Submitted by WA Contents
Questions About Art Criticism for Three European Critics
United Kingdom Architecture News - Apr 27, 2014 - 12:25 2347 views
(original image via Jrm Llvr’s Flickrstream)
“Walking in the Air: Art Criticism in Europe” panel discussion about the current state of art criticism in Europe
New York, NY
On Sunday, April 27, an event jointly organized by AICA International and EUNIC New York will probe the realities facing art critics in Europe. Five critics, Dorota Jarecka of Poland, Marja-Terttu Kivirinta of Finland, Javier Montes of Spain, Jonathan T. D. Neil of the UK, and Tomás Pospiszyl of the Czech Republic will share their experience and tackle the questions of regional differences in the field, the role of social media in art discourse, the role of the art critic in shaping the identity of local art, and the changing critical landscape.
It is a fascinating topic for me, particularly since many people in the United States talk about Europe as if it was a uniform utopia of government funding and critical discourse, but the reality, as you will see, is very different.
Sunday’s event will begin with opening remarks by Marek Bartelik, president of AICA International, followed by short presentations by each panelist and a panel discussion moderated by yours truly. But before the in-person discussion begins, I wanted to set the virtual stage and ask the critics to answer a few simple questions about how they became art critics, the state of criticism in their respective countries, and the challenges they face.
Three of the critics were available to answer my preliminary questions, and in the meantime you can reserve your ticket for Sunday’s event online.
Tomas Pospiszyl (Czech Republic)
Hrag Vartanian: How did you become an art critic?
Tomas Pospiszyl: Wrong answer: I wrote my first art review at the age of 22. It was about an exhibition I myself helped to organize and it was written under a pseudonym. I managed to get it published in a major weekly magazine where one of the editors had a crush on me. Subsequently he offered me a regular job. Since then whenever I am in need of income, I get employed by the media.
Good answer: I always had a strong interest both in art and writing. Written reflection of art turned out to be the right mix for me. Later, while studying in the U.S., I was lucky to have Peter Schjeldahl as my teacher. I still follow few simple rules I learned from him: Learn how to describe your experiences. Be honest. There is no such thing as writing, only re-writing.
Both answers are actually correct....Continue Reading
> via Hyperallergic