed to supporting the curators by offering them dedicated support related to their research and providing them with professional networking opportunities in the Île-de-France region.

Following this call for applications and the reunion of a jury, two curators and/or art critics will be selected.

All practical details and information are available on Cité internationale des arts (please review these carefully before submitting your application). 

APPLY HERE

If you are unable to access the online registration form, please contact the Residency Department of the Cité internationale des arts on this email address: admissions@citedesartsparis.fr

Issue 14 of AICA e-mag is here!

David Bundy’s book review Ben Shahn on Nonconformity by Laura Katzman (Princeton, 2025) analyzes “Shahn’s artistic life [which] documented the social developments and causes of the post-World War I first “Red Scare” era, followed by the Great Depression, World War II and the following period of retrenchment and McCarthyism, through the Sixties and the Civil Rights movement.” Jean Bundy’s book review Art in a State of Siege by Joseph Leo Koerner (Princeton, 2025) looks at artist William Kentridge, specifically the art he created under apartheid, through the lenses of Max Beckmann and Hieronymous Bosch, both of whom Kentridge admires. Sofiia Lisman’s essay Who owns the image? European Auction Houses as cultural cartels in the era of spectacular capital insists “The contemporary art auction is no longer just a market. It is a mechanism of visual canonization, where power is laundered through aesthetics and capital masquerades as taste.” Anum Sanaullah’s essay Untitled explains “identity [as] a layered construct, shaped as much by heritage as by the shifting contexts of our lives. Raised in a culturally diverse metropolis like Karachi by Baloch parents, [Sanaullah’s] identity has been continually shaped by the cultures observed… traditions inherited from [her] parents, and exposure to global media.” Charles Moore’s exhibition review Ed Clark: Paint is the Subject interprets the “nearly five decades of the artist’s chromatic investigations, tracing Clark’s evolution from his gestural abstractions of the 1950s to the massive, shaped canvases that defined his later work….Clark’s approach to color is malleable, reminiscent of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Theory of Colours.” Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga’s exhibition review BASQUIAT x BANKSY: The end of rebellion concludes “While the curatorial premise promises an enriching dialogue between street art, contemporary art, and popular culture, the exhibition's actual execution is surprisingly poor [as the] sociocultural and political message is not examined.”

Read Issue 14 of AICA e-mag.

AICA Italia Presents: CRITICAL TALKS

SILVÈRE JARROSSON: ANCESTRAL PIGMENTS

Silvère Jarrosson è un pittore nato a Parigi nel 1993. Attraverso le sue ricerche le opere di Silvère si collegano ai movimenti dei pigmenti, al movimento del corpo e della natura. “Esiste un legame tra danza e biologia, tra movimento della danza e movimento fisiologico, che gli artisti, Wayne McGregor forse il primo, esprimono nella coreografia. Vorrei esprimerlo in pittura”, confida l'artista.

Le opere di Silvère Jarrosson sono state esposte in Francia, Stati Uniti, Italia, Germania, Cina, Danimarca e Lettonia. Sono state esposte in prestigiose istituzioni come Villa Medici a Roma, il Museo Unterlinden di Colmar, la Collection Lambert di Avignone e fanno ora parte di diverse importanti collezioni come la Société Générale Collection, il Mobilier National e l'Opéra di Parigi. Nel 2024 è stato selezionato da NetJets per partecipare ad Art Basel in Svizzera, Parigi e Miami.

Nel 2021 è protagonista assieme a Yon Costes, di Corps en mouvement, presso la Cappella Saint-Louis dell’immenso ospedale Pitié-Salpêtrière di Parigi. L’opera fulcro dell’intera esposizione è l’installazione L.U.C.A., un cerchio ininterrotto di figure astratte – più di 24 metri di circonferenza – sospese sotto la cupola. Il titolo rinvia all’ipotesi scientifica, che affascina Jarrosson, di un antenato comune universale (Last Universal Common Ancestor), ossia del possibile organulo comune a tutti gli organismi viventi.

Vincitore del premio della Fondazione Claude Monet nel 2018, ha esposto all'Accademia di Belle Arti della Lettonia a Riga.

Nel 2023, Silvère ha progettato e realizzato per l'Opéra Bastille un dipinto monumentale di 5 x 6 metri. Nell'ottobre 2024, dopo una prima apparizione ad Art Basel a Basilea a giugno, Silvère Jarrosson torna ad Art Basel Parigi e Miami insieme allo Studio Artera ed espone tredici dei suoi dipinti astratti, opere accattivanti che esplorano il movimento e il ritmo, in uno spazio di 200 m².

Nel 2025 Jarrosson espone diversi dipinti monumentali alla Galerie de l'Évolution del Museum d'Histoire Naturelle di Parigi. A febbraio è uscita la sua pubblicazione intitolata ‘Vers l'image manquante’, una raccolta delle litografie, monotipi, dipinti su tela e su carta. Un progetto editoriale curato con la collaborazione del critico e storico dell’arte Colin Lemoine.

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Silvère Jarrosson is a painter born in Paris in 1993. Through his research, Silvère's works connect to the movements of pigments, the movement of the body, and nature.

"There is a connection between dance and biology, between dance movement and physiological movement, which artists, perhaps the first of whom was Wayne McGregor, express in choreography. I would like to express it in painting," the artist confides.

Silvère Jarrosson's works have been exhibited in France, the United States, Italy, Germany, China, Denmark, and Latvia. They have been shown in prestigious institutions such as the Villa Medici in Rome, the Musée Unterlinden in Colmar, the Collection Lambert in Avignon, and are now part of several important collections, including the Société Générale Collection, the Mobilier National, and the Paris Opera.

In 2024, he was selected by NetJets to participate in Art Basel in Switzerland, Paris, and Miami. In 2021, he was the protagonist, together with Yon Costes, of Corps en mouvement, at the Saint-Louis Chapel of the immense Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris. The centerpiece of the entire exhibition is the installation L.U.C.A., an uninterrupted circle of abstract figures—over 24 meters in circumference—suspended beneath the dome. The title refers to the scientific hypothesis, which fascinates Jarrosson, of a Last Universal Common Ancestor, a possible organelle common to all living organisms.

Winner of the Claude Monet Foundation Prize in 2018, he exhibited at the Latvian Academy of Fine Arts in Riga.

In 2023, Silvère designed and created a monumental 5 x 6 meter painting for the Opéra Bastille. In October 2024, after a first appearance at Art Basel in Basel in June, Silvère Jarrosson returns to Art Basel Paris and Miami with Studio Artera and exhibits thirteen of his abstract paintings—captivating works that explore movement and rhythm—in a 200 m² space.

In 2025, Jarrosson exhibited several monumental paintings at the Galerie de l'Évolution at the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. His publication, "Vers l'image manquante," was released in February. It is a collection of his lithographs, monotypes, and paintings on canvas and paper. This editorial project was curated in collaboration with art critic and historian Colin Lemoine.

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THOMAS SCHÜTTE: GENEALOGIES

Gabriele Romeo, Presidente di AICA Italia, vi porta ad esplorare ed analizzare la mostra di Thomas Schütte a Punta della Dogana (Pinault Collection) L’artista nasce a Oldenburg nel 1954, nel 1977 Schütte crea variazioni sul tema del mattone e del muro creandone una relazione concentrica che ne possa unire “pittura-muro-scultura-architettura”. Nel 1992 risiede a Roma studia i busti romani, la storia e gli eventi di cronaca dell’Italia, e nel suo linguaggio artistico si spinge a produrre opere visive sinestetiche come Weimande Frau Nr.III (2011) in dialogo tra l’astrazione concettuale del suo pensiero e la metamorfosi antropologica e fenomenologica dell’evoluzione dell’essere umano, sempre in conflitto con i suoi sogni ed incubi.

Gabriele Romeo, President of AICA Italia, takes you to explore and analyze the exhibition of Thomas Schütte at Punta della Dogana (Pinault Collection) The artist was born in Oldenburg in 1954, in 1977 Schütte created variations on the theme of the brick and the wall creating a concentric relationship that could unite "painting-wall-sculpture-architecture". In 1992 he lived in Rome, studied Roman busts, history and current events in Italy, and in his artistic language he pushed himself to produce synaesthetic visual works such as Weimande Frau Nr.III (2011) in dialogue between the conceptual abstraction of his thought and the anthropological and phenomenological metamorphosis of the evolution of the human being, always in conflict with his dreams and nightmares.

Position of AICA Italy on the Gaza Conflict

AICA Italy, the official national section of the International Association of Art Critics, which brings together scholars, curators, and professionals in art criticism, deems it necessary to express a clear position regarding the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

We cannot remain silent in the face of a humanitarian crisis of dramatic proportions, which has caused a high number of civilian casualties, including an unacceptable number of minors, and a material and moral devastation that will leave deep scars on society and the collective conscience.

We strongly condemn all forms of violence, every act of war and aggression, every strategy of annihilation of the other, and every violation of fundamental human rights.

We believe that the deliberate suppression of human lives constitutes a severe violation of international law and the fundamental principles of humanity.

As art critics, we believe that cultural institutions cannot remain neutral in the face of the destruction of innocence, the denial of dignity, and the systematic elimination of every possibility for dialogue.

We reaffirm the indispensable value of peace, respect for human life, and the protection of universal rights.

We strongly demand:

• An immediate ceasefire,

• Guaranteed access to humanitarian aid,

• A concrete commitment from the international community to uphold the law and reconstruct conditions for minimal justice.

Fully aware that words alone cannot end conflicts, we believe that the moral responsibility of the cultural world is not to turn a blind eye, and to testify, with clarity and courage, to what violates the values on which every civil coexistence is based.

President of AICA Italy
Prof. Gabriele Romeo

Turin, August 2, 2025

SEMINARIO EN LÍNEA: 14 de agosto 2025

Crítica y curaduría contemporáneas: diferencias y conexiones con la crítica de arte y el mercado

Este encuentro en línea con especialistas, curadores y críticos de arte, permitirá definir con precisión y transparencia las principales características de la curaduría contemporánea, diferencias y similitudes con respecto a la crítica de artes visuales y conexiones el mercado que la diferencian de la crítica.

Este segundo webinario organizado por AICA Regional América Latina es el segundo del presente año con participación de las secciones nacionales que representa. El espacio ha sido diseñado para el análisis y la discusión abierta entre público y especialistas de un tema que divide la curaduría de la crítica a menudo sin fundamentos de peso. Este segundo webinar de la serie se llevará a cabo el próximo jueves 14 de agosto a las 17:00 h (hora de São Paulo, Brasil) y a las 14:00 h (hora de Costa Rica), con ponentes de Paraguay, República Dominicana, Brasil y Ecuador.

Regístrense hoy mismo al correo: aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com 

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ONLINE SEMINAR
Contemporary Criticism and Curatorship: Differences and Connections with Art Criticism and the Market

This online meeting with specialists, curators, and art critics aims to clearly define the main characteristics of contemporary curatorship, explore its differences and similarities with visual arts criticism, and examine the market connections that set it apart from traditional criticism.

Organized by AICA Latin America Regional, this is the second webinar this year featuring contributions from its national sections. The event is designed as a space for analysis and open discussion between the public and specialists on the often-misunderstood relationship between curatorship and criticism.

The webinar will take place on Thursday, August 14, at 5:00 PM (São Paulo, Brazil) and 2:00 PM (Costa Rica), with speakers from Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Ecuador.

Register at: aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

Silenced, Not Stopped: AICA’s Toolkit for Resisting Censorship

Freedom of artistic expression is essential for cultural vitality and human rights. However, artists, curators, critics, and institutions often face censorship and restrictions. In response, AICA has created the "Silenced, Not Stopped" toolkit written by Eric Otto Wear.

This practical guide provides strategies to anticipate and respond to censorship, build alliances, utilize legal resources, and protect digital security. It emphasizes proactive planning, negotiation, and community collaboration to sustain artistic freedom.

For support or more information, contact AICA International at: aica.office@gmail.com.

Report from the AICA Congress Romania, 4–9/11 2024

Participating from Sweden: Christian Chambert, board member and honorary member of AICA International; interim member of AICA’s Congress Committee until 2024. 

The theme of the annual AICA Congress in 2024, the 56th to date, was highly current and controversial. Recent changes in the digital world were commented from a variety of artistic, theoretical and social perspectives. Three packed days in Bucharest were followed by two days (including travel) in Iaşi. Throughout the week, we made stimulating visits to several exhibitions. According to the ambitious programme, there were some fifty lectures, which is more than usual. The lecturers came from twenty or so countries, mainly European. Information was distributed rather late, which is partly why only some eighty of the organisation’s more than 5,000 members attended.  

The Congress First Part: MNAC in Bucharest 
The Congress took place at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Bucharest (MNAC) and the “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iași. The theme was Becoming Machine, Resisting the Artificial. Art in the Present Tense. The programme is available on AICA International’s website. The Congress was hosted by AICA Romania under the directorship of its chairman Horea Avram and his team.  

Małgorzata Kaźmierczak, AICA President, Horea Avram, President AICA Romania and Raluca Oancea, member of the organizing committee. Photo from MNAC in Bucharest 

The MNAC is located in the Parliamentary Palace commissioned by the former president Nicolae Ceaușescu. It was designed in a late-neoclassical style and was almost completed in 1997. It is one of the world’s largest administrative buildings. The palace with its sumptuous halls was built in a period when poverty and food shortages were part of everyday life for many Romanians. 

The Palace of Parliament in Bucharest with two external elevators leading to the lecture halls and the MNAC exhibitions. 

Several lectures at the MNAC were held two at a time in separate auditoriums on different floors, accessed by two lifts on the exterior wall. Physically, it was only possible to listen to little more than half of the presentations. Therefore, it was excellent that CVs and abstracts could be downloaded from the website, to get an overview. Lunch was served next to the meeting rooms, saving participants the bother of looking for restaurants with free tables. This was congenial to social networking and efficient programming. 

Some of the issues and comments discussed over these intense days: What is the impact of the digital ecosystem in a world dominated by military conflicts, climate change, migration crises, fake news and political turbulence? The traditional roles of institutions have been disrupted. Can we trust the archives that are built today, when more and more data are fake? How do NFTs influence the international art market? In what way does the virtual museum democratise the cultural heritage? Do immersive media contribute to a deeper understanding of the contemporary world? How are viewers affected by digital behaviours? 

In internet art, the creative activity has partly been surrendered to machines. The borders of human creativity have been blurred. We readily identify ourselves with computer images even though we often resist the artificial versions. What is the potential of AI in contemporary art? The encounter between individual and computer offers a new angle on the old questions of artistic originality, authorship, ownership, ethics, monetary value and copyright. How does art criticism change when artists use new technological tools? What knowledge and what language are needed to write about AI-generated art? 

Nearly a century ago, Walter Benjamin argued in Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit (1936) that mechanical reproduction depletes the aura of the work of art and shifts the focus to politics. With this as her starting point, Sofia Maia Ciel from Norway examines how today’s rapid digitisation, the emergence of artificial intelligence, growing inequality and accelerating capitalism affect the mental health of artists and art critics, many of whom have precarious livelihoods. Title: Health, Accessibility, and Care in the Age of Digital Reproduction. Ciel has doctored in philosophy and has contributed to several publications, including Kunstkritikk and Hyperallergic. 

A sub-theme at the Congress was biennials. Kimmo Sarje, artist, critic, curator and associated professor emeritus in aesthetics at Helsinki University, lectured on Art Biennials and their Relevance Today: Venice Biennale 2024 as a Case. It is still important to experience works of art in their materiality at well-organised biennials, despite the image flow on the internet. 

The Award Ceremonies 
Ileana Pintilie, a specialist in performance art, received the AICA Distinguished Prize. This accolade relates to lifetime achievement and is awarded to a critic whom the hosting nation considers to be the most deserving. Pintilie is an art critic, curator and professor at the West University of Timișoara in western Romania. Her CV includes a substantial list of publications of essays and monographs. 

Ileana Pintilie received the AICA Distinguished Prize, Jurij Dobriakov, President AICA Lithuania and Kata Balázs-Miklós, President AICA Hungary. Round table at MNAC, Becoming Freedom. Performance Art in the 1990s

The Incentive Prize for Young Art Critics 2024 was awarded to German-Swedish Linnéa Bake (first prize). Texts by the first, second and third prize recipients are published on the AICA website. Jean Bundy, AICA USA, chairman of the Awards Committee, presented the jury’s choice of winners. 

The General Assembly  
Session 1 of the General Assembly was held in a hybrid format at the MNAC on 6 November and was devoted to information and discussion. The meeting was led by the newly-appointed AICA president, Małgorzata Kaźmierczak from Poland. Session 2, where decisions were made, was held online on 13 December after our return home.  

AICA’s third Extraordinary Congress took place in 1973 in Kinshasa in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The next congress will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 27–31 October 2025, thanks to a substantial financial contribution from UNESCO. After more than 50 years, the time has come for AICA to revisit Africa with a major project. 

Exhibitions in Bucharest  
The director of the MNAC, Călin Dan, guided us round the exhibitions at the Museum. The Twist. Failing Empires, Triumphant Provinces is an unconventional collection of archaeological artefacts, applied arts and apparel, and ethnographic and industrially mass-produced objects. Together, they generate meaningful dialogues with contemporary works of art. The Twist juxtaposes materials from five millennia of spiritual and material culture in a region roughly corresponding to the Romania of today. 

The permanent exhibition Leviathan. In the Guts of the Collection at the MNAC invites the public to its labyrinthine museum storage, with an eclectic sculpture collection shown behind screens of transparent galvanised metal mesh. 

Exhibition view from Leviathan. In the Guts of the Collection at MNAC in Bucharest 

In the exhibition Being Nina at the MNAC, Romanian Adina Mocanu (b. 1990) shows multi-channel video works reflecting the artist’s research into alternative universes, the extraterrestrial and The Other. The work is about Nina Kulagina, a housewife in the former Soviet Union, who became famous for her telekinetic abilities.  

Adina Mocanu’s exhibition Being Nina at MNAC in Bucharest 

We were also given a preview of the exhibition Dissonance at the National Museum of Art (MNAR), featuring 43 international artists born after 1972 and currently working in Germany, co-produced with Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin. The participants also visited several art galleries together: Rezidența9, Galateca Gallery and CAV (Centre for Multimedia Visual Arts).  

The second part of the Congress: Iaşi 
The second part of the Congress was held in Iaşi in north-eastern Romania, near the border to Moldova. This is Romania’s second-largest city, with a population of 318,000 (2025). Iaşi was once the capital of the old principality of Moldavia, and later of Romania for a short period. The many grand public buildings reveal the city’s glorious past. 

Paul O’Kane, artist, writer and senior lecturer in art and culture at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts in London, was one of three keynote speakers. In Technologies of Romance, he claims that modernity developed faster than expected, quickly slipped out of control, encompassing a plethora and so many novelties that consequently became obsolete all too soon. Therefore, he argues that it is pointless to discuss whether artificial intelligence (AI) can or should grow beyond what we can master. The primary characteristic of all technologies must be to transcend ourselves and our control and constantly expand our abilities. The artist plays a special role in applying, experimenting and assisting us to adapt to new technology.  

Paul O’Kane, key note speaker from London, lectures on Technologies of Romance at “George Enescu” National University of Arts in Iaşi

Exhibitions in Iaşi 
We visited the art museum at the Palace of Culture. This mighty neo-gothic building from 1906–1925 was formerly the Palace of Justice. It also houses the historical and ethnographic museums and the museum of science and technology. 

Under the title of These are not drawings the Romanian artist Dumitru Gorzo (b. 1975) filled the walls of Borderline Art Space with hundreds of stencilled pictures of anthropomorphic beasts.  

View from Dumitru Gorzo’s exhibition at Borderline Art Space in Iaşi These are not drawings. Kimmo Sarje, professor emeritus, AICA Finland, on the far right 

At CIAC Baia Turcească, the Spanish artist Alonso Calero (ChatoZero) (b. 1969) presented his utopian project Limbo [Schengen], where borders will no longer be drawn according to political and economic circumstances but will be flexible structures adapted to demographics and climate.  

Poster for Alonso Calero’s (ChatoZero) exhibition Limbo [Schengen] at CIAC Baia Turcească in Iaşi 

The exhibition Domestic at Artep Gallery featured several videos with narratives from Romania, Serbia and Croatia. The project highlights aspects of women’s lives that are often invisible in public, such as depression and anxiety.  

Had the lectures, round-table discussions and Q&A sessions been uploaded as webinars, it would have been possible to listen to all speakers afterwards, and to refer back to the most engaging presentations. This would also have made interesting lectures available to many more than the circle of those present. This was not the case. The organisers have promised, however, to publish selected lectures in an edited version. 

Christian Chambert   AICA International Honorary Member 

Translation by Gabriella Berggren 

All photos: Christian Chambert 

SEXTANTE: New Issue Out Now

AICA Costa Rica is proud to announce the latest issue of SEXTANTE, its biannual digital magazine dedicated to art and criticism. With contributions in both Spanish and English, SEXTANTE offers a vital platform for curators, critics, and scholars to reflect on contemporary art and cultural discourse across Costa Rica and beyond.

• Editorial Board: Alvaro Zamora Castro, Marjorie Ávila Salas, Otto Apuy Sirias

• General editor: Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga

• Writing support: Orietta Oreamuno Gómez

• Editing and layout: José Antonio Herrera Hernández

• English translation and proofreading: Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga

New Issue of AICA e-mag is here!

Jean Bundy’s book review, Academic Writing as if Readers Matter by Leonard Cassuto (Princeton, 2024) presents a no-nonsense approach to writing clearly and engagingly, avoiding wordiness and pomposity for the sake of attempting to impress readers.  José Antonio Arellano’s essay, Visible Mediation: On the Meaning of Collage Within a Story of Art poses, “Collage, like creativity, is as old as the history of its constitutive materials and as intuitive as the sense of play….[and] is an active process of mediation that insists on placing elements into a relation that is not merely one of postmodern pastiche.” Sandra Hitner’s essay, (in French & Portuguese) ARCHITECTURE DU JARDIN DE BOSCH & ARQUITETURA DO JARDIM DE BOSCH represents a soupçon of her scholarly research on Hieronymus Bosch, who during his lifetime was exceedingly popular and copied. He continues to be revisited for his ambiguous contextual meanings. Sabo Kpade’s essay, Disjunctive Identities: Towards A New Understanding of Luba Art probes, “how artistic identity in Luba arts [of south Congo] has been conceived of and developed across space and time. Its sculptural tradition to high degrees of sophistication… is considered to be ‘top rank of art in Africa’.” Natali Rajchinovska-Pavleska’s essay,The Worn-out Cloaks of The Revolution: Towards the project Shadows (2025) by Stojan Pavleskiencourages reflection of, “the plasticized and militarized imagination of today, to trade wars, and to the unstoppable accumulation of capital….All this leads to real, not imaginary, theoretical, or cognitive dehumanization.”   Victoria Abaroa’s exhibition review, WHEN THE SOUND OF THE SEA STOPPED critiques Gabriela Carmona’s show (5/10/24-4/27/25) at the Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende, which presented allegorical bodies in 2-D and 3-D configurations, thematically “emerging as silent witnesses resisting the legacy of past disappearances….deprived of the peace that the remains might evoke.”

2025 AICA International Open Call - Incentive Prize for Art Critics

AICA-Int. Congress: Johannesburg, South Africa, October 27-October 31, 2025

Theme:  Imaging / Shaping / Re-Thinking the Global South through Art

Entry Deadline: Sunday July 27, 2025  - Paris Midnight (CET)

Eligibility: Critics (commentators, curators, educators) writing from anywhere, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, internet

Entry fee: None

Cash Prizes: First Place €1000 (or dollars); Second Place €500 (or dollars); Third Place €250 (or dollars); Certificates emailed after Congress.

Jury Process: Aica-Int. Awards Committee reads and ranks essays

Notification: Only the three winners will be notified by email & announced at the Congress. First place winner will be invited to read essay via Zoom at the Congress. Winning essays will be posted on the AICA-Int. website.

DIRECTIONS

Applicants should email an all-inclusive document in English (Microsoft WORD, Not PDF) including:

1. 2000-3000 word count essay (one essay per applicant) with bibliography

2. Optional six images (max) labeled

3. Short BIO including writer’s nationality, workplace and email

Email entries to all three: 38144@alaska.net, sandrahitner@gmail.com and esyildizra@yahoo.com

FAQ

• Essayists do not have to be AICA members

• Essays do not have to follow 2025 Congress theme

• Previously published essays, or essays sent to other contests, are eligible

• AICA-Int. reserves the right to publish entries on its website

• Any questions email: Jean Bundy (Awards Chair) at 38144@alaska.net

You can access the complete call in downloadable PDF format.

IAAC 11: International Awards for Art Criticism

The Eleventh Edition of the International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC 11) 2025, is open to candidates from anywhere in the world writing in Chinese or English about any contemporary art exhibition held anywhere in the world or on-line between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025.

Candidates are invited to write a review of 1,500 English words or 2,500 Chinese characters on any exhibition of contemporary art.

The First Prize will consist of a cash award of 10,000 Euros (pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of this amount (currently, around 80,000 RMB). Each of the three Second Prizes will be awarded a cash prize of 3,500 Euro (pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of this amount (currently, around 30,000 RMB). The level of the Awards is pegged to a fixed amount in Euro, but international Award winners may choose to be paid either in Euro or in RMB at the official exchange rate on the day that the payment is effected.

The Organising Committee of the International Awards for Art Criticism aims to support independent critical coverage of contemporary art, away from the immediate pressures of the market, media and private patronage. The Awards are to stimulate good writing, critical thinking and dialogue and research in China, the UK and wider afield. The objectivity of the selection process is underpinned, both by the recognised professionalism of the Chinese and English-speaking jury members and by the strict anonymity of the judging process.

Eligibility

The awards are open to all, there is no age limit and we welcome entries from individuals representing a wide range of backgrounds from anywhere in the world, writing in Chinese or English.

Entrants are required to submit a piece of critical writing about a contemporary art exhibition held anywhere in the world, between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025. The start and end dates of the exhibition may fall outside these dates, but the exhibition must have been open to the public or online at some stage during this period.

Application Procedure

All candidates are invited to log in to the official IAAC website, enter the relevant details and upload their review and any accompanying images. They may then return to the site to add or alter information at any time up to the deadline for submissions.

Opening date for entries: 8 June 2025;
Closing date for entries: 14 September 2025 24:00 UK Time

Please refer to the IAAC website for complete submission guidelines.

Otorgan Premio AICA Paraguay 2024 a la exposición La faena de habitar un contorno de la artista Claudia Casarino

La Asociación Internacional de Críticos de Arte Capítulo Paraguay decidió otorgar el Premio AICA Paraguay 2024 a la exposición La faena de habitar un contorno, de la artista Claudia Casarino, realizada en el Centro Cultural de la Ciudad Carlos Colombino-Manzana de la Rivera, con curaduría de Adriana Almada. La ceremonia de premiación se llevará a cabo el jueves 22 de mayo a las 19 horas en la Manzana de la Rivera, con un conversatorio entre la artista, la curadora y el crítico de arte Albán Martínez Gueyraud. 

Acerca de la exposición

Presentada en el marco de PintaSudASU 2024, la exposición reunió instalaciones y dibujos de Casarino, relacionados con una sostenida investigación de la artista en torno a la semántica del vestir. Instalaciones de gran formato exploraron usos, memorias y poéticas vinculadas con los modos en que bolsillos, mangas y botones se relacionan con historias de subordinación y resistencia de mujeres en contextos de cuidado, de portación de bienes o de significación de clase. Por su parte, los dibujos a carbonilla sobre tela de Casarino representan instancias de integración y desintegración, ocultamiento y revelación que participan del proceso del vestir; mientras que una instalación interactiva evoca anecdotarios macabros relacionados con el vestido y las mujeres.

Lia Colombino observa que en esta exposición “Casarino retoma sus preocupaciones referidas al lugar de las mujeres en la sociedad paraguaya y su historia”. Colombino subraya la cualidad de los materiales abordados de forma recurrente por la artista, tales como el tul: “La elocuencia de los materiales que utiliza siempre ha sido su sello y en esta muestra además se suman dispositivos de interacción que aportan movimiento a las obras”. La exposición se realizó en la Casa Castelvi de la Manzana de la Rivera, lo que implicó desafíos por tratarse de una edificación patrimonial y que, a su vez, supuso la oportunidad de resemantizar el espacio mediante las intervenciones instalativas de Casarino. “La puesta en el espacio hace dialogar las obras entre ellas así como el propio espacio de la Manzana”, afirma Colombino.

Por su parte, Damián Cabrera categoriza algunas de las principales preocupaciones que Claudia Casarino ha desarrollado en su obra. Según Cabrera, la artista aborda “memorias semánticas que operan desde el vestir y su naturaleza replicante en procesos transgeneracionales o la amplificación de la funcionalidad o la anulación de funciones en el vestido y las potencialidades enunciativas implicadas en dichos gestos”. Asimismo, Cabrera reflexiona acerca de las operaciones poéticas que ejecuta la artista en sus distintas piezas: “a través de series de deformaciones funcionales, transgresiones en el uso de ciertos materiales o disposiciones espaciales inmersivas, interactivas y espectrales, Casarino compone series instalativas poéticas que justifican un espesor estético en el abordaje de realidades de una violencia obscena”, sostiene.

Acerca de la artista

Claudia Casarino nació en Asunción en 1974. Estudió en el Instituto Superior de Arte Dra. Olga Blinder de la Universidad Nacional de Asunción y cursó estudios en las ciudades de Nueva York y Londres. Casarino expone regularmente desde 1998. Ha participado de la Bienal del Mercosur, Bienal de la Habana, BienalSur, y en las bienales de Busán, Cuenca, Curitiba, Argelia y Venecia, así como las trienales de Santiago, Tijuana y Puerto Rico. Ha participado de decenas de exposiciones en museos, galerías y centros culturales de Asunción, Santiago, San Pablo, Bogotá, Madrid, Barcelona, Milán, Amman, Shanghai, Washington y Londres. Sus obras se encuentran en colecciones públicas como las del Museo Victoria & Albert de Londres, Spencer Museum de Kansas, Casa de América y Museo Wilfredo Lam de La Habana, Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, y el Museo del Barro y la Fundación Migliorisi de Asunción.

Acerca de la curadora

Adriana Almada es crítica de arte, curadora y editora. Nacida en Salta, Argentina, reside desde hace décadas en Paraguay donde tiene una activa participación en la vida artística y cultural del país. Ha curado decenas de exposiciones a nivel nacional e internacional. Actualmente es directora de la sección de cultura del periódico El Nacional.

Acerca del Premio AICA Paraguay

El Premio AICA Paraguay es un reconocimiento a una exposición de arte, otorgado desde 2015. Esta es la novena edición del premio. Anteriormente fueron premiados: Ruth Estigarribia por su intervención urbana Teleprompter (2015), Bernardo Kraniansky por sus exposiciones Historias de corte y montaje (CAV/Museo del Barro & Fundación Texo, 2016) y 50/75. Obra reciente y de archivo (Fundación Migliorisi/Colecciones de Arte, 2016), Sara Leoz por su exposición Ahora!(Galería Fábrica, 2017), Ricardo Migliorisi por su obra El gran manto (2018), Osvaldo Salerno por su exposición Caja de Herramientas (Galería Fábrica, 2019), la exposición Feliciano, con obra de Feliciano Centurión (Fundación Texo, 2020), la exposición colectiva Colmar de Memoria el olvido (Centro Cultural de España Juan de Salazar, 2021), la exposición Ahora o nunca de Bettina Brizuela (Fundación Texo, 2022), y la exposición Cuadernos de campo de Fidel Fernández (Galería Arte Actual, 2023).

A new season of the AICA Podcast is starting!

A new season of the AICA Podcast promises fresh insights and engaging discussions. Tune in for the new episodes featuring expert interviews, industry updates, and thought-provoking topics, moderated by Mihaela Ion.

In her exploration of AICA’s global network, Mihaela Ion identifies key areas of interaction by selecting curators and cultural professionals whose expertise and interests reflect current trends and challenges in the art world. Her thoughtful approach fosters meaningful exchanges, encouraging collaborations that advance curatorial practices, promote cultural dialogue, and address themes such as multidisciplinary integration, digital innovation, and social engagement.

This season will also spotlight the AICA International Congress, underscoring its role as a pivotal event for professionals. The congress offers vital opportunities for knowledge exchange, networking, and the presentation of the latest research and developments in the field.

The first episode of the new series features an engaging conversation with Ana Lúcia Beck, who explores the often solitary role of curators and cultural workers. The discussion emphasizes the value of independence and reflection in their practices and highlights the importance of freedom of cultural expression in fostering diverse and authentic artistic dialogues.

AICA Podcast with Ana Lucia Beck

ABOUT THE MODERATOR: MIHAELA ION

Mihaela Ion holds a Ph.D. in History and is a curator, cultural manager, and art researcher based in Bucharest. Since 2021, she has been a member of AICA and has served as an International Board Member since 2022, as well as a member of the Digital Strategies Committee. Over the past 18 years, she has presented papers on Communist art, cultural wars, and contemporary artwork at leading conferences across Europe. Mihaela collaborates with several art galleries and museums throughout the continent. Her Ph.D. thesis focuses on the heritage of Communist-era artworks.

Mihaela has also worked as a cultural manager in London with body>data>space, and in Paris, Sélestat, Strasbourg, and Nancy during her Courants du Monde grant from the French Ministry of Culture. In 2010, she co-founded Atelierul Magazine, an active international online and offline platform that fosters intercultural dialogue between design creators and the public. Her recent cultural expertise in project evaluation was demonstrated through her work with Apexart in New York.

 ABOUT THE SPEAKER: ANA LÚCIA BECK

Ana Lúcia Beck is a Brazilian visual artist by education, comparatist researcher by destiny, teacher and critic by heart, traveler, and wondering wanderer. She holds a PhD in Literary Studies, a Master’s in Art History, Theory and Criticism, and major in Drawing, all from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil.

Since 2020, Ana Lúcia has been a lecturer in Art History at the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in Art, following extensive experience at institutions such as USAC Florianópolis, UDESC Florianópolis, and ULBRA Canoas. She is a member of AICA International and the Brazilian Association of Art Critics (ABCA), where she currently serves as Vice-President for the Midwest region. She is also affiliated with the European Society of Comparative Literature (ESCL), the Brazilian Committee of Art History (CBHA), and the Brazilian National Association of Art Researchers (ANPAP).

Ana Lúcia’s teaching and research primarily focus on Contemporary Art. Her main interest lies in the relationship between art and literature and the creative process, which has led to investigations of artists such as the Brazilian José Leonilson and the French-American Louise Bourgeois. Notably, she contributed the essay “Voilà mon Cœur: it’s been to hell and back! José Leonilson’s and Louise Bourgeois’ poetic images on longing and belonging” to (Re)Writing Without Borders – Contemporary Intermedial Perspectives on Literature and the Visual Arts, edited by Nina Schiel and Brigitte Le Juez, published by Common Ground in 2018.

She has also published articles in both Brazilian and international journals, as well as book chapters on Brazilian art, and occasionally engages in small curatorial projects. Many of her publications can be accessed via her edu.com page.

New Issue of AICA e-mag is here!

David Bundy’s book review: Medieval Money, Merchants and Morality by Diane Wolfthal “takes [readers] through the forms of money in Medieval Europe, shows how it was used, and explains the society’s ambivalent attitudes toward it, nearly all of which can still be seen today.” Mayank Dutt Kaushik’s essay: Synthetic Narrative Integration: Reflections and Refractions in Media and Entertainment (M&E) Worlds “discusses the aporetic evolution of media technologies, from 19th-century artisanal innovations to today's extortionate, cutting-edge automated systems…. further [critiquing] the hidden infrastructural demands of allegedly democratized software and tools.”  Damian Smith’s essay: The Dumping of artist Khaled Sabsabi and curator Michael Dagostino as Australia’s Representatives at the 2026 Biennale di Venezia raises serious questions about freedom of expression in Australia advocates “if Australia is to truly foster open dialogue and inclusion then our institutions must surely be freed from the demands of vested interests, or at least summon the wherewithal to negotiate such relationships more robustly and with less fear of sanction.” Juan Carlos Zúñiga’s essay: International Biennials: Time to Review and Reflect interprets “the resilient and unstoppable influence of the biennial exhibition format in the art world…. In the Latin American art scene, biennials represent an event of modernization and internationalization that does not ignore the tension between specific ideological agendas and the political objectives of the host State or cultural environment.” Christian Chambert’s exhibition review (English & Swedish): Francis Alÿs. The Child at play and the realities of life surmises “kids don’t need much equipment to improve their physical abilities and develop their creativity and social competence.... proven throughout the ages everywhere.”  Alÿs’ paintings, videos and sketchbook depict children (often exploited) playing with what’s available--toxic materials!  Duygu Güles Kökek’s exhibition review: Paul Celan, Anselm Kiefer, Wim Wenders: Everyone Who Falls Has Wings analyzes Kiefer’s works through a documentarian, a poet and an exhibition, thus conveying Kiefer’s maxim, "the soul of the painting lies within the material itself."

AICA Próxima No. 10 - Available now!

Diffuse Fields in the Ethics and Practice of Art Criticism and the Banalization of Criticism 

In the context of volatile contemporary times, where the boundaries between truth and falsehood, the profound and the superficial have become blurred, and the factual no longer defines public opinion, ethics and critical practice move through diffuse fields. For AICA Regional Latin America and the Caribbean, this makes the issue of banalization emerge with unusual force and demands urgent reflection, as raised in the cover article of the tenth quarterly and multilingual edition of AICA Próxima.

This tenth edition also includes extensive content on the milestones and activities organized during the first quarter of 2025 by members of nine of the twelve sections that make up AICA Regional, and how they have consistently forged paths in the artistic and cultural spheres of their respective areas of influence. The contents of this new issue not only highlight regional production and critical thinking, but also curatorship, aesthetic research, and cultural management.

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AICA Próxima No 10: Campos difusos en la ética y práctica de la crítica de arte y la banalización de la crítica 

En el contexto de la volátil contemporaneidad, donde los límites entre lo verdadero y lo falso, lo profundo y lo superficial, se han vuelto borrosos, y lo factual no define la opinión pública, por lo que la ética y la práctica crítica transitan por campos difusos. Para AICA Regional América Latina y el Caribe esto hace que la cuestión de la banalización emerja con fuerza inusitada y demande una reflexión urgente como se plantea en el artículo de portada de la décima edición trimestral y multilingüe de AICA Próxima

Esta décima edición incluye, también, amplios contenidos sobre los hitos y actividades organizadas durante el primer trimestre del 2025 por los miembros de nueve de las doce secciones que integran AICA Regional y cómo vienen abriendo brecha consistentemente en la esfera artístico-cultural de sus respectivas zonas influencia. No solo se pueden visibilizar en los contenidos de este nuevo número la producción y el pensamiento crítico regional, sino también la curaduría, el comisariato, la investigación estética, y la gestión cultural.

READ AICA PRÓXIMA ISSUE 10

SEMINARIO EN LÍNEA: Campos difusos en la ética y la práctica de la crítica de arte que fomentan su banalización en la América Latina y el Caribe.

Una de las afirmaciones más consensuadas sobre la disminución de la influencia de la crítica de arte en todo el mundo es que se debe a la creciente influencia del mercado, un proceso que se aceleró con el auge del mercado del arte en la década de 1980 y continúa hasta la actualidad.

Por lo tanto, la Región de América Latina y el Caribe de AICA ha programado tres webinars este año entre las secciones nacionales. Estos webinars abordan el análisis y la definición del papel de la ética en la práctica de la crítica de arte independiente y profesional, la identificación de los desafíos al escribir sobre arte (forma y fondo) y los factores que conducen a la trivialización de la crítica de arte. Una propuesta para el reposicionamiento de la crítica en el contexto contemporáneo. El primer webinar de la serie se llevará a cabo el jueves 21 de mayo a las 17:00 h (hora de São Paulo, Brasil) y a las 14:00 h (hora de Costa Rica), con ponentes de México, Cuba y Chile moderados por un crítico de arte de Costa Rica.

Inscríbase hoy mismo en: aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com.

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Webinar: Diffuse Fields in the Ethics and Practice of Art Criticism that Encourage its Trivialization in Latin America and the Caribbean

One of the most widely agreed-upon assertions about the waning influence of art criticism around the world is that it is due to the growing influence of the market—a process that accelerated with the rise of the art market in the 1980s and continues to this day.

The AICA Latin America and Caribbean Regional has therefore scheduled three webinars this year among the national sections. These will involve analysis and definition of the role of ethics in the practice of independent and professional art criticism, identification of the challenges in writing about art—both form and substance—and of the factors that lead to the trivialization of art criticism. The series will also include proposals for the repositioning of criticism in the contemporary environment.

The first webinar of the series will take place on Thursday, May 21st at 5:00 PM (São Paulo, Brazil time) / 2:00 PM Costa Rica time, with speakers from Mexico, Cuba, and Chile, moderated by an art critic from Costa Rica.

Register today at: aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com

New Report Released: The State of Artistic Freedom 2025

Prepared by Freemuse in collaboration with members of AICA International

Freemuse, in close collaboration with members of AICA, is proud to announce the release of the State of Artistic Freedom 2025 report — a comprehensive, evidence-based investigation into the global threats to artists’ rights and cultural expression during 2024.

The report documents alarming patterns of censorship, persecution, and violence against artists across more than 30 countries. It reveals how artists have been silenced for speaking out against war, religion, politics, and inequality — and how, in response, many have shown extraordinary resistance and resilience.

From long-term imprisonment in Egypt and Iran, to cultural censorship in Germany and the USA, to the devastating consequences of war in Gaza and Ukraine, the report highlights how artistic freedom is under unprecedented pressure — even in democratic societies.

Key findings include:

• Increasing use of blasphemy laws, foreign agent legislation, and politically motivated funding restrictions

• Disproportionate targeting of women, LGBTQ+ artists, and minority voices

• Intensifying self-censorship in public institutions and among artists

• Global patterns of repression of satirical, feminist, and anti-war expression

• Rising solidarity movements and grassroots resistance led by artists

The report is both a call to awareness and a call to action: governments, institutions, and civil society must defend artistic expression not only as a human right but as an essential part of democratic life.

READ THE FULL REPORT .