Whether they are articles published at the end of an AICA symposium or produced by Switch (on Paper) following an international call for papers, the texts in this dossier bear witness to the diversity, singularity and permanence of an art critic whose place remains more than ever necessary to grasp the issues at stake in the world, placing artists and culture at the heart of the debate. A partnership that materializes a community of spirit and the active support of Switch (on Paper) for art critics, whose status and future are the subject of in-depth reflection.

With the support of the Emerige Endowment Fund and Région Sud within the framework of Manifesta 13 Marseille.

Lauren Mele is an artist, writer and researcher based in London. Her writing and research focus on contemporary art dealing with politics of objective image production. She is a MFA graduate in contemporary art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art London ... [ read more ]

Publishing Partnership with AICA International

This text by Lauren Mele and Alfredo Cramerotti is published in partnership with AICA following an international call for participation launched at the end of 2019. Out of some sixty proposals for articles, fourteen have been selected and will be published from 28 August as part of Manifesta 13 Marseille within the programme « Les Parallèles du Sud ».

AICA (International Association of Art Critics) is an NGO founded in 1950 under UNESCO patronage for the purpose of reinforcing worldwide freedom of speech in the area of art criticism and ensure its diversity. Its missions include promoting the discipline in the visual arts by contributing to ensuring sound methodological foundations, protecting the moral and professional interests of art critics by defending the rights of all members equally, ensuring permanent communication among all members by encouraging national and international meetings, improving and facilitating information and international exchanges in the visual arts and contributing to reciprocal knowledge and closer understanding between differing cultures.

AICA News

Associate publisher, the Emerige Endowment Fund

Emerige: a proactive patron of the arts

In the firm belief that art has the power to change our daily reality, Emerige is a corporate sponsor committed to contemporary creativity by bringing culture closer to everyone, but especially the youngest in society. The Emerige Endowment Fund encourages young French artists via its Emerige Revelations Grant Scheme and its support for arts and culture educational programmes.

As a company devoted to building more beautiful cities for everyone, Emerige also contributes to bringing more art into urban communities by acquiring or commissioning contemporary art pieces under the terms of the 1 Building, 1 Artwork charter.

The Emerige Endowment Fund

Parallèles du Sud, Manifesta 13 Marseille

This series of publications published in partnership with AICA International (International Association of Art Critics) is one of the 86 projects labeled “Les Parallèles du Sud”, as part of MANIFESTA 13, which will take place in Marseille from 28 August to 29 November 2020.

Manifesta is the European Nomadic Biennial, which originated in the early 1990s in response to the political, economic, and social change following the end of the Cold War and the subsequent steps towards European integration. Manifesta has developed into a platform for dialogue between art and society by inviting the cultural and artistic community to produce new creative experiences with, and for, the context in which it takes place. Manifesta rethinks the relations between culture and society investigating and catalysing positive social change in Europe through contemporary culture in a continuous dialogue with the social sphere of a specific place.

Manifesta was founded by the Dutch art historian, Hedwig Fijen. Each new edition is fundraised individually and managed by a mix of permanent international team and local specialists. Manifesta is working from its offices in Amsterdam and Marseille.

Manifesta 13

IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are explosive, incendiary or toxic weapons that incorporate chemical components and are manufactured by hand. They have been used in Afghanistan and Iraq by terrorist, guerrilla and commando forces, for example, during the conflict attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq.

PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) is a Kurdish armed political organisation founded by Abdullah Öcalan in 1978. It campaigns for the independence of Kurdistan, Kurdish autonomy within a democratic confederal system in the Middle East, and the linguistic, cultural and existential rights of the Kurds. The PKK is considered as terrorist by a large part of the international community (kidnappings, armed struggle, suicide attacks).

IED

PKK