Welcome to the 52nd International AICA Congress, a project by AICA Germany in Cooperation with the German Federal Cultural Foundation.
The Congress will take place from October 1st – 7th October 2019 in Cologne and Berlin.
The Highlight in Cologne will be granting the Prize for Distinguished Art Criticism to a well-known art critic in Germany at Museum Ludwig in Cologne. The first two days in Cologne are dedicated to the administrative tasks of AICA International. If you want to join the congress in Cologne and are not involved with commissions as well as the administration council, you will be able to register for visits at prominent regional galleries and institutions. (only if there are at least 8 participants) Guests are welcome.
On Thursday morning, (Oct. 3rd) we will take the rapid train ICE at 8.44 a. m., which arrives at 1.05 p. m. at Berlin main station. Please book your reservation asap, as there are no other good connections in order to arrive in Berlin in time for the beginning of the congress at 3.30 p.m.
The opening ceremony of the congress itself will take place on October 3rd at Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin. On the 4th and 5th the congress will be hosted by the Berlinische Galerie.The Congress theme Art Criticism in times of Populism and Nationalism addresses some virulent issues concerning the role of art criticism from different points of views.
Populism shapes the contemporary media landscape and the field of art as well as cultural criticism. There are many discussions about the removal of controversial works of art and the influence of the #MeToo debate in the art. Ethical evaluation criteria are implemented, where women artists* consciously make provocative or seemingly naïve cultural appropriations with their works and actions. But where and how far do limitations of artistic freedom of expression go? What does the clash between the ethical and aesthetic say about our understanding of politically "responsible" art and „responsible“ art-critical approaches?
Our congress is dedicated to the possibilities of critical commitment for art as a socially embedded yet aesthetically free form of expression.
It is based on a diversity of points of views and provides moderated discussions after each presentation or after two controversial lectures. We want scientists, artists, authors, journalists to have their say and actively involve the audience. Not only the lectures, but also the resulting discussions will be recorded in the congress files.
Our programme currently envisages asking first about nuances in the conceptual understanding of populism in culture and politics, discussing populist lines of argument in the context of post-colonialism and investigating the effects of populism and nationalism in art-critical practice on the basis of case studies - both nationally and internationally. The thematic complex of censorship will also be introduced to the congress in reports by colleagues from various countries. The last day will be devoted to methods and formats of art criticism that may be considered as experiment in a special way by addressing or involving their audience. It will also deal with the role of (digital) distribution and the instrumentalization of art criticism in connection with the opening and closing of democratic public spaces.
From the 39 applicants who answered the call for papers, our international jury has selected 11 participants. We are looking forward to having long discussions with them and speakers invited and hope that you will get involved in these debates.
PROGRAMME
Pre-Congress 1 /2 October, Cologne
TUESDAY, 01 Oct., Cologne
Morning
09.00 – 01.00 p. m. Meetings of AICA Committees at Stiftung Horbach
01.00 – 02.00 p. m. Lunch Break
Afternoon
02.00 – 05.00 p. m. Meetings of AICA Committees at Stiftung Horbach
Excursion to Düsseldorf with visits to K20, K21 and Kai 10 for members not involved committees
Evening
05.30 – 06.00 p. m. Reception at the town hall, Hansasaal
07.00 – 10.30 p. m. Evening event with award ceremony:
“Prize for Distinguished Art Criticism” at Museum Ludwig
Lecture Performance by Jürgen Stollhans „elf 100%“, audiovisual installation piece Diewke Boersma & Vanja Smiljanić: „I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly“
reception in the Foyer
WEDNESDAY, 02 Oct., Cologne
Morning
09.00 – 12.00 a. m. Board meeting at Stiftung Horbach
12.00 – 02.00 p. m. Lunch Break
Visits Galleries in the Belgian Quarter, Temporary Gallery, Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne for members not involved in the administration council
Afternoon
02.00 – 06.00 p. m. General assembly at the Academy of Media Arts, Cologne
Evening
06.30 – 08.30 p. m. Evening reception and Prelude to the Congress at the auditorium of the
Academy of Media Arts, Cologne
Hans Ulrich Reck (Director Academy of Media Arts, Cologne)
08.30 – 10.00 p.m. Reception
Congress 03 - 05 October, Berlin
THURSDAY, 3. Oct., Transfer from Cologne to Berlin
Morning
08.44 – 13.09 h Transfer from Köln main station to Berlin Hbf with ICE 555
Afternoon Congress Opening, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin
03.30 – 04.45 p. m. Welcome
Udo Kittelmann/Dr. Gabriele Knapstein
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General UNESCO (tbc), patron of the congress
Lisbeth Rebollo, President AICA International
Introduction
Danièle Perrier, President AICA Germany
Jacques Leenhardt: On the History of the German AICA
05.00 – 06.15 p. m. Session 1
Nuances of Populism: Political and Cultural Dimensions
Oliver Marchart
Ana Teixeira Pinto
06.30 – 07.50 p. m. Session 2
The Humboldt Forum and its “Cultural Heritage”
Jörg Häntzschel
Thomas E. Schmidt
Arlette-Louise Ndakoze
Evening
08.00 p. m. Shuttle to Palais Populaire: Exhibition and reception
FRIDAY, 04 Oct., Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
Morning
10.00–11.30 a. m. Session 3
Institutions of Critique – Critique of Institutions
Harry Lehmann: Art criticism in times of political polarization
Leena-Maija Rossi: Between benevolent naiveté and populism:
Art institutions in the age of neo-liberalism
Mischa Kuball & Gregor Lersch: Populism vs Democracy and Social Media. And other Disasters.
12.00–1.00 p. m. Session 4
Art Criticism and Gender
Miguel Rivas Venegas: “Yihadismo de Género”: Anti-Feminist Lexical Arsenals of Spanish National-Populism
Belinda Grace Gardner: RE/WRITING HISTORY. Art Criticism as a Vehicle of Change in the Era of #MeToo
Afternoon
02.30 – 03.30 p. m. Session 5
The Public and the Popular
Paul O’Kane: The Carnival of Popularity – wresting the popular from populism
Franck Hermann Ekra: Sur les ailes de la Liberté. Parcours
transafricains, les nouveaux visages de la contestation.
03.50 – 04.50 p. m. Session 6
Art Criticism in Eastern Europe (Hungary, Poland)
Maja & Reuben Fowkes: Democracy in on the Defensive: East European
Art Criticism in the Era of Illiberal Globalisation
Malgorzata Stepnik: Vox populi – politicians as art critics.
05.10 – 06.40 p m. Roundtable on Censorship: Focusing Africa & Afro-Latin America
SATURDAY, 05 Oct., Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
Morning
10.00 – 11.30 a. m. Session 7
Art Criticism and/as/against Discrimination
Sabeth Buchmann
François Jullien (tbc)
Julia Pelta Feldman & Antje Stahl
11.50 – 01.15 p. m. Session 8
Art Criticism and/as/against Judgement
Thomas Edlinger
Florian Arnold
Rez@Kultur (Ulrich Heid/Claudia Roßkopf)
Afternoon
02.45 – 04.15 p. m. Session 9
Arts and Politics Between Avant-Garde and Propaganda
Marek Wasilewski: From self-defence to counterattack, how the populists in Poland reclaimed the language of contemporary art
Sarah Wilson: CROWDS AND POWER: Two Polish artists in London
Julia Voß (tbc)
04.30 – 05.00 p. m. Awards Ceremony “Incentive Prize”
05.00 – 06.15 p. m. Boris Groys (tbc)
06.15 p. m. Thanks, presentation of next Congress and Closing
Evening
07.00 – 10.00 p. m. Closing Ceremony
Sessions chaired by:
Elke Buhr, Jörg Heiser, Liam Kelly, Alexander Koch, Cathrin Lorch, Kolja Reichert (tbc)
Post-Congress 06 / 07 October, Berlin
SUNDAY, 06 Oct., Berlin
Morning
09.00 a. m. breakfast visits in Potsdamerstraße 77–87: Gallery Judin, Blain Southern, Esther Schipper
11.00 a. m. Martin Gropius Bau
12.30 p. m. Lunch Break
Afternoon
03.00 p. m. KOW Galerie, meeting the artist Hiwa K
04.30 p. m. visit of choice: Boros Collection or Konrad Fischer Galerie
Evening
07.00 p.m. Kewenig Galerie - visit and reception
MONDAY, 07 Oct., Berlin
Morning
09.00 a. m. Studio visit with Heba Y. Amin, Kreuzberg
11.30 a. m. N.B.K. (Neuer Berliner Kunstverein) reception by Marius Babias, Director, and meeting with artist Candice Breitz
1.00 pm Salon Frieder Burda and Galerie Michael Fuchs
01.30 p. m. Lunch at Clärchens Ballhaus
Afternoon
03.00 p. m. visit Sprüth Magers
05.00 p. m. SAVVY Contemporary- The Laboratory of Form-Ideas
Evening
07.30 p. m. Julia Stoschek Collection
(this programme may be subject to changes)
REGISTRATION GUIDELINES
Registration fee for the congress
Before July 27th: members 80 €, guests 100 €
After July 3rd: members 100 €, guests 120 €
Students 35 €
The AICA International Secretariat (3 persons), AICA International Office (1 person), Chairs of AICA International Committees (10 persons), speakers and special guests are exempted.
Participation to the post-programme Berlin October 6th and 7th 2019:
All attendants (AICA members, their guests and invited persons) pay the fee of 70 € and hotels accommodation. Those 70 € will be used for meals and transports.
Registration deadline: 31st August 2019.
Thereafter registration will be possible at the congress by cash.
Transfer
For the transfer from Cologne to Berlin, we offer the possibility to book your reservation with us at the price of 70 €. Owner of a Deutsche Bahncard should by their trip individually.
We encourage you to book as early as possible, as the 3rd of October is a National Holyday and the prices for trains and rooms may raise soon.
Hotels
in Cologne
Coellner Hof, Hansaring 100, 50670 Cologne 80 € per night
in Berlin
Our Congress Hotel in Berlin is the famous Ellington Hotel, close to the Ku’damm, where Duke Ellington used to play. It is a four star hotel which concedes a special rate to participants of the AICA Congress.
Ellington Hotel BERLIN, Nürnberger Strasse 50-55 | 10789 Berlin
Price 118 Single / 148 Double Breakfast included
Please note that hotel rooms are reserved for us only until July 11th. After this date, registration will be open to public and the prices may raise.
Other recommendations:
Motel One Berlin-Upper West, Kantstr. 163-165 · 10623 Berlin (close to Ellington Hotel)
Actual price (17th June 2019) 90,50 € / per night incl. Bio-breakfast (11,50 €)
IBIS Budget Berlin Alexanderplatz, Mollstraße 30 · 10249 Berlin
Actual price (17th June 2019) 59,00 € / per night plus 7,50 € for breakfast
Important addresses in Cologne
Kunsträume der Michael Horbach Stiftung, Womrser Str. 23, 50677 Köln
Hansasaal im Historischen Rathaus, Rathausplatz 2, 50667 Köln
Museum Ludwig, Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln
Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln, Peter-Welter-Platz 2, 50676 Köln
Congress adresses in Berlin:
Hamburger Bahnhof, Invalidenstraße 50-51, 10557 Berlin
Berlinische Galerie, Alte Jakobstraße 124, 10969 Berlin (Kreuzberg)
Palais Populaire, Unter den Linden 5, 10117 Berlin
