Celebrating the Life of Aneta Szyłak (1959-2023)

Aneta Szyłak (1959-2023), recipient of AICA's Prize for Distinguished Art Critic in 2023, sadly passed away just a couple of weeks before the award ceremony. She is being honored for lifetime achievement, and the scope of her practice can hardly be summarized in a few sentences.

She was a critic and curator active both in Poland and internationally, as well as a translator of important critical texts (she translated into Polish, among others, "Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space" by Bryan O'Doherty). As a critic and curator, she built close and long-lasting relationships with artists. She accompanied them on their creative path, supported them and engaged in dialogue with them. The fruits of their collaboration were often solo exhibitions (such as two recent groundbreaking shows: Hiwa K's 2019 "Highly Unlikely but not Impossible" or Joanna Rajkowska's 2021 "Rhizopolis", both at the Zachęta National Art Gallery in Warsaw). However, Aneta has passed into the history of art in Poland primarily as a curator of group exhibitions – confronting pertinent issues in contemporary social life in the country and beyond – and as an organizer of cultural life.

The Gdansk Shipyard, the cradle of the Solidarity movement, played a special role in her biography. It was in its premises that Aneta founded and ran multiple organizations such as the Wyspa Institute of Art, Alternativa Foundation and, later, NOMUS The New Museum of Art (a branch of the National Museum in Gdansk). As she emphasized herself, her long-standing interaction with this place – as the heart of the labor movement before 1989, but also a victim of later deindustrialization – taught her attention to social inequalities and antagonisms.

Her deep social sensitivity was reflected in such hallmark exhibitions as “Guardians of the Docks” (Wyspa Institute of Art, Gdansk, 2005), “BHP” (Wyspa Institute of Art, Gdansk, 2004) or “Architectures of Gender” (SculptureCenter, New York, 2003).

In recent years, she was working on her doctoral thesis “Curating Context. The Palimpsest on the Quotidian and the Curatorial” as part of the Curatorial/Knowledge programme at Goldsmiths University of London and the University of Copenhagen. It certainly would have complemented the extensive list of her publications, which earned her multiple scholarships and accolades, including the 2004 Jerzy Stajuda Art Criticism Award.

She was an active member of AICA and served on the board of the Polish Section for several years. With her writings and curatorial endeavours, she made a substantial contribution to the development of experimental institutionalism, art-based research and feminist art discourse in Poland and beyond.

She will be missed dearly.

Arkadiusz Półtorak, President of AICA Poland

AICA Congress 2024 - Call for papers

Becoming Machine, Resisting the Artificial. Art in the Present Tense

Bucharest and Iaşi, Romania, 4-9 November 2024

Many recent comments regarding contemporary art making revolve around the increasing presence of digital means of production and distribution. Expressed mostly in a critical voice, in both popular press and scholarly periodicals, such observations address specifically the emergence and growing popularity of various Artificial Intelligence [AI] visualization systems. AI’s capability to transform the “prompts” introduced by the user on the application into practically infinite variations of digital images or text fragments has radically disrupted the traditional role of the artist and of the institutions. Indeed, the partial delegation of the creative act to the machine, and the subsequent conflicting encounter between individual agency and computer control, reopened old – although timely and pertinent – questions related to (artistic) originality, uniqueness, value, authorship, and copyright.

In a world dominated by military conflicts, climate change, migration crisis, fake news, and political rearrangements, the digital ecosystem – in which AI is one among other major actors – plays a crucial role. We, volens nolens, increasingly identify ourselves with the machine, while we employ various strategies of resisting the artificial. Art is an important part of this process. How can art critics and practitioners meet the challenges of present and future digital developments? To what extent do humans and machines share the creative process in these circumstances? To what extent does AI affect established notions and practices related to authorship and the ethics and intellectual property of the art object? How do AI and the fluidity of digital ecosystems affect artists’ (cultural) identity, bodies, and perception? How reliable is the archive and how consistent is the memory in the age of the fake? How does the rise of machine learning and various digital prostheses reflect structural economic disparities between what is called the Global South and technologically advanced societies? How do the recent mechanisms of production and circulation of images impact art criticism? How does digital behavior influence today's patterns of critique, aesthetic reception, vision, as well as the notion of spectatorship? Can the analogical provide ways to resist the algorithmic transformation of subjectivities as well as the psychopolitical machine of the Big Tech through contemporary art?

We strive for an understanding of the recent digital changes as an integrated part of contemporary society and consider them from different artistic and theoretical perspectives. The theme of the congress is an invitation to reflect, contextualize, uphold, criticize, comment, etc. about the art at the present tense.

Topics include but are not restricted to the following:

• “Post” like in Posthumanism

• The scientific turn in contemporary art

• Memory, Archive, Database

• Art criticism and its relevance in the new digital ecosystem

• Local, global, glocal

• (Former) Western, post-socialist and non-aligned art

• Ethics of the fake

• The crisis of the documentary form

• What comes after post-photography?

• Reflections of identity online and offline

• History repeating

• Critical imaginaries

• Poetics and politics of the artificial

• But is it art? Principles, values, frameworks of interpretation

• Bodies and affect

• Techno-capitalism

• Technology as a resource: economic disparities and uneven access

• AI, politics, and censorship

• Resisting psychopolitics

• Biomedia and the artificial nature

• Means of critique in the digital age

• Art biennials and their relevance today

We welcome perspectives on these themes from various artistic and theoretical areas, and a wide range of knowledge and insights.

Please send abstracts of approx 400-500 words and a short bio up to 200 words to: aica.romania.2024@gmail.com

Deadline for abstract and bio submissions: July 7 2024.

All applicants will learn on or shortly after 10th of July whether they have been successful in their applications.

Each presentation will be twenty minutes long, followed by a ten-minute discussion period.

The language of the congress is English. Please note that we accept only in-person presentations.

Congress registration will start after July 15th 2024.

Speakers are exempted from the Congress fee.

The cost of participation will be 20 EUR per day and it will include lunch and evening reception. UNESCO Director, the Secretariat, the Board of the Romanian section, heads of Committees, Keynote Speakers, Speakers and Moderators will be exempt.

Selected papers will be published in an edited volume at an academic publishing house TBD.

Keynote speakers (TBA)

The congress’ program includes: three full days of plenary sessions, two keynote lectures (TBA), museum and gallery visits, city tour, and meeting with the local artistic community. The congress ends in Bucharest on the evening of November 7th and will be followed by a closing reception.

The AICA congress includes a post-congress trip to the city of Iași, 8-9 November.

The post-congress program includes: one full day of round tables, a keynote lecture (TBA), museum visits, and meeting with the local artistic community. Please note that the post-congress trip is at participants’ own expenses, although organizers are happy to provide lunch, evening reception and local transportation.

Delegates to the post-Congress in Iaşi will travel by air, train or road on Friday, 8th of November. Estimated times for one-way travel between Bucharest and Iaşi are: 50 minutes by air, ca. 6hours 45min by train, and ca. 5hours 30 min by car. Our advice to all delegates would be to arrange their own international travel to and from Bucharest, and to those participating in the Post Congress to make their own arrangements for travel within Romania from Bucharest to Iaşi and back. Please note that there are flight connections from Iași to various European cities.

Further details regarding the daily program of the congress and the post-congress, information about travel and accommodation will follow soon.

Text available in PDF format: ENGLISH | FRENCH | SPANISH

2024 AICA-International ‘CALL’-- Incentive Prize for Young Art Critics

Congress & Theme: AICA-Int. Congress—Bucharest and Iaşi, Romania, November 4-9 Becoming Machine, Resisting the Artificial. Art in the Present Tense

Eligibility: Critics (commentators, curators, educators) early to mid-career, writing from anywhere, for newspapers, magazines, television, radio, internet

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

Entry fee: None

Entry Deadline: One essay per applicant by Sunday, August 18, 2024

Jury Process: Aica-Int. Awards Committee will read and rank essays

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

CONTEST DIRECTIONS (Please read carefully!)

By Sunday, August 18, 2024 applicants should email a single WORD document in English (no PDF) including:

1. 2000-3000 word count essay with bibliography

2. Optional six images (max) labeled and embedded into essay text

3. 150 word BIO with writer’s nationality, workplace, and email

FAQ

Essayists do not have to be AICA members

Essays do not have to follow Congress theme

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

AICA-Int. reserves the right to publish entries on its website and/or AICA-E-MAG

***For questions/answers anytime, email Jean Bundy (38144@alaska.net)

Email entries to all three: Jean Bundy (Awards Chair) at 38144@alaska.net; sandrahitner@gmail.com; and aica.office@gmail.com

Premio AICA Paraguay 2023

CRITIQUE D'ART | Annonce de parution | N°62

Image de droite : Michel Ragon pendant le montage de l'exposition Peintures et sculptures abstraites, Festival de l'art d'avant-garde, Cité Radieuse, Marseille, 1956 (extrait),

Fonds Michel Ragon, INHA-Collection Archives de la critique d'art, Rennes © photographe anonyme

Revue imprimée
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Censorship & Freedom of Expression Committee Statement on threat to art professionals and damage to cultural heritage in Gaza.

The Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee of Aica International would like to express its deep concern at the extensive loss of lives, the threat to art critics, artists, curators and the irreparable damage to art centers, museums and cultural sites in Gaza. The Hamas- Israeli conflict since last October which claimed 33000 Palestinian and 1100 Israeli lives has also led to large scale destruction of the shared cultural and historical heritage of the world. In its initial findings via satellite and eyewitness accounts UNESCO has verified damage to 43 significant cultural sites that include 24 buildings of historical and artistic interest. The important visual arts center, Shababeek for Contemporary Art was razed to the ground during Israeli bombing, along with it invaluable collection of 20,000 art works. This included 5,000 pieces that represented 30 years of the art practice of Sarhan, one of the founders of Shababeek for Contemporary Art. Earlier Eltiqa Group for Contemporary Art, another established visual arts space was also destroyed. Both these institutions offered a community programming which included and a much needed arts-focused mental health programming to support children growing up amid the wars and blockades. Their devastation has left a vacuum in the cultural life of the people of Gaza.

During the ongoing conflict one of Palestine’s most celebrated artist, Fathi Ghaben lost his life because he was not allowed to leave Gaza to receive urgent medical care, another popular artist, Heba Zaqout was killed in an airstrike. The human cultural capital of Gaza is increasingly at risk as already intellectuals, academics,artists, poets and writers, among them, 3 university presidents and 95 university professors, have lost their lives since October. Gaza's museums have not been spared from the bombardment, the Al-Qarara Cultural Museum in southern Gaza, which housed a pottery collection from the Byzantine period, suffered serious damage and the Rafah Museum and Al-Mathaf, a national archaeology museum in the making, were also bombed, and their contents destroyed.

It is important to reiterate here that one of the fundamental principles of the Preamble of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict states that “damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever means damage to the cultural heritage of all mankind, since each people makes its contribution to the culture of the world”. Also enshrined in various UN Conventions is that cultural heritage is an important component of the cultural identity of communities, groups and individuals, and of social cohesion, so that its intentional destruction may have adverse consequences on human dignity and human rights.

A report by Forensic Architecture on the archaeological site of Blakhiyya, (identified as Anthedon Harbour, Gaza's ancient seaport dated 800 BCE – 1100), has been largely damaged by Israeli airstrikes and military activities. The same is true of Mukheitim, the Byzantine Church, (5th century) with its mosaic floors and Greek inscriptions which has been turned into a base for the Israeli military.

As the UN Special Rapporteur for Cultural Rights, we urge you to take action against the blatant violation by Israel of the 1954 Hague Convention and its Second Protocol which prohibits the destruction and damage to cultural heritage in armed conflicts. As a signatory of UNESCO treaties and conventions it is incumbent upon Israel to respect international law and Palestinian cultural property should not be targeted or used for military purposes under any circumstances.

AICA International joins fellow professional organization like Forensic Architecture and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to underline the violation of human rights, freedom of expression and cultural rights of art professionals and the people of Gaza.

On behalf of AICA

Malgorzata Kazmierczak, President of AICA International

Niilofur Farrukh, Chair of the Censorship Committee

Documents available as PDF files below.
Censorship & Freedom of Expression Committee Statement on threat to art professionals and damage to cultural heritage in Gaza.

Threat to art professionals and damage to cultural heritage in Gaza. Letter to UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967

Threat to art professionals and damage to cultural heritage in Gaza. Letter to UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Announcing Partnership: AICA Joins Forces with Freemuse for Artistic Freedom

We're thrilled to announce our partnership with Freemuse, an international organization dedicated to advocating for and defending freedom of artistic expression. This memorandum, signed on April 23, 2024, solidifies our commitment to collaborate with Freemuse until December 31, 2025, with a plan for review thereafter.

As part of this partnership, both AICA and Freemuse will actively share information of mutual interest and collaborate on various initiatives, including monitoring and documenting violations of artistic freedom, advocacy actions, joint publications, and supporting each other's campaigns. Importantly, both organizations are committed to upholding international human rights values and standards in all shared works and activities.

We're excited about the possibilities this partnership holds for advancing artistic freedom worldwide!

Read the Memorandum of Understanding between Freemuse and AICA.

Meetings on Art Criticism: Chenoa Baker and Katarzyna Cytlak

May 4, 5 pm, LNMA National Gallery of Art auditorium

The event will be held in English. Participation is free of charge, without registration. Presentations will be accompanied by a joint discussion.

This year, the series of events organized in the context of the Art Criticism Awards starts with a meeting with two art critics who are the two prize winners of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) Incentive Prize for Young Art Critics 2023.

Chenoa Baker (Boston, USA) and Katarzyna Cytlak (Poznan, Poland) write in very different styles, for very distinct audiences, with very diverse approaches to their research, and ask different questions both of themselves and the artworks. However, it is precisely the differences that invite us to pay attention to the variety of critical challenges in today's context. Art criticism is a mediator between content and context, reflecting, among other things, the tensions within the field of art, which is confronted with questions of history, politics, and the perception of art.

Curator, writer and cultural strategist Chenoa Baker won first prize in the AICA competition for her essay “Traveling Somewhere Warm in Our Minds: A Review of Presence in the Pause: Interiority and its Radical Immanence.” Her presentation "Relational Aesthetics in Criticism" invites us to take a behind-the-scenes look at her writing and thinking process of the award-winning piece. Despite the author's skepticism towards exhibitions of figurative painting, the text reviews precisely such an exhibition. Baker will also look at her other writing projects, the psychological concepts behind that make relatable writing, and some examples of how human encounters with art are an important and often forgotten layer of meaning-making in criticism. She hopes that the talk is a generative, fun, and thought-provoking affirmation for the audience.

Baker teaches at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and previously was the Associate Curator at “ShowUp” art space. In addition, she has consulted on several exhibitions, such as Gio Swaby: Fresh Up at the Peabody Essex Museum and Touching Roots: Black Ancestral Legacies in the Americas at MFA/Boston. Her writing appears in Hyperallergic, Public Parking, Material Intelligence, and Studio Potter.

Katarzyna Cytlak is an art historian, her piece Condensing Vestiges of Past Futures in the Post-Peripheries: Artistic Engagement with Post-Colonial and Post-Authoritarian Contexts was awarded the second prize in the AICA competition. In her lecture of the same title, she will dive into the dynamics of archival and historiographic turn in contemporary art. According to her, this turn has been shaped by the realities of post-authoritarian, post-communist, and post-crisis contexts. Cytlak discusses artists of Uruguayan, Polish, Hungarian, Angolan, Iraqi and American origin whose work respond to post-authoritarian trauma, socio-political crisis, and a general state of ideological confusion characteristic of world regions placed between major centers of power. She is particularly interested in how these artists use images from popular culture to create historical meta-narratives of power and resistance. Her research draws on the insights of the German philosopher Reinhart Koselleck, the Cameroonian philosopher Achille Mbembe, and the Argentinean and Mexican sociologist Néstor García Canclini.

Cytlak's research is focused on the art of Central and Latin America, often juxtaposing these regions with Eastern Europe. She teaches art criticism at the University of Toruń in Poland. She holds a PhD from the Sorbonne and has held fellowships at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) in Argentina and the University of San Martin. Her articles have been published in Umění/Art, Eadem Utraque Europa, Telón de Fondo, Third Text, RIHA Journal and many other publications.

The series of events will continue with a meeting with curator and writer Raimundas Malašauskas, individual meetings with editors of cultural media (registration will be announced soon) and the 2024 Art Criticism Awards ceremony on the first of June.

The Visual Art Criticism Awards and the accompanying events are organized by the Contemporary Art Centre, the LNMA National Gallery of Art and Artnews.lt. The project is funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and Vilnius City Municipality.

Joseph Backstein, curator and critic, 1945-2024.

Joseph Backstein, Berlin c.2008. Photo by Maxim Jablonski (Joseph’s son).

Joseph Backstein passed away on 12 January 2024 in London after a long illness and was buried in Novo Vostriakovskoye Jewish Cemetery, Moscow on 19 January.

He is celebrated for many achievements as a curator, including the founding of the Moscow Biennale, for which he was Commissioner for its first 6 editions (2004-2016).

For those who knew him, his energy, charm and openness as well as his intellect endeared him to many. Looking across the many artists and curators who took part in the exhibitions and projects he worked on, he touched many lives.

The Moscow Biennale began in the Lenin Museum in 2005 (prior to renovation) and one of his ideas to mark its place in Russian history was to screen continuously the film about Lenin in its auditorium, from its days as a historical museum. Each subsequent edition used different venues across the city of Moscow, and this shift in locations, as well as the roster of international curators, made the Biennale distinctive, as did the mobilisation of other galleries which formed the extensive parallel programme of primarily Russian artists.

His career as a curator started in 1987 with the Avantgarde Club in Moscow, but he had been working closely with Kabakov and other conceptual artists through the 1980s, when he was married to Ira Nakhova. Joseph took over Kabakov’s studio on Sretensky Boulevard, which had been famous for its artists’ gatherings, as the office/workspace of ICA, Moscow, 1988-2018.

A Russian edition of ‘Trialogues’, an experiment in writing by Michael Epstein, Ilya Kabakov and Joseph Backstein from the early 1980s will be published soon, and demonstrates Joseph’s long-standing interests in cultural studies and critical and non-conformist examinations of what it meant to live in the Soviet Union, as its utopia was crumbling. He travelled abroad for the first time in 1988, when he went to Berlin to organise Iskunstvo. He organised two remarkable exhibitions of conceptual art, one in Sandinovsky Bath House in 1988, where the (male) visitors and participants could swim, and another inside Butyrskaja Prison in 1992, with the inmates and governor present. In 1999, he curated the Russian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, showing Komar and Melamid and Yuri Albert. He became renowned for the many touring exhibitions he organised of Moscow conceptual artists abroad (largely in USA, and Europe) post-Perestroika, including ‘Perspectives on Conceptualism’ (USA, 1991-1993) and for the large number of international artists who he brought to Russia in the 2000s, from Boltanski to Yoko Ono. During the 1990s, his interest in performance, video art and installation developed in exhibitions like Medialisation (Edsvik, Sweden, 1998), even though he wrote critically of how painting remained the model against which the post-medium condition of contemporary art was formed. His fascination with Walter Benjamin led to his exhibition with Bart de Baere, titled, Angels of History (Antwerp, 2002).

Joseph was also founder and Director of the ‘Joseph Backstein School of Contemporary Art’ (current name), formerly School for Problems of Contemporary Art, and New Art Strategies programme in the 1990s. Many now distinguished mid-career artists from Russia trained on his courses and several exhibitions were held of the student’s works, notably “Out of the Cold” marking the collaboration with Valand School of Art, Sweden.

Two important books collecting his writing and documenting his exhibitions were published in Russian towards the end of his career.

A recent celebration of the many facets of his career took place in Art Moscow, April 2024 by friends and colleagues, which he had also helped organise. He also played a key part in the transition of Garage’s first venue (Konstantin Melnikov and Vladimir Shukhov’s bus garage) into the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center, curating a section on ‘Conceptual art and Sots Art’ for its 2015 exhibition on Jewish artists, “Contemporaries of the Future”.

Building an open and two-way dialogue between Russia and the international art world was at the heart of everything Joseph did for 3 decades and his desire to democratise and foster international exchange is one important part of his legacy, even if it feels the very possibilities he spent his career generating are closing down.

His work and career is documented at: https://josephbackstein.com

He was married three times, lastly to Katy Deepwell (2001-) and had 4 children from different relationships.

Open Call: Critics-in-Residence Programme @Kyoto Experiment 2024

<Residency for Art- & Cultural Critics from EU member states> The Delegation of the European Union to Japan launches a residency for art- & cultural critics, which is held as a part of this year’s Kyoto Experiment: Kyoto International Performing Arts Festival.

Deadline of Open Call: 20 May, 2024

Residency Period: 5 – 27 October, 2024

About Kyoto Experiment 

Kyoto Experiment is a performing arts festival held in Kyoto since 2010. Dedicated to producing and presenting experimental performing arts—both from Japan and overseas—the festival aims to explore and create new dialogues and values in society. Featuring experimental works that move freely between genres such as theater, dance, music and fine art, the festival hopes to open up new possibilities through the creations, experiences, and ideas that emerge from such a diverse combination.

https://kyoto-ex.jp/

Our Aim

With the aim, to reflect and foster the potential of art- and cultural critique, we are planning to host a maximum number of eight critics from EU member states for a residency in Kyoto during the entire festival period of Kyoto Experiment (dates:　Oct 5th-27th). Participants are invited to contribute with their expertise and experience to creating a space for exchange and reflection about the role of critique in nurturing the environment art and cultural production and in facilitating the role of art and culture in current societies. Together with the residents from the EU, our partner The Saison Foundation will host a Japanese critic to join the dialogue and address the situation of the art scene in Japan.During the festival period, we will hold multiple events in different formats involving the residents, such as public discussions, panel talks, workshops etc.

Who can apply?

Cultural journalists, preferably with a focus on performing arts, including arts writers, critics, theoreticians working for any kind of media and support, e.g. (online) magazines, newspapers, radios, televisions, new media platforms…

Eligibility requirements

• A minimum of three years’ experience in art/cultural critique and ongoing professional activity

• Good level of spoken and written English

• Citizens of the 27 EU member states or persons having a permanent residency in one of the 27 EU member states [check this list] 

What we offer

• Round trip flight from Europe to Japan

• Travel expenses for the transfer from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto (round trip)

• Accommodation in Kyoto during the residency period from Oct 5 to Oct 28

• A lump sum of 150,000 Yen to cover living expenses during the residency

• Tickets for the entire programmes of Kyoto Experiment

• Platforms for exchange and debate during the festival period, access to the professional network of Japanese and international art and cultural practitioners affiliated to Kyoto Experiment

• Support in getting to know the local art scene

The critics-in-residence programme will take place in October 2024. The duration of the residency is fixed and is not subject to change. Arrival in Kyoto is scheduled for October 5th, departure from Japan for October 28th.

Expected Outcome

Participation in public and semi-public discussions and exchange sessions during the festival. The framework will be discussed in advance with the participants after the residents have been determined.

A written article in English language on a subject connected to the resident’s stay in Kyoto and their impressions of the local art environment, to be published on Kyoto Experiment’s website.

How to apply?

Please submit the following documents to EU_mobility@goethe.de by May 20th, 2024, (23:59 CET)

• Filled-out application form

• Current resume

• Three samples of your previous works in the field of art critique/cultural critique (written content, radio, video et al.) in English or any of the EU languages.

• Please put the subject line as “Critics-in-Residence” when you submit your application. Work samples that exceed the file size of Gmail (or other email) attachments should be submitted by a file sharing system referencing the same email address.

Announcement of Results

Applicants will be notified about the result of their application via e-mail by June 14th, 2024.

Notes

Successful applicants, who are permanent residents of the EU, but do not hold an EU member state’s nationality, might - depending on their nationality - have to acquire a visa for their stay in Japan. The organizer will provide support in submitting visa applications but won’t be held liable in case the visa application is not successful.

We request successful applicants to take out an overseas travel insurance covering the period of their stay in Japan.

Organizer: Delegation of the European Union to Japan

Operated by: Goethe-Institut Tokyo

In cooperation with: Kyoto Experiment: Kyoto International Performing Arts Festival, The Saison Foundation

For inquiries

Please e-mail to: EU_mobility@goethe.de

Letter from AICA Regarding Anti-Cultural Policies of President Javier Milei's Government in Argentina

UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Dear Ms. Xanthaki,

The Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee of AICA International has been informed by its Argentinian National Section that the anti-cultural policies of President Javier Milei Government have become a cause of serious concern. These policies target the art community at every level as funding is increasingly used as a tool to curb freedom of expression. The censorship of gender-based content has also led to fear of reprisals among artists, art critics and curators.

AICA is a representative body of art critics based in Paris since the 1940s. It is active across the world with around 5500 members in 95 countries. One of its objectives is to protect the ethical and professional rights of its members and defend impartiality and freedom of artistic expression worldwide. The Censorship and Freedom of Expression Committee of AICA actively monitors cases of censorship and violation of freedom of expression, and artistic rights. It extends support to its members, through advocacy and visibility of their cases.

The Milei Government, which has publicly declared its bias towards the cultural sector, has begun to withdraw its funding commitments, this has led to the closing of two important cultural institutions and put others at risk. According to reports, 80% of the staff in the State funded cultural institutions has yet to be appointed by the government and in others unqualified persons have been hired to run them. All these changes are being carried out through arbitrary laws that circumvent legislation protecting the rights and wellbeing of cultural professionals and institutions. These actions gain greater urgency, when seen through the lens of the country's past when freedom of expression was brutally violated by authoritarian regimes.

These actions undermine the autonomy of cultural institutions and freedom of expression of art professionals and are unacceptable to AICA and all organisations that support the UNESCO Charter of Freedom of Expression.

All the anti- culture policies of Javier Milei are in clear violation of the freedom of expression and cultural rights enshrined in the UNESCO Treaty signed by Argentina. AICA International strongly urges your office to take action against the violation of the Treaty and the widespread threat to artists, art critics, curators and cultural institutions in Argentina.

Sincerely
On behalf of AICA

Malgorzata Kazmierczak
President of AICA International

Niilofur Farrukh
Chair of the Censorship Committee

AICA Próxima No 7

AICA Próxima No 7: ESPACIO Y TIEMPO EN EL ARTE DE AMÉRICA LATINA Y EL CARIBE

La contribución de la crítica, coleccionista y editora, Celia Sredni de Birbragher al desarrollo y promoción del arte y la crítica en la América Latina y el Caribe por espacio de cuatro décadas es destacada en el artículo de portada de AICA Próxima en su séptima edición, trimestral y multilingüe.

Esta nueva edición incluye, también, amplios contenidos sobre los hitos y actividades organizadas durante el primer trimestre del 2024 por los miembros de diez de las secciones de AICA Regional y cómo están impactando de manera decisiva la esfera cultural y artístico de sus respectivos países.

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AICA Próxima No 7: SPACE AND TIME IN THE ART OF LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The cover article of the seventh edition of AICA Próxima, a quarterly and multilingual publication, shines a spotlight on the contributions of critic, collector, and editor Celia Sredni de Birbragher to the advancement and promotion of art and criticism in Latin America and the Caribbean over four decades.

This latest edition also features comprehensive coverage of the significant milestones and events organized during the first quarter of 2024 by members of ten AICA Regional sections. These initiatives are making a decisive impact on the cultural and artistic landscapes of their respective countries.

3SICCN – Three Seas Initiative Cultural Cooperation Network

On April 10, 2024, a group of institutions from countries in the Three Seas region officially established their new cultural cooperation network – The Three Seas Initiative Cultural Cooperation Network (3SICCN) – in Vilnius, Lithuania.

3SICCN is comprised of cultural institutions, museums, galleries, art universities, and associations of artists and art critics that initiate cooperation within the context of the Three Seas Initiative. Partners aim to support each other in conducting research on culture and art. They are working on jointly organizing the cyclical Three Seas Art Festival, scheduled to commence in 2025, as a biennial event visiting various locations in the region. This level of cooperation aims to facilitate the integration of the region’s societies and foster an appreciation for cultural diversity and a shared identity. The initiative is open and polycentric, operating in the spirit of pluralism, mutual curiosity, and friendship. The perspective of the European Union and the logic of EU structural cohesion are crucial to the project. Additionally, it is important for partners to research and improve educational and cultural policies, as well as culture-related public services, in individual 3SI countries. 3SICCN views the sphere of art, design, education, and creative industries not only as a space for public diplomacy but also as an important sector of the region’s economy, strongly influencing the lives of citizens and covering a significant financial volume.

Founding members:

University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland, National Museum of Contemporary Art MNAC Bucharest, Romania, Slovak Natinal Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia, The Peter Michal Bohúň Gallery in Liptov Region, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia, Olomouc Museum of Art – Central European Forum, Olomouc, Czech Republic, MUFO Museum of Photography in Krakow, Poland, Center for Documentation of the Art of Tadeusz Kantor CRICOTEKA, Krakow, Poland, Three Seas Art Foundation, Krakow, Poland, acb Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, Center for Contemporary Art, Graz, Austria, AICA International, Paris, France, Vytautas Magnus University, Education Academy, Vilnius, Lithuania, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Kyiv, Ukraine, Lviv National Academy of Arts, Lviv, Ukraine, Athens School of Fine Arts, Athens, Greece.

JEAN-MARC POINSOT - NOTES SUR L'EXPOSITION ET SES ACTEURS

Delve into the vibrant world of contemporary art with Jean-Marc Poinsot's latest publication, "NOTES SUR L'EXPOSITION ET SES ACTEURS". Poinsot, a distinguished critic and art historian, offers profound insights into the past two decades through his discerning commentary on selected works and exhibitions.

Unravelling the critical significance of art pieces addressing societal issues, Poinsot's analysis sheds light on the evolving landscape of the arts. From the visionary works of Daniel Buren, Michel Parmentier, Pierre Huyghe, and Wesley Meuris to the ground breaking exhibitions curated by figures like Jan Leering, Harald Szeemann, Laurent Le Bon, and Jens Hoffmann, this book encapsulates the essence of contemporary art across iconic cities including Paris, New York, London, Cassel, and Venice.

• Price: €27 • Pages: 188 • Language: French • Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches • Published on: November 22, 2023 by Hermann • ISBN: 9791037031204

Now available for purchase on our website.

BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL DISASTER

PROBLEMS OF CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION IN THE CONTEXT OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Olomouc Museum of Art – Central European Forum + National Gallery Prague online workshop on the CEAD platform: 19 04 2024

On the occasion of the exhibition ELEVACE Zděnek Beran: Rehabilitation Department of Dr. Dr., the Central European Forum Olomouc and the National Gallery in Prague invite you to participate in an international colloquium dedicated to the preservation and presentation of works from the context of contemporary art. The meeting is intended for practitioners, restorers, conservators, curators and art historians or anthropologists specializing specifically in the field of contemporary art, problematic ma- terials and ephemeral art forms. However, it has a natural historical dimension – the question of preservation, reconstruction or presentation of art environments cannot, of course, be limited to the last few decades. Trends associated with the material turn on the one hand. The performative turn on the other, the rise of poststructuralist strategies, as well as the increasingly complex rethinking of relations between individual actors across scholarly discourses, are generalizing and developing the field of art history in ways that have obvious and direct implications for a range of social practices or practices.

The imaginary motto of the meeting is one of the first complex environments created in the Central European space, the Rehabilitation Department of Dr. Dr., created in his studio at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s by Czech painter and visual artist, a member of the unofficial scene and later professor at the Academy of Fine Arts Zdeněk Beran (1937–2014). The work, on the borderline between installation, sculp- tural realisation and abstracted spatial painting, went through three dramatic phases with an almost biblical subtext: it was placed in a grave (1993–1994), then removed (1997) and reinstalled in a museum setting (2000/2023). It is precisely this symbolic “elevation”, i.e. not only physical but also meaningful preservation in the actual spacetime, imagination and mentality, that is the key condition for the existence of an artwork.

Due to the importance of such interdisciplinary meetings, which offer the opportunity to view a given topic or realisation from multiple perspectives, the programme is divided into two stages – the first meeting will take place online at the Central European Database in April 2024, the second will then be organised taking into account the results obtained and the degree of synergies. The aim is to create a vibrant and functional network, capable of responding to the challenges faced by specific institutions or individuals. The long-established New Media Museums programme, focusing on new media art and working with advanced technologies, is a model for this.

We welcome contributions from individuals and groups, with a primary interest in the field of contemporary art, but prepared with an awareness of the general categories of theory and practice of conservation and restoration of complex art environments. The program will consist of separate panels, organized by theme, time and subject matter, and consisting of contributions of standard length (20 minutes).

ABSTRACTS OF UP TO 500 WORDS, WITH A SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR(S), SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY 30 03 2024, TO SEFO@MUO.CZ. THE LANGUAGE OF THE COLLOQUIUM IS ENGLISH.

Labour Conditions in the Arts / Conditions de travail dans les arts / Condiciones laborales en el sector artístico

Dear members,

AICA International invites you to take part in an anonymous survey developed by Elli Leventaki, Mary Mikaelyan, and Omar Mirza, intending to map work conditions of art critics throughout the world and understand the diverse spectrum of jobs that they do.

This project was initiated during the 55th AICA Congress in Kraków, Poland as part of the AICA Academy programme, organised by Mathilde Roman with the support of AICA Poland, and implemented with the guidance of Sonia Recasens.
For any inquiries please contact us at: aicalabour@gmail.com

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Che.è.r.e.s membres,

AICA International vous invite à répondre à une enquête anonyme élaborée par Elli Leventaki, Mary Mikaelyan et Omar Mirza, dans le but de cartographier les conditions de travail des critiques d’art à travers le monde et de comprendre la diversité des emplois qu'ils.elles occupent.

Ce projet a été lancé lors du 55ème Congrès de l'AICA à Cracovie, en Pologne, dans le cadre du programme AICA Academy, organisé par Mathilde Roman avec le soutien de l’AICA Pologne et mis en œuvre avec les conseils de Sonia Recasens.

Pour toute question, veuillez nous contacter à l'adresse suivante: aicalabour@gmail.com

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Estimados miembros,

AICA Internacional le invita a participar en una encuesta anónima desarrollada por Elli Leventaki, Mary Mikaelyan, y Omar Mirza, con la intención de mapear las condiciones laborales de los críticos de arte de todo el mundo y entender el diverso espectro de trabajos que realizan.

Este proyecto se inició durante el 55º Congreso de la AICA en Cracovia, Polonia, como parte del programa de la Academia AICA, organizado por Mathilde Roman y el apoyo de AICA Polonia, e implementado con la orientación de Sonia Recasens.

Para cualquier consulta, póngase en contacto con nosotros en: aicalabour@gmail.com

Codladh sámh Ciarán

Ciarán Bennett sadly died on 15 February 2024 after a long illness, aged 68. He was a member of AICA since 1994 and served as President of AICA Ireland Section for two terms and AICA International Vice-President.

He spearheaded the AICA World Congress in 2009 “The Relations between Art and Science: Complicity, Criticality, Knowledge” at Dublin Castle and regularly attended AICA meetings in Paris, a city he knew and loved very much.

His art education began at Dun Laoghaire Art School (now IADT) in the late 70s, taking on further studies in in Paris, Florence and Bath. Following a stint living and working in Thailand and travelling around Asia, in 1994 he returned to Ireland and began working as an art critic. As well as freelance writing, he also served at the art critic for the Irish Architect, journal of the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland from 1995-2000. During his career he also wrote for wrote for Brooklyn Rail, Artnet, Circa Art Magazine, Art Criticism, and the Irish Arts Review and several other publications.

He curated several exhibitions including shows at the National Print Museum, Solstice Arts Centre, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art, often advising artists and galleries selections and installations. His exhibition at IMMA "A Vision of Modern Art in Memory of Dorothy Walker" was made in commemoration of the art critic, writer and founding IMMA Board member Dorothy Walker. He wrote for the catalogue which also includes an essay by Donald Kuspit.

He had a keen interest in the postwar inauguration of AICA which led to in his book "James Johnson Sweeney: The Poetry of Vision in the Twilight of Modernism" published in 2017. This book has made a very valuable contribution to awareness of the art politics that lay behind ROSC, modern Irish Art and AICA early years. He received the Pollock Krasner Research Fellowship for this project and spent several years researching which took his to many places including New York, Houston, and Ibiza.

He wrote essays and reviews of numerous artists who include: Francis Bacon, Joseph Beuys, Martina Coyle, Gary Coyle, Fiona Dowling, Denis Farrell, Kathy Herbert, Cor Klassen, Brian Maguire, Paul Moss, Janet Mullareny, Cóilín Murray, Alan Phelan, Amanda Ralph, Bridget Riley, Vivienne Roche, Sean Scully, Katherine Shankey, John Noel Smith, Mario Sughi, Charles Tyrell, and many others.

Other projects include work with Suzanne Anker & Frank Gillette which led him to be keynote speaker at the conference Molecular Cuisine: The Politics of Taste at the School of Visual Arts, New York. He also appeared on an Irish language television programme called Dullamullóg as the art critic charged with assessing contestant craft workers.

As Noel Kelly said at his funeral service: "for those who really knew Ciarán, they will know of his great heart, his generosity, his complete lack of guile or deceit. Ciarán was always the genuine character. His unapologetic use of words, his incredible range of knowledge and half-remembered stories put him in direct lineage to Ireland’s greatest in terms of the use of language. And yet, he also hungered to know more, whilst maybe a “bit” dismissive about the constant repetition of trends and tropes or the lack of education and learning in the world, but his mind was always interested in knowing more. Not a superficial knowledge, but the why and where, and when it all became too much, the familiar wave of the hand, toss of the head, were signals that Ciarán was ready to move on."

Codladh sámh Ciarán.