The AICA Podcast, hosted and initiated by Mihaela Ion, debuts on September 26, 2024, with an episode featuring Małgorzata Kaźmierczak, the president of AICA International. This first episode offers engaging conversations about contemporary art and art criticism.
In the first part of the podcast, Mihaela Ion and Małgorzata Kaźmierczak explore AICA's significant role in shaping contemporary art criticism and cultural visions. They discuss how AICA offers resources and historical context to enhance the understanding and appreciation of art, while creating opportunities for emerging critics and cultural managers to engage with the AICA community.
In the second part, the conversation focuses on freedom in the arts, examining how artistic and critical expressions inspire and at times spark controversy. Małgorzata addresses the role of censorship, the impact of political climates on creative expression, and the importance of protecting art critics' rights to voice their perspectives, highlighting the ongoing struggle for autonomy in contemporary cultural environments.
About the moderator: Mihaela Ion – Ph.D in History. Mihaela Ion is a curator, cultural manager and art researcher based in Bucharest. Since 2021, she is an AICA member. Since 2022, she has been an International Board Member in AICA and part of the Digital Strategies Committee in the same association. In the last 17 years, she presented papers about Communist Art, Cultural Wars, contemporary artworks at the most important conferences organized in Europe. She collaborates with several art galleries and museums in Europe. Her PhD thesis focused on the heritage of communist artworks. She has had the good fortune of being a grant keeper as a cultural manager in London at 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 cofounded the project Atelierul Magazine – an international active online and offline platform that creates an intercultural dialogue between the design creators and the public.
About the speaker: Małgorzata Kaźmierczak – Ph.D. in History. Since 2004 an independent curator of art projects in Poland and USA, especially performance art events. Researcher and author of many essays and reviews. Between 2011-2014 – editor, writer and translator of livinggallery portal; 2006–2012 – president of the Foundation for the Promotion of Performance Art “Kesher” in Kraków, Poland; 2012–2014 – managing editor of the Art and Documentation journal; 2014–2016 – director of the City Art Gallery of Kalisz, Poland. Between 2016–2017 – editor-in-chief of the Publishing House and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Painting and New Media of the Art Academy of Szczecin, Poland. Currently an Assistant Professor at the KEN University in Krakow and a Chief of the Board for the Discipline of Art Studies. Lectures in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, USA, South Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Since 2020, vice-president of AICA Poland and AICA International. From 2024 president of AICA International.