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:
2000-3000 word count essay (one essay per applicant) with bibliography
Optional six images (max) labeled
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.
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.
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.
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 .
AICA protests against the violation of Khalid Sabsabi's artistic rights
The global art community is very alarmed by the indefinite postponement of the exhibition featuring artist Khalid Sabsabi by Monash University Museum of Art. It is even more concerning that it comes just after Creative Australia arbitrarily dropped him as the artist chosen to represent Australia at the next Venice Biennale without giving a chance for the artist to respond to the accusations. This confirms fears that the Creative Australia decision will have an impact on his art practice and livelihood.
The art community and all who believe in freedom of expression find this act of silencing the artist unacceptable.
We feel the artist deserves to be given equal rights to show his work freely in different forums and the State and art institutions should acknowledge the long standing practice of Khalid Sabsabi and contribution to the field.
Australia is a signatory to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. This is one of seven UNESCO conventions that deal with the four core areas of creative diversity: cultural and natural heritage, movable cultural property, intangible cultural heritage and contemporary creativity.
Cultural freedom enshrined in this convention is the right to express, practice, and share one's culture without fear of censorship or persecution.
AICA is calling for Khalid Sabsabi's long-planned exhibition to be rescheduled without delay, so that justice can be done for the artist.
On behalf of AICA
Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President of AICA International
Niilofur Farrukh, Chair of the Censorship Committee
AICA CONGRESS 2025 - CALL FOR PAPERS
Re-imagining the Global South: Art, Gender and Identity
University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa, 27-31 October 2025
In 1973, Mobutu Sese Seko, the former president of Zaire, hosted the only AICA International Congress ever held on African soil. Nearly 50 years later, the tide has turned. The global movement for the reappropriation of African art is now unstoppable, driven by civil society. In this symbolic and powerful moment, AICA International’s 57th Congress will take place in democratic South Africa, marking 30 years since the fall of apartheid.
We are pleased to invite scholars, artists, and art critics to submit papers that fall within the topic of the Congress: Re-imagining the Global South: Art, Gender and Identity. This event will bring together voices from the Global South to discuss how art, gender, and identity intersect in both historical and contemporary contexts, offering a critical re-thinking of the relationship between art and the processes of colonization, marginalization, and diaspora.
The term ‘Global South’ is understood in this context to refer to any country or territory that has been colonized or marginalized in relation to the ‘centre’, which is predominantly defined by Europe and North America within the field of art history. The goal of this Congress is to foster discussions that challenge Eurocentric frameworks and reconsider the power dynamics within the global art world.
We invite papers that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
Art Contributions to Defining the ‘Global South’
How can art be used as a medium for discussing and redefining the ‘Global South’ within the context of global art history?Race and Gender in Artistic Careers
How do race and gender shape artistic careers in the Global South? How do these factors intersect with opportunities, recognition, and visibility?Undoing Historical ‘Othering’ Through Art
In what ways can art and art criticism undo the historical processes of ‘othering’ and marginalization, particularly in terms of race and gender?Women, Forced Migration, and Diaspora
How do artists from the Global South engage with the complex effects of forced migration and diaspora, particularly through the lens of gendered experiences?Art as a Response to Gender-Based Violence
What role does art play in responding to and representing gender-based violence in the Global South?Art as a Response to Race-Based Violence
How can art serve as both a reaction to and a form of resistance against race-based violence, particularly within the framework of colonial histories and ongoing racial injustices?Indigenous and First Nations Art
What is the role of Indigenous and First Nations art in the Global South, and how is it received by contemporary art criticism? How can Indigenous art disrupt mainstream narratives in global art discourse?Colonial Extractivism and Gendered Experiences
How do artists respond to the effects of colonial extractivism, and how do these responses illuminate gendered experiences of exploitation and displacement?Gender and Race in Decolonial Artmaking
How do artists from the Global South use race and gender to inform decolonial artmaking practices? How does this challenge traditional colonial narratives?Exposing Gendered and Colonial Bias in Art Criticism
What is the importance of art criticism in revealing gendered and/or colonial biases within both contemporary and historical art practices?
We welcome interdisciplinary approaches that engage with a range of art forms. Papers may focus on specific artists, movements, regions, or theoretical perspectives. Papers will be presented in person, at the University of Johannesburg. The working language of the Congress will be English.
Submission Guidelines:
● Abstracts for 20 min. presentations should be no longer than 300 words.
● Please include a short biography (150 words) of the author(s).
● Submissions should be sent to aica.johannesburg.2025@gmail.com by 30 April 2025
● Papers will be selected based on their relevance to the themes outlined above, originality, and scholarly contribution. The selection results will be announced by Monday 19 May 2025.
We look forward to receiving your submissions and to a stimulating exchange of ideas at this Congress. See you in Johannesburg!
AICA protests against the destruction of the works of Greek artist Christoforos Katsadiotis
The art community around the world is appalled and disturbed by the deliberate destruction of the art of Christoforos Katsadiotis at the National Gallery. This crime was committed by Nikos Papadopoulos, a member of parliament, and his accomplice, who claim that the four works of art offend their religious sensibilities.
This act has raised two important questions: can individuals be allowed to carry out arbitrary acts of censorship? Should a national gallery of a country that is considered a safe space, where diverse voices within the country are hosted and protected, treat the perpetrator, who is a powerful politician, any differently?
The inability of the Alexandros Soutsos Museum (the National Gallery) to act swiftly and effectively to punish the perpetrator is a matter of grave concern to art professionals.
AICA International stands in solidarity with the artist and have urged the Director and Board of the National Gallery, The Minister of Culture of the Hellenic Republic and the Representative of UNESCO in a letter of protest respectively, to intervene and protect the artistic rights of Christoforos.
As a signatory to the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Hellenic Republic is committed to upholding its four core areas of creative diversity: cultural and natural heritage, movable cultural property, intangible cultural heritage and contemporary creativity.
Cultural freedom, as enshrined in this Convention, is the right to express, practise and share one's culture without fear of censorship or persecution.
AICA calls for a suitable punishment for the perpetrators according to the law of the land. A public apology and appropriate compensation should also be provided by the perpetrators to the artist whose works have been vandalized at the Gallery.
On behalf of AICA International
Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President AICA International
Niilofur Farrukh, Chair of the Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee
AICA Costa Rica Celebrates the III Edition of the Critics’ Award
On February 19, 2025, AICA Costa Rica hosted the III Edition of the AICA Critics’ Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the visual arts across thirteen categories. This prestigious award highlights the work of artists, curators, critics, managers, patrons, and publications, reinforcing AICA’s commitment to art criticism and cultural dialogue. Held at the National Library of Costa Rica, the event welcomed cultural authorities, artists, and intellectuals, with hundreds tuning in online.
Congratulations to all the awardees! AICA Costa Rica continues to strengthen the arts community and uphold the rigor and integrity of art criticism in the region.
Full press realise including list of all winners : English | Spanish
Watch the full event: Vimeo
AICA Costa Rica Elects New Board of Directors for 2025-2027
During the III Ordinary General Assembly, AICA Costa Rica confirmed the election of its new Board for the 2025-2027 term. The newly appointed leadership will guide the association’s vision and initiatives as it moves forward into 2025.
Elected unanimously on December 6, the new board members are:
President: Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga
Vice President: Alvaro Zamora Castro
General Secretary: Xenia Ramírez Monge
Treasurer: Orietta Oreamuno Gómez
Transparency Officer: Marjorie Ávila Salas
We extend our deepest gratitude to the outgoing Board of Directors for their dedication and contributions over the past term.
Congratulations to the newly elected board—we wish you great success in the years ahead!
Arts and Free Speech Organizations Sound the Alarm
AICA International has joined leading arts and free speech organizations in the United States, including the National Coalition Against Censorship, The Authors Guild, The Dramatists Guild of America, The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund, Artists at Risk Connection, and PEN America, in signing a statement denouncing recent government actions that threaten artistic freedom in the U.S. The administration’s restructuring of NEA and NEH grants now prohibits funding for projects promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, while the political takeover of the Kennedy Center has led to the dismissal of board members and its longtime president. These actions compromise independent cultural expression and set a dangerous precedent for the arts.
We stand in solidarity with artists and cultural leaders resisting these efforts. Read the full statement here.
Małgorzata Kaźmierczak
President, AICA International
SAVE THE DATE: 57TH AICA INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
We are pleased to announce that the 57th AICA International Congress will take place at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, from October 27 to October 31, 2025.
More information coming soon!
AICA Turkey Elects New President: Ekmel Ertan
We are pleased to announce that Ekmel Ertan has been elected as the new President of AICA Turkey.
Ekmel Ertan works as a curator, cultural manager, artist, and educator. Ertan is the founder and artistic director of the İstanbul-based amberPlatform/BIS (Body-Process Arts Association), a research and production platform focused on art and new technologies. He was the director of the international amber Art and Technology Festival in Istanbul from 2007 to 2015. As an independent curator, he curates new media works both in Turkey and abroad.
Ertan has exhibited his new media installations, photography, and collaborative performance works in Turkey, Europe, and the United States. Since 2007, he has served as the site coordinator and director for numerous EU-supported multi-partner international projects on behalf of BIS.
Ertan received his BSc degree in Electronics/Communication Engineering from the Technical University of Istanbuland an MA in Interactive Media Design from Yıldız Technical University. He has worked as a design and test engineer in telecommunication systems in Turkey, Germany, and Belgium.
Since 1999, he has taught visual communication design and new media art at Istanbul Bilgi University, İstanbul Technical University, Sabancı University, and İzmir University of Economics.
Ertan lives and works in Berlin and Istanbul.
Learn more about Ekmel Ertan: www.forumist.com
ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE FIRST RESIDENCY PROGRAM AT THE ARCHIVES IN RENNES
On September 17, 2024, AICA International launched a call for applications in partnership with the Archives de la Critique d’Art (ACA) for a research grant on its history and various national sections. This grant was open to all members of AICA International who wished to travel to Rennes to conduct research at the archives. It is intended to encourage the exploration and development of AICA International’s archives, which include documents related to congresses and general assemblies held in France and abroad from 1948 to 2009 (programs, memorandums, correspondence, participants’ papers, minutes), as well as materials on the work of committees and the organization and management of the association (accounting and administrative documents, budgets, and files from Presidents and Secretary Generals). The call was open until November 17, and we received 13 applications.
The jury—Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President of AICA International; Marie Tchernia Blanchart, Director of the Archives de la Critique d’Art; and Antje Kramer Mallordy, former Director of the Archives de la Critique d’Art—is pleased to announce that Samuel Hernández Dominicis has been selected as the winner of the first edition of the Residency Program at the Archives de la Critique d’Art in Rennes. A distinguished researcher, curator, and art critic, Hernández Dominicis brings a wealth of expertise to this residency, where he will explore the history of AICA’s Cuban chapter and its role in the global art criticism landscape.
About the Research
According to Merino Acosta, the beginnings and development of AICA’s Cuban chapter in the national context could be considered a history of silence. More than 70 years of existence have not produced any relevant research on AICA’s relations with the Cuban art criticism scene or on the accidental life of the chapter and its influence in the Cuban cultural field. Thanks to the important work of the Archives de la critique d’art (ACA), this situation may now change. Using the institution's resources, this project focuses on compiling the history of the Cuban chapter, characterizing Cuba's participation in AICA Congresses, and exploring the cultural relations established with Cuba through events such as the Paris Biennale and the Havana Biennial. The findings aim to produce thematic texts, which may eventually become a book by incorporating a review of other archives in Cuba. Additionally, the project includes the design of a conference to be presented to AICA Cuba members, as well as a reflection on the trajectory of AICA’s Cuban chapter..
About Samuel Hernández Dominicis
Samuel Hernández Dominicis (Havana, Cuba, 1987): Graduated in Art History from the University of Havana (2011) and earned a master’s in Art Studies from the Ibero-American University of Mexico (2019). Researcher, teacher, curator, and art critic. He worked as an ArteSur magazine editor at Sello Arte Cubano Ediciones and was part of the team that established the Institutional Collection of the Consejo Nacional de las Artes Plásticas (CNAP). He also served as Technical Deputy Director at the Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales (CDAV) and as Visual Arts Advisor in the National Directorate of the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS).
In recent years, his research has focused on the construction of "the people" and "the enemy" as discursive categories in populist and totalitarian processes. He is a member of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) and its Cuba Section’s executive staff, as well as the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and the Group of Studies on Public Art in Latin America (GEAP Latin America), where he coordinates the Cuban homologous group.
He is a PhD candidate in the Modern Literature program at the Ibero-American University of Mexico, where he researches male homosexual subjectivity in Cuban literary fiction. At the same time, he teaches at the Instituto de Cultura Superior (ICS) and Centro de Estudios Visuales (CEVI). He was recently elected President of the Cuban Chapter of AICA.
We congratulate Samuel Hernández Dominicis on this achievement and look forward to the insights his research will bring!
AICA LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGIONAL PUBLISHES BOOK ON BIENNIALS IN THE REGION
Nine art critics and researchers from eight nations contribute to this volume through their presentations, which emerged from three meetings dedicated to dissecting, discussing, and reflecting on the historical process of biennialization in the dynamic context of Latin America and the Caribbean. This initiative marks the second regional editorial projectfunded by AICA Regional: Latin America and the Caribbean.
This bilingual (Spanish-English) e-book consists of nine chapters, each corresponding to an essay presented by the invited authors at the online seminars organized by the regional body during 2023.
Each contributor to this critical review has examined the repercussions, influences, juxtapositions, borrowings, consequences, and mystifications of biennials, addressing their impact within the broader thematic framework of the subcontinent while considering their specific zones of influence.
This publication is the second of three illustrated digital and print books planned for the period 2023–2025 by AICA Regional: Latin America and the Caribbean. The book’s general editor is Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga, art critic, researcher, and Vice President of AICA International, who also serves as a co-author. The design and compositionwere carried out by María Eugenia Quesada Montero.
This work is available in digital format on this page and through AICA International's official channels. The publication is registered under ISBN 978-9930-00-017-5.
The official launch will be via an online event on Friday, February 21, at 5 PM (São Paulo time) via Zoom. To register, email aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com.
Regional AICA América Latina y el Caribe: PUBLICAN LIBRO SOBRE BIENALES EN AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE
Nueve críticos de arte e investigadores de ocho naciones contribuyen en esta obra mediante sus ponencias producto de tres encuentros a diseccionar, discutir y ponderar el proceso histórico de bienalización en el contexto dinámico de la América Latina y el Caribe en la segunda iniciativa editorial regional.
Este libro electrónico en formato bilingüe (español-inglés) financiado por AICA Regional: América Latina y el Caribe consiste en nueve capítulos, uno por cada ensayo presentado por los autores invitados que expusieron sus ponencias en los seminarios en línea organizados por el órgano regional durante el 2023.
Cada responsable en esta revisión y cuestionamiento ha delimitado las repercusiones, influencias, yuxtaposiciones, préstamos, consecuencias, y mistificaciones de las bienales con base en una visión del macrotema de las mismas en el subcontinente con relación a su respectiva zona de influencia.
Este segundo de tres libros digitales e impresos ilustrados planeados para el período 2023-2025 por AICA Regional: América Latina y el Caribe contó como editor general con el crítico de arte e investigador, Juan Carlos Flores Zúñiga - vicepresidente de AICA Internacional - y coautor-, y en el diseño y la composición con María Eugenia Quesada Montero.
La obra es distribuida en formato digital en esta página y por los canales de AICA Internacional. Este título tiene registrado el ISBN 978-9930-00-017-5
El lanzamiento oficial será mediante un evento en línea el viernes 21 de febrero a las 5 pm (hora de Sao Paulo) por zoom. E-mail de registro: aicainternational.webinar@gmail.com.
New Presidency of the Brazilian Association of Art Critics
The new Board of Directors of ABCA (Brazilian Association of Art Critics) assumed office on the first day of this year. The administration, covering the 2025-2027 term, will be led by Alessandra Simões Paiva as President. Alessandra is nationally and internationally recognized for her contributions to the study of decoloniality and the arts. An Associate Professor at the Federal University of Southern Bahia (UFSB), she views this election as a milestone in her career, which has been marked by a commitment to promoting inclusion and plurality in the field of visual arts in Brazil.
In recent years, Alessandra has gained widespread recognition with the publication of her book “A Virada Decolonial na Arte Brasileira” (The Decolonial Turn in Brazilian Art, Mireveja Publishing, 2022). This work received an ABCA award in 2023 for its pioneering contribution to debates on ethnic, racial, and gender issues in art and culture. The book consolidates her postdoctoral research conducted at the University of Leeds, UK, supported by a Brazilian government grant. Alessandra's motivation to explore this theme arose from her concerns about the exponential growth of Black, Indigenous, and gender-dissident artists, curators, and researchers in the Brazilian visual arts scene, aligning with the global process of decolonizing cultural institutions and critically revising the fields of theory, criticism, and art history from new perspectives.
Her book became the first Brazilian academic reference to provide a comprehensive framework for discussing decoloniality in the arts, which had previously been addressed in a fragmented and insufficiently rigorous manner. This methodological gap often led to superficial controversies without a consistent theoretical foundation, particularly in universities, the press, specialized publications, and social media. Thus, the book has helped mitigate miscommunications surrounding controversial topics often treated in a sectarian, radical, and superficial manner.
Alessandra has consistently integrated her academic work with socially impactful practices, making art criticism a field deeply engaged with contemporary social, cultural, and political issues. In this sense, she has been actively involved with the ABCA. Recently, she contributed to reviving ABCA's political legacy, which in its early days during the 1950s had emblematic figures like Mario Pedrosa and Sergio Milliet among its founders, under the auspices of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) and with UNESCO's support in the post-war context.
The pivotal moment for this political revitalization of ABCA occurred during the “JORNADA ABCA”, the association’s annual congress, organized and chaired by Alessandra in 2020 with financial support from the Brazilian government. The event focused on art and human rights, bringing together numerous prominent figures from the Brazilian art scene. The congress marked a turning point for the artistic circuit and ABCA's operations, which, following the event, established the Commission for Critical Plurality. Created and coordinated by Alessandra, this commission implemented affirmative actions within the organization. These actions included systematic invitations to Black and Indigenous individuals to join the association and the creation of new categories for the ABCA Annual Award: 1) Emanoel Araújo Award for collections, archives, conservation, and historical documentation; 2) Yeda Maria Award for initiatives in art education; 3) Gilda de Mello e Souza Award for early-career critics.
Alessandra began her career as an art critic in the Brazilian press over 25 years ago, contributing to major newspapers, websites, and specialized magazines nationally and internationally. She currently collaborates with ArtNexus magazine, the leading publication specializing in Latin American visual arts, writing articles in Spanish and English. Her prolific career includes hundreds of texts, a critical legacy that has earned her awards and invitations for various editorial collaborations, notably the Young Critics Award (2012) from the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). Alessandra is also the mother of triplets, Luísa, Carolina, and Isabela, now 17 years old.
Check out the newly elected Board of Directors, elected during the General Assembly on November 22, 2024:
President: Alessandra Simões Paiva
1st Vice President: Hélcio Magalhães
2nd Vice President: Carlos Terra
1st Secretary: Cristiélen Ribeiro Marques
2nd Secretary: Gabriela Abraços
1st Treasurer: Alexandre Araujo Bispo
2nd Treasurer: Michele Petry
Regional Vice Presidents:
North/Northeast Region: Robson Xavier da Costa
Central-West Region: Ana Lúcia Beck
Southeast Region: Alecsandra Matias de Oliveira
South Region: Luciane Garcez
Audit Committee:
Primary Members: Luis Sandes, Francine Goudel, Emerson César Nascimento
Alternates: José Armando Pereira da Silva, Viviane Baschirotto, Alexandre Sá