Art Genève has just wrapped up its 14th edition. Art-Beats was on site to casually take the pulse of the market, speak with gallerists, and detect any recurring themes at this year’s fair, held from January 29 to February 1, 2026, at Palexpo in Geneva.
Booth B31 Templon, Paris/Brussels/New York
The fair at a glance Art Genève is arguably the second most prestigious art fair in Switzerland, following Art Basel. Often described as a “boutique” fair, it distinguishes itself through its smaller scale and strong curatorial focus. This year’s edition hosted around 80 galleries presenting modern and contemporary art.
The fair maintains a strong connection to particularly francophone regions, attracting galleries and visitors from Swiss Romandy, Paris, Quebec, and Montreal. Beyond the main booths, Art Genève also features Special Projects, dedicated to foundations, institutional collections, and private collectors, as well as Solo Shows sections, allowing galleries to focus on one artists and more curated booths.
One of the Special Projects was MAMCO Genève’s (museum of modern art) booth, which functioned as a live exhibition of works the museum planned to acquire during the fair. Beginning empty and gradually filling with newly purchased works, the booth made the acquisition process visible and inclusive — a bit unusual and somewhat refreshing gesture for an institution.
Booth B39 gallery Semiose, Paris
Several booths also showcased art award nominees. Luxury watchmaker Piaget continued its support by awarding the best Solo Show presentation at the fair, with the winning work entering MAMCO’s collection. Similarly, the Prix Mobilière 2026 presented seven nominated artists for their contributions to the Swiss art scene. These initiatives demonstrated how sponsorship can meaningfully strengthen collaboration between institutions and the market.
Art talk “Contemporary Australian Indigenous artists”
Some Art Talks topics
As every year, Art Genève hosted a series of public talks. A recurring theme was the Responsible Art Market (RAM) – Art Market Perspective, which celebrated its 10th anniversary. The discussion addressed sustainability in the art world from multiple angles, including shipping practices, tax reforms, inheritance, and the economic sustainability of artistic careers. RAM continues to provide practical toolkits focused on due diligence, provenance research, and combating money laundering within the market.
Exhibitors preparing at Art Genève
Another theme, which I found particularly interesting, was the attention to indigenous presence in contemporary art. One talk I was looking forward to — Contemporary Australian Indigenous Artists — ultimately felt more like a presentation than a discussion and lacked depth on individual practices and introduction to artists and their works. Still, it touched on important topics such as oral traditions, the cultural significance of dreaming, which connects people with ancestral narratives in connecting past and present.
Pitseolak Qimirpik’s Solo Show at D23 gallery Chiguer Art Contemporain, Montréal/Québec
Highlights of the fair While it was enjoyable to reconnect with exhibitors and familiar art-world figures, what stood out most this year were the Solo Show presentations. Around 30 solo shows were presented by international galleries, many of which felt more focused and thoughtfully curated than standard booth displays.
As a Danish-Greenlandic artist myself, I was particularly drawn to the solo presentation of Inuit artist Pitseolak Qimirpik (b. 1986, Nunavut, Canada) at Chiguer Art Contemporain, led by owner Abdelilah Chiguer. Seeing a solo exhibition by an Inuit artist at a well-established European fair felt significant, and made me think about the positioning of indigenous contemporary artists in general.
Pitseolak Qimirpik’s Solo Show at D23 gallery Chiguer Art Contemporain, Montréal/Québec
This presentation raised broader questions about how indigenous artists are positioned within the contemporary art market. As the art world increasingly focuses on previously marginalised voices — including artists from developing regions, women artists, and Indigenous communities — it remains unclear how these practices are expected to adapt to a well-established Westernised art market system, and whether that adaptation risks compromising cultural specificity.
I don’t have definitive answers, but after an initial walkthrough, this was the booth that stayed with me, because it felt relevant — despite the fair also featuring blue-chip names such as Lee Ufan, Yue Minjun, Anish Kapoor, Paul McCarthy, and post-war figures like Hans Hartung and Karel Appel.
Booth C20 Mennour, Paris
Other solo presentations were equally engaging. Gallery espace_L’s exhibition of Jan Steenman’s ceramic, shelf mushroom-like sculptures reflected a broader trend I’ve noticed recently: contemporary ceramics increasingly occupying space within fine art galleries. Several other galleries such as Taste Contemporary from Geneva and the art association SALTS from Basel were also exhibiting ceramic sculptures, and I am wondering if there is an increased demand for these? It seems like it.
Since its launch, Art-Beats has been driven by a curiosity for artistic practice, visual arts, and cultural expression. But cultural disciplines do not exist in isolation. They are expressions of a shared cultural fabric, shaped by overlapping histories, practices, and ways of sensing the world. Culture unfolds across rituals, tastes, places, and shared experiences.
As Art-Beats evolves, its focus aims to expand to include other cultural forms that shape how we perceive, evaluate, and enjoy the world around us. Wine, with its deep ties to craft, history, place, and social life, is one of them. This is not a departure from art coverage, but an extension of the same curiosity, approached through different sensory experiences.
A Shared Cultural History: Art and Wine in Dialogue
The relationship between art and wine is also deeply embedded in cultural history. Wine has been a recurring subject in fine art for centuries, from Caravaggio’s Bacchus to the convivial scenes of Dutch Golden Age still life paintings or vanitas, where wine symbolised abundance, indulgence, and moral tension, like the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures and worldly pursuits.
In contemporary culture, the dialogue between art and wine has become increasingly deliberate and conceptually rich. One of the most enduring examples is Château Mouton Rothschild, which since 1945 has commissioned leading artists to design its annual labels, including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Gerhard Richter. These wine labels have become cultural markers, embedding each vintage within the artistic language of its time and transforming the bottle into a collectible object that carries both aesthetic and historical value.
Pieter Claesz, Still Life with Herring, Wine and Bread (1647). Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles.
More recently, artists have begun to engage with wine not only as surface but as form and narrative. Daniel Arsham’s reinterpretation of the Moët Impérial bottle, rendered as a futuristic archaeological artefact, repositions the champagne as an object suspended between past and future, consumption and preservation. The work echoes Arsham’s broader practice of imagining contemporary objects as relics, and in doing so, invites reflection on how cultural value is constructed and remembered.
Beyond high-profile collaborations, a growing number of producers are embracing art-inspired labels and artist partnerships as a way of articulating identity, place, and philosophy. In these cases, visual language becomes a means of storytelling, offering an entry point into the wine’s origin, values, and sensibility.
Passion Assets, Perception, and Experience
Luxury wines, some with hand-painted labels displayed at Tenuta Torciano Winery in Tuscany, Italy
Art and wine are often spoken about in the same breath, usually at gallery openings or long dinners where conversation flows as easily as the glass. In financial portfolio management, as defined by the CFA Institute, they are even considered part of the same asset class, categorised as passion assets or collectibles. But the connection between them runs deeper than social ritual. At their core, both art and wine are assessed through systems of perception. They encourage engagement. Demand attention. Evoke curiosity. A willingness to learn how to look and how to taste. And perhaps most importantly, both art and wine reward presence.
Neither experience is passive. An artwork does not always reveal itself at first glance, just as a wine rarely tells its whole story in the first sip. Both often require a slow activation of the senses, guided by knowledge and personal experience. By intentionally looking, we learn to see brushstrokes, composition, expression, and intention behind an artwork. Sip by sip, we learn to taste structure, balance, acidity, texture, and finish of a wine. Over time, our perception sharpens. Pleasure and appreciation deepens.
Assessment, Criticism, and Contemporary Pressures
There is also a shared discipline of assessment. In wine, we speak of structure, typicity, and expression. In art, we evaluate form, coherence, and emotional resonance. Both fields balance subjective response with trained judgement. You can love a wine that breaks the rules, just as you can be moved by art that resists categorisation or conventions. But even rebellion gains meaning when you understand what is being challenged. Both art and wine are also shaped by ongoing criticism, debate, and shifting evaluative frameworks. In wine, discussions increasingly centre on how climate change is altering traditional styles and regional identities, how producers respond to evolving consumer expectations around sustainability and moderation, and how economic pressures affect production and distribution. These debates challenge long-held notions of typicity and quality, prompting producers and critics alike to reconsider what excellence looks like in a changing world.
In the art world, assessment is similarly influenced by broader cultural and structural pressures. Questions of access, visibility, and economic sustainability continue to shape artistic practice, alongside debates about how digital platforms, institutional gatekeeping, and global audiences redefine value and authorship. At the same time, artists are navigating expectations around authenticity, social relevance, and cultural responsibility, often working across disciplines and formats that resist traditional modes of critique. In both fields, judgement is no longer fixed but negotiated, reflecting a cultural landscape in flux.
Final Thoughts
In a culture increasingly shaped by speed, algorithms, and instant gratification, this is where art and wine quietly align. They remind us that aesthetic experience is not consumed but cultivated. It is built through repetition, reflection, and openness. Through tasting widely. Through looking closely. Through research and experience, yes, but also through feeling and sensing.
What does uniqueness of an art work mean – and what influence does rarity have in today’s art market?
The question is rooted in my own initial discontent of the commodification of fine art. Perhaps, due to a tendency of romanticising important or relevant fine art as unique or “one of a kind”, which is a dangerous thing to do. This thought might narrow your mind to “what art should be” as a reaction to “what art has become”. So, in an effort to educate myself, and better explain this aspect of art production to others, I am here looking into the levels of rarity art may be produced under, and why does this matter.
From ancient Chinese woodcuts to Andy Warhol’s silk screen prints, the tension between originality and reproduction has always been central to the art world. Today, with artworks sold everywhere from international fairs to online platforms, understanding the difference between unique works, editions, and reproductions may seem useful – for artists, collectors, and audiences alike.
Kunsthaus, Zurich
3 Encounters with Art Rarity
My reflections on this topic stem from a couple of personal encounters:
The Picasso Print: A friend once asked me about a lithograph advertised as a “Picasso” for around $500. My friend asked me why it was so cheap, and whether it would be a good purchase. The real question wasn’t whether the piece was authentic, but whether it was a limited edition, an open edition, or simply a fancy poster. Rarity, as well as who produced or printed it, as well as the quality of the edition, could determine the value.
An Yves Klein in Manila: At Art Fair Philippines some years ago, I saw what appeared to be an ultramarine coloured sculpture advertised as Yves Klein’s Blue Venus. The work, I later researched, was conceptualised by the artist, but was only produced after the artists death in limited production of 300 sculptures. The work is dated 1962/1982 for when it was initially conceptualised, and when it was actually produced with authorisation by the artist’s estate 20 years after his death – it was priced around $100,000. This triggered some questions in me; was this an ambitious effort to democratise Klein’s work, or a bold attempt to commercialise a legacy? You can find editions of this sculpture at many prominent museums and galleries around the world, which adds legitimacy and value to this posthumous work. See an example of one of the editions here on The Met’s website.
Edition-Only Galleries: In cities like London and Paris, I’ve passed by gallery streets selling, sometimes exclusively, certified prints, editions, and replicas. These spaces illustrate how entire business models can revolve around the reproducibility of art. These galleries also often appear in major art fairs, selling artworks by the likes of Francis Bacon, Dalí, or Basquiat. The artworks represent a mid-range segment of the market, between very affordable and very expensive blue chip art.
Each of the experiences above revealed how fluid the boundaries are between original, edition, and reproduction – and how much these definitions matter in shaping perception and price.
Art Zurich 2022
Why Rarity Matters in Art
As mentioned, art is sometimes romanticised as “one of a kind.” We imagine the solitary artist creating a singular masterpiece, preserved in time. But reality is more complex, and there are different reasons why it would make sense to break up a unique artwork into limited editions and reproductions.
Today, the art markets thrive on accessibility, affordability, and scalability. Collectors now navigate a spectrum of artworks – from originals to certified editions, prints, and posthumous reproductions. Each category raises important questions about value, authenticity, and intention.
Rarity plays a crucial role in setting expectations. For collectors, understanding whether a piece is unique, limited, or open edition directly affects the assessment of its value. Editions inevitably reduce a work’s uniqueness, but that does not necessarily diminish its quality. Compared to unique works by the same artist, editions are typically more affordable, though it can be argued that editions can reduce the cultural weight of each individual piece.
It is also important to distinguish between editions and variations. Variations – like Edvard Munch’s The Scream, exists as several oil paintings and pastels – are variations of the same motif across different media. Editions, by contrast, are identical works produced in a numbered or open series, which would be the lithographic prints of The Scream. Nowadays, all the artworks produced during the artist’s life would be considered important, while the earliest completed version from 1893 produced with oil and tempera on cardboard would arguably be the most famous and studied version. Read more about the work on the MUNCH Museum’s website.
When Art follows Technology
The medium of an artwork dictates the possibility of producing art in editions. Like fine art photography, video art, or digital art, artworks can practically be reprinted or redeveloped in as many copies as needed, if the owner possess the negatives or original file. In some instances, the artist may choose to only print a photo in a limited number, choose high quality prints that are difficult and costly to make to ensure quality and integrity of the work. For digital art, the artist may choose to sell the original file or as a non-fungible tokens (NFTs), where uniqueness is secured by a distinct digital code stored on blockchain. The NFT market, which saw a boom in 2021 followed by a steep decline in 2024, is still considered an emerging market as reported by Art Basel in 2024.
Originals, Editions, and Reproductions: What’s the Difference?
Unique Artworks: Paintings, sculptures, or installations created as singular pieces. These works embody the “one-of-a-kind” ideal and includes variations on a theme.
Limited Editions: Prints, photographs, or multiples produced in a set number. Each is signed and numbered, often retaining significant value.
Open Editions: Works reproduced without a set limit—making them more affordable, but less rare.
Reproductions: Replicas of existing works, sometimes produced posthumously. These can be authorised by estates or entirely unauthorised.
It is important to note, that some artworks are only produced as prints, often in editions, but they are not reproduction. These prints are each considered original prints, as the artwork can be carved out on wood, etched into a copper or zinc plate, or drawn on lithographic stone.
Understanding these categories helps collectors set realistic expectations while giving artists different ways to balance accessibility with financial sustainability. Not every artist can make a living solely from selling unique works one-by-one, and some mediums are especially well-suited to editions. At the same time, editions and reproductions can sometimes feel as though they dilute the intrinsic value of art, reducing it to something more commercial, like derivatives of original works.
There seems to be a fairly large interest in prints and editions, with the secondary market for mid-segment (below USD 50.000) made up 7% of the art market in 2024, according to MyArtBroker. I would still make the argument, there is a big difference between editions made by the artist’s hand or supervision, and posthumous editions that are banking on the artist’s legacy. For collecting purposes, it is always relevant to ensure a certificate of authenticity, check for artist signatures, check whether edition is numbered, and whether date of print corresponds to the artist’s lifespan.
For buyers, the key is to recognise these distinctions. Price is one factor, but of course, the most important question to ask yourself remains simple: Do you like the artwork?
Opportunities and Challenges of Editions
Producing editions can be a lifeline for artists. It allows them to:
Reach wider audiences at lower price points
Create steady income streams alongside unique works
Engage with techniques like photography, printmaking, and digital media
But editions also raise challenges:
Prints on paper can be fragile over time
Oversupply can dilute artistic value
Posthumous reproductions may spark ethical debates
Commercialisation risks turning art into pure commodity
Some Closing Thoughts
The rarity of an artwork is not just about economics – it’s about meaning. When a work is produced as a unique piece, its singularity becomes part of the story. When it is reproduced, its accessibility carries a different kind of cultural value.
It can be argued, that the artistic integrity and value can still be preserved if the editions are treated like originals, in the sense of documenting, numbering, and certifying each piece. Unlimited quality prints can be considered high-end posters, which is completely fine, as long as this is transparent and clearly communicated to the buyer.
Perhaps the key is not to treat rarity as a hierarchy, but as a spectrum of artistic practice. Unique works, limited editions, and even reproductions all have their place – provided we understand their context, purpose, and artistic intent.
Art Geneva 2025 took place from 30th January to 2nd February 2025 at the Palexpo in Geneva. This was the second time I visited the fair, and I was curious to see how this mid-sized art fair was developing.
Art Geneva is significantly smaller than Art Basel and Frieze. It hosted around 80 galleries, divided between those displaying catalogues of artists and those focusing on solo shows. There was a curated section for larger works and two spaces dedicated to awardees and the recognition of Swiss artists. In addition, there was a café, a bar, a restaurant, a partners’ lounge, booths for publishers, and an art talk space.
But what I found interesting in this fair, was the art talk about the practices of art archiving.
Art Geneve 2025, art talk space
Archiving art I started my visit by attending the art talk “Archivorum Ark – Chapter 2: The Practice of Archiving Art and Bridging Time and Memory.” I recognised this theme from last year; I suppose that is what they meant by Chapter 2. The dedicated art talk space was larger and much better staged than in 2024.
It took a while to introduce the panelists, but through their introductions, you already gained a good overview of the theme and the practices surrounding the archiving of art. This is not a theme I have given much thought about in the past, but it raised some interesting points. What happens not only to all the artworks in an artist’s private possession but also to all the notes, photographs, sketches, diaries, or any other supporting documentation that might help others understand the artist’s life, thoughts, and art process when the artist passes away? What are the practices for gathering and sorting this material, who keeps it, and what is it used for?
It is interesting because not all artworks are suited for sale, and not all museums can store full archives of all artists. So, who maintains these materials, and what are the methodologies used for preserving them?
It is easy to imagine that some blue-chip artists have extensive and valuable material stored in large museums, especially museums dedicated to specific artists. Similarly, galleries representing the estates of famous artists often hold a considerable amount of material, including archives of artworks. But what about lesser-known artists, or those deemed historically important after they have passed away?
Artist legacy and the preservation of ideas are key topics and challenges in the role institutions play in educating, mediating, and curating exhibitions for the public. In this context, good cataloguing and archiving practices seem essential. This is particularly true for exhibitions that publish art books alongside the exhibitions themselves. Achieving this requires, first and foremost, someone dedicated to the task, gaining access to the stored documentation, and possessing the expertise to catalogue, digitise, and organise this information for specific or future use.
That is where Archivorum Ark seems to come in. It is a relatively new organisation, established in 2023. It manages a library, organises public events, and conducts research projects. Its aim is to preserve, provide research, and educate about artists’ archives from around the world. Projects can be granted to artists or other art professionals who have a specific research project in mind, which might result in public events or publications, such as artists’ books.
I think this initiative has a fantastic philosophy and concept. It raises important considerations about what happens to all the art we, as artists, produce. How do we document our work and process, if at all? And how do we properly hand over artists’ archives to researchers and custodians?
Art Geneve 2025, Von Bartha gallery
Responsible Art Market Conference The 9th edition of the Responsible Art Market Conference (RAM) is an annual event that takes place at the Palexpo during Art Geneva. It was held on Friday, 31st January, so I was unable to attend, but I thought it would be relevant to mention.
Like the practices of archiving art, this conference also seeks to address and solve practical challenges in the fine art world. Art experts attending the conference discussed topics such as artwork commission contracts and pricing, responsible art market practices, non-resale clauses, and the impact of art speculation on the sustainability of artists’ careers.
Some of the topics seemed to address broader issues, while others focused on specific and practical challenges. From my experience and work with ESG risk data, I know that words like “responsible” and “sustainability” should be used with care, as these terms are often exploited as smokescreens to make poor practices appear better than they are. I am not suggesting that this is the case here, and since I did not attend, I can only share the details about the conference’s intentions.
That being said, the topic of fine art and sustainable practices is an important one, and I should consider dedicating a separate article to this subject.
Art Geneve 2025, galleries at fair
The fair as a whole Looking at the rest of the art fair, I think there was a good mix of young and established artists. I counted about 30 galleries from or based in Switzerland, 24 from France, a few from Italy, Belgium, and the UK, as well as four Asian galleries. There were 30 solo shows, meaning galleries exhibited artworks by a single artist. I think this was a great approach. It signals the intention of galleries to highlight an artist, allows them to curate their booth more effectively, and, for future sales, the gallery can mention to potential buyers that the artist had a special show at this fair. As a fair visitor, it also provides a better understanding of the individual artist’s ideas and concepts.
I must note, having attended many art fairs, there are some artists you can always expect to see, such as Lee Ufan’s signature minimalist brushstroke paintings, Günther Förg’s multi-coloured grid paintings, there are always a couple of Picassos, and reproductions of Francis Bacon or Salvador Dalí in ghastly golden frames. While I understand there is a market for reproductions, I tend to skip them. I could dedicate a whole article to editions and reproductions, which could be another idea for the future.
All in all, Art Geneva was a positive experience. I gained a quick insight into some of the current discussion points in the art world. In terms of the art itself, I did not experience anything particularly new or groundbreaking, but that would have been too much to ask for. In comparison to Art Basel, which is by far the largest fair in Switzerland (and Europe), Art Geneva offers a more casual and intimate setting, which serves as a good platform for art discussions and opportunities to converse with gallerists.
If you want to hear more about eh Swiss art scene, check out previous article The Swiss Art Scene.
Interview about the Swiss art scene, Art-Beats, and my art practices now available via Rigby AG’s youtube channel.
From Greenland to Switzerland
The interview by Kathrin Spinnler from Rigby AG touches on topics like my artistic journey from growing up in Greenland, my years in the Philippines, and ultimately ending up in Zurich, Switzerland. The interview also includes first impressions of life in Switzerland, and a mapping of the Swiss art scene.
The Swiss Art Scene
The Swiss art scene, with its high number of museums and funding opportunities, provides ample opportunities for artistic engagement. The country’s excellent infrastructure allows easy access to various art venues across all the biggest cities. Zurich’s Kunsthaus and other major museums offered a wealth of exhibitions and events, while initiatives like free museum admissions on certain days make art accessible to all.
Among the highlighted venues in Zurich include Haus Konstruktiv, known for its focus on constructivist art and engaging exhibitions, and the more underground venue Rote Fabrik, which offers an alternative cultural experience. Beyond Zurich, venues are highlighted in cities like Basel, renowned for annual art fair Art Basel and institutions like the Fondation Beyeler and Kunstmuseum Basel.
Creating art in Switzerland and some advice
Depending on your level and intention of your artistic practice, there are several options for emerging professional professional artist and for people wanting to get started. There are availability of atelier spaces throughout major cities like Zurich, often listed on specialized websites or the canton’s website, which provides artists with affordable and conducive environments for creation.
For beginners, I share some recommendations such as engaging in workshops offered by art supply stores like Bösner, which provide a social and educational introduction to various art forms. For those aiming to pursue art professionally, attending vernissages, subscribing to gallery newsletters, and applying for residencies are essential steps. Cities like Zurich and Basel, with their rich art scenes and robust infrastructure, offer numerous opportunities for networking and growth.
Have a listen to the full interview and browse through the various topics covered tagged in the timestamp.
Art and culture programme consultant, Malaya del Rosario, shares her thoughts and advice on how arts organisations can optimise network-building initiatives.
Networks play a pivotal role in the sustainability of art organisations, yet the question of how they can be optimised remains largely underexplored. Many art leaders and managers perceive network-building as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an integral part of their strategic plans, overlooking its untapped potential for fundraising, advocacy, and teambuilding.
Strategic network-building can offer an invaluable system of support, which is crucial for an organisation’s growth and impact. It involves nurturing internal and external relationships and understanding how to manage diverse stakeholders who may have different perspectives and conflicting motivations. If done successfully, these links can contribute to both the short and long-term mission of your team.
As an art manager who has worked for both small organisations and global cultural institutions across different geographic contexts, I have encountered all kinds of challenges in network-building. How much time do I invest in it? How can my organisation benefit from it? Can I really link it to tangible results? In this article, I aim to summarise these barriers and propose practical solutions to organisations looking to refine and streamline their activities.
Why bother?
Strategic network-building can significantly enhance an organisation’s operation by diversifying funding sources and reducing financial risks. It can also help increase impact through resource-sharing and alliances. International partnerships can expand audience reach, while leveraging technology optimises communication and reduces costs. For bigger institutions, having a strong, internal network can foster strong connections among team members, creating a more inclusive, equitable and collaborative work culture.
Lack of a purpose. Without a clear purpose or vision, it will be difficult to engage stakeholders. Networks should be able to articulate their goals, values and how members can benefit from them. This allows stakeholders to assess their relevance and level of participation. While I was Head of Arts at the British Council in the Philippines, we identified the newsletter as an effective way to communicate and expand our network of artists. However, engagement rates were frustratingly low. We realised that one big motivation for artists when they subscribe is to discover professional development opportunities for themselves. We then highlighted this benefit in our content and made it easy for readers to respond, e.g. through clear call-to-action text. This instantly improved success rates and increased our subscription numbers.
Limited resources. Limited financial and human resources makes network-building more challenging for smaller organisations. However, cost-effective and time-efficient alternatives exist. Virtual networking, such as participating in online conferences and talks, provides an alternative solution. They can also optimise resources through stakeholder mapping and a donor database. This enables a prioritised approach, focusing on key relationships aligned with fundraising goals and achieving outputs without overextending resources. There are many free, practical tools that already exist online, such as donor templates for Microsoft Excel. Implementing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems like HubSpot or Zoho CRM allows for centralised donor databases and streamlined communication at no cost. Project management platforms such as Trello can also assist in efficiency at no additional expense. Incorporating a researcher’s mindset will also help you identify and better target relevant contacts. A quick web search and conversations with trusted colleagues is a good place to start to generate new leads.
Unequal opportunities. This is something I witness everyday in my work, especially coming from a developing country context: disparities in access and opportunities for networking. Unequal resource distribution and lack of digital networking skills may limit smaller and less-established organisations to connect with relevant and influential contacts. Bigger, global cultural institutions and funders have a big role to play in addressing this particular challenge. One solution is by offering mentorship programs or purpose-driven networking events that provide a level playing field for smaller organisations. Additionally, training sessions on digital networking skills can ensure that organisations, regardless of their size or location, can effectively navigate online platforms and connect with stakeholders. This approach can foster inclusivity and promote a more equitable landscape within the art industry.
Difficulty measuring impact. Measuring the impact of a network is challenging as the results are not always one-to-one. Organisations will therefore need to adopt a short-term and long-term evaluation strategy in order to quantify its impact. The number of collaborations created, new business leads and the number of audiences engaged are just some of the indicators that we can track. For instance, the successful execution and reach of a virtual exhibition involving partners across different countries, as facilitated by your arts network, can be quantified through online engagement metrics. Employing digital tools, such as through online surveys or web analytics can further help automate evaluation and optimise limited resources.
From nurturing connections to amplifying impact, strategic network-building is transformative for the arts, and ultimately, to our society’s cultural diversity. It goes beyond being a ‘nice to have’ and therefore calls for more strategic thinking from arts leaders. By fostering internal and external relationships, navigating diverse perspectives, and leveraging technology, network-building catalyses innovative collaborations and growth.
It is equally essential to stress that effective network-building should be based on trust and mutual understanding. Emphasising shared values ensures these connections contribute to a straightforward, fair, and resilient future for the arts community.
Embrace the journey, for in each connection lies the potential to shape a resilient and bright future for your organisation.
A version of this article was also published in print by Art+ Magazine, Issue 86, 2023, Philippines.
Many art goers in Asia may be more familiar with Art Basel Hong Kong, but the art fair’s origins are in the charming city of Basel in Switzerland, which started 53 years ago. Opening its first year with only 90 galleries, the Art Basel brand has grown significantly over the years, creating a global reach and influence.
The art fair in Switzerland and Hong Kong have very similar concepts, but being in Basel during this time is a 360-degree experience, with hundreds of events, exhibitions and site-specific works being launched across the city. The 2023 edition took place from 15-18 June 2023 with 284 galleries and a wide array of programmes for different audiences.
A must-see section is Unlimited, which focuses on curated, large-scale installations that will otherwise look out of place in a typical gallery display. It is housed in a 16,000 square-meter exhibition space. Unlike the Galleries sector, which is laid out as a series of booths with changing displays, Unlimited invites viewers to interact not just with the work but the physicality of the space. Monumental sculptures, live performances, larger-than-life paintings and video projections are just some of the surprises that await fair goers. Curated by Giovanni Carmine, Unlimited this year featured 76 artworks by emerging and named artists from across the world. Themes predominantly explored artistic responses to politics, climate change, technology, and major global crises.
Malaya del Rosario, art manager based between the Philippines and Switzerland, roamed Unlimited’s grounds and has selected five unforgettable works to discover.
Rirkrit Tiravanija, untitled (curry for the soul of the forgotten) (2015)
Presented in an enclosed space, Rirkrit Tiravanija’s work features a three-channel video projection as well as actual objects. In front of the screens are low, plastic stools. At the center of the room is a bronze cauldron, a replica of the one in the video, on top of a flattened cardboard. It is meant to feel like someone is in the middle of cooking a meal on an open fire.
Tiravanija is known for combining film, readymade and performance in his practice. Food, and specifically, Thai cuisine, is a long-standing component in his works, often symbolising community, gathering, and the everyday. An earlier work from 1992 saw the artist feeding curry to visitors in a New York gallery as a performative piece.
In this particular work, the artist wanted to pay tribute to ‘the forgotten,’ presumably the political activists fighting for democracy, through food. Shot in Thailand, the film documents the ritual of cooking curry to highlight “the often-forgotten agents of social and political change in protests both domestically and around the world.” Interacting with this work in a three-dimensional setting is like being transported to a street kitchen that would feel very familiar to someone coming from Southeast Asia.
Wu Chi-Tsung, Dust 002 (2023)
Taipei-born, Wu Chi-Tsung, is very much interested in how we see the world through media and how our perceptions are easily altered by technology. The installation, Dust 002, consists primarily of a telescope, video camera and projector. Entering a darkened room, the viewer’s gaze is drawn to the telescope facing a wall, a halo around it, and fluttering specks of light. The movement is caused by magnified particles in the air, as activated by the viewers’ movements inside the room.
The combination of optical tricks, technology and chance is quite smart, and the result is a highly aesthetic and poetic experience for the viewer. It demonstrates how we can so easily and inevitably impact our environment without realizing it. To fully appreciate the artwork means to take one’s time in observing the elements and delicate motions in the space.
Mika Tajima, You Be My Body for Me (2023)
Los-Angelos born Mika Tajima’s practice is driven by an inquiry into how technology and virtual spaces transform bodily and physical experiences into new forms. Interacting with Tajima’s work, Be My Body for Me, feels like walking through a rock garden, in which large, rose quartz sculptures are positioned alongside freestanding ‘smart glass’ panes. As the viewer moves around, the glass panes change opacity through electric charges. While these changes seem random, the glass panes are in fact connected to a digital algorithm.
The rose quartz, on the other hand, pinkish and massive, seems to represent human torsos. Upon closer inspection, one will notice holes cutting through the sculptures, acting as pressure point openings. Tajima’s choice to use this material is due to its inherent technological capabilities. “The punctured diagram of acupuncture pressure points on rose quartz brings together ancient materials, techniques, and the enigmatic symbols of human energy, life, and the urge to control the unknowable,” explains Tajima.
Kaloki Nyamai, Dining in Chaos (2023)
Kaloki Nyamai’s triptych of gigantic paintings are hard to miss. Hanging gracefully as unstretched pieces of canvas across the monumental exhibition hall, they powerfully represent Nyamai’s interest in painting as a sculptural medium. Depicting vignettes taken from the artist’s Kenyan heritage, they are unforgettable not only for their scale but their bright colours and eye-catching imagery.
Using acrylic, sisal rope, and dye transfer on paper over canvas, all three paintings show human figures doing seemingly leisurely activities against a backdrop of social unrest. Despite this context, the paintings successfully depict a beautiful kind of chaos – organic, textured, contrasting, full of movement.
Referring to the title, ‘Dining in Chaos’ the artwork asks a simple yet provocative question: When a major disruption occurs, “does one stop abruptly, or carry on dining?”
Martha Jungwirth’s Memorial II (Triptychon) (2021)
Martha Jungwirth’s work, Memorial II (Triptychon), is a nearly nine-meter-long frieze-like painting. Made up of oil on paper on canvas, it features animal-like elements painted through rapid paint brushstrokes. The three-part image is mostly sparse, raw and unprimed, making the figures look like they are floating in space.
The work is inspired by animals affected by modern environmental disasters and sculpted creatures found in ‘King Tut’s (Tutankahmun’s) tomb in Egypt a century ago. Looking through this long canvas, the painting acts like a window to the past. It portrays a lone creature on the left panel contemplating its uncertain destiny, while streaks elsewhere suggest exposed ribcages or animals’ wiry legs. Jungwirth’s expressive and poetic approach seamlessly connects ancient civilizations to contemporary environmental issues and eternal life and death questions.
Born in 1940 Vienna, Jungwirth has developed a unique abstraction grounded in observation and the body. Her work spans over six decades, occupying an intuitive space beyond spoken language and object obtrusiveness.
With so many high-impact artworks, Unlimited has proven to be the pulse for global art trends and an excellent platform for artists we need to know now.
The series aims to provide information about various aspects of moving to and living in Switzerland for both a new and residing audience, and for foreigners and Swiss alike.
In the podcast I am asked to talk about my practice as an artist, my background and living in the Philippines, as well as the approach the Swiss art scene. I try to give an overview of the the various art venues and institutions across the big cities in Switzerland, how to approach art scenes as an artist, and advice on how to develop and expand your options as an artist in Switzerland.
The interview captures very well what I want to achieve with Art-Beats, to investigate current topics in art, document art scenes, share perspectives on art, and ideally engage a new audience.
Please have a listen at the podcast, and I hope you enjoy it.
It was been a while and a pandemic ago since Art-Beats was initially launched. It was lunched at the cusp of the pandemic in Manila, and I think it is safe to say, no one could anticipate the ramifications of that disruptive force on people’s everyday life and the art world.
As many artist were forced to abandon projects, art spaces closing down, and the art market and institutions thinking of new ways to engage with their audience and collectors, many new things blossomed along with technological leaps. AI-generated art, NFTs, Virtual Reality etc were already known technologies, but became tools for exploring new opportunities with, let’s say, mixed reception.
The Art-Beats website did lay dormant for a while, at least in terms of publications, but on its Instagram page various gallery, bienniale, and museum visits have continuously been shared and documented.
Another major event that has affected Art-Beats’ continued activities, is its (or rather its owner’s) relocation from Manila to Zurich, Switzerland. The shift from Southeast Asian to Europe might impact which art scenes will be covered, but I do aim to keep a broad approach on the art world.
Throughout art history art criticism has contributed greatly to discussions and understanding of art. Criticism has played a key role in the sense-making of art by offering a personal assessment of artworks, while bridging the gap of understanding from artwork to audience.
I picked up this topic for two reasons. Firstly, I was interested in knowing how the role of the art critic has changed over time. And secondly, I realised I couldn’t remember the last time I actually read a review of a current show. I have been studying, working, and have even been writing about art for a while, but somehow I find myself spending little time on art reviews. In my mind, I should be the perfect audience for it. So, am I just lazy or is there something wrong in the world of art criticism that I have missed (read: one statement does not exclude the other).
My previous understanding of the art critic’s role was linked to the effort of acknowledging and legitimising artist’s work. A good review can help an artist make a name for him/herself, while a bad review could set back an artist’s career. This seems pretty straight forward in earlier times where reviewers had a good overview of how many artists were represented in an art scene or movement, but a bit more complex in contemporary art where you have not only a huge variety of styles, mediums, and cultures represented, you also have vast amount of distribution channels with a constant flow content being added (especially via social media).
To gain a little more perspective on art criticism today, I have been diving into dusty history books to look for key people and events that have helped in shaping art criticism as a term and profession. Basically, I have been looking for the distinction between art history and art criticism.
Art has changed considerably over time, both in terms of creating, studying, and experiencing art. This makes me wonder how art criticism has also changed along with changing art practices, and what challenges the field of art criticism is facing today.
Through these questions and in reviewing the history of art criticism, I would like to use this research to understand the need and potential of art criticism today.
Criticism in the history of art
I have always found it interesting to go back in time to see how ideas were formed, and how they have evolved over time into something we might consider well-established components of our society and culture today. I like to keep in mind, that every current tradition was once created by someone.
Photo: The Thorvaldsen Museum Copenhagen, 2016
So, do allow me to skip into the history books a little, to browse through the past valuable writings of the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, whose descriptions of art in the Natural History (around AD 70) include some of the earliest writings on describing art; of the Chinese writer and historian Xie He’s Six Principles of Chinese Painting (6th century AD), which were established to assess the quality of paintings; even browsing past the essential writings of Italian artist-writer Giorgio Vasari, who authored Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550), which laid out an important foundation for art writing by including the artists’ biographies. This is just to say that, many important writings on art can be traced far back to both Western and Eastern history, but in the case of art criticism, we will have to pick up from when the term became a distinct genre of its own.
Which leads us to Jonathan Richardson’s An Essay on the Whole Art of Criticism (1719) when the term art criticism was first used. Richardson’s works both encouraged young men to embark on the cultural pilgrimage the Grand Tour, which became popular at the time, as well as provided a basis for British collectors to get interested in art, as he attempted to objectively rank the quality of paintings on a scale of 0-18. It is hard to imagine such a practice being embraced today, but at the time, Richardson’s approach helped to engage the British middle-class in art by providing a method for asserting one’s taste.
Art criticism was thus born, and a popularised method for judging the quality of art was thus established.
French enlightenment writer Dennis Diderot later contributed greatly to the language of artcriticism with his reports on the salons in Paris between 1759-1781. Diderot’s contributions were published in the newsletter La Correspondance primarily for the European elite, which greatly appreciated his new ways of describing art. Because his readership consisted of a smaller and more exclusive group, Diderot was able to write more freely and avoid strict censorship. With Diderot, a new generation of writers flourished who sought to make a living of art criticism and writing.
Art criticism became a profession and free expression became an essential part of the style of writing.
In the 19th century, Victorian writer John Ruskin made a name for himself when he famously defended William Turner in his Modern Painters (1843). Ruskin brought forth romantic theory and scientific analysis to prove Turner’s critics wrong. However, an artist who received less praise and appreciation from Ruskin was J.M. Whistler. Ruskin allegedly published a letter in 1877 wherein he bashed Whistler’s work Nocturne in Black and Gold in harsh terms, for lacking a moral and didactic purpose. Whistler sued Ruskin for libel and actually won the case, but went bankrupt after the case ended. To make things worse, during the trial the Nocturne painting was apparently brought into the courtroom upside down and was further ridiculed in the press. Professionally, they both suffered from that court case.
Art criticism became a way of justifying style and expression in support of the artists. What Ruskin brought to the table was really the use of theory and scientific analysis, which became great compliments to art assessment. Ironically, Ruskin also demonstrates the damaging effect of bias in criticism, as some historians speculate on Ruskin and Whistler’s differences in political ideology as an explanation for the quarrel between them.
Across the English Channel, French poet Charles Baudelaire had found new ways of critiquing and writing about art in his The Salon of 1845 and 1846 publications. According to Baudelaire, art criticism and writing should be passionate, partial, political, and addressed to the majority – in this context, the middle-class. He urged that criticism should be formed from an exclusive point of view, but in a way that would open up the greatest number of horizons. As was the common practice at the time, Baudelaire would walk through the large salon exhibitions while jotting down phrases or pages of notes for each artist. Like Ruskin, Baudelaire was a product of Romanticism. The late 19th century was a turning point for increased urbanisation. Baudelaire’s views on Romanticism as an expression of pure individuality and emotionality were challenged by the push for a more modern subject matter, thereby paving the way for a new direction in art, towards Realism.
Art criticism became a medium for engaging the wider audience in art, as well as for providing valuable feedback to artists, in other words art criticism had two audiences: the public and the artists. Art criticism also helped predicting the direction of art by tracing trends in society and painting styles.
In the early 20th century art was changing rapidly, with new movements shooting up like mushrooms, so art criticism had to keep up. Bloomsbury Group-member and English writer Roger Fry gained a reputation for his expertise on the Old Masters. However, Fry became an advocate for the new developments in French art, which he famously dubbed as Post-Impressionism. He was fascinated by the trends in modern art, and vigorously defended art based on pure imagination; as opposed to earlier art directions attempting to capture the real and natural. He supported the thoughts of Formalism, which argued that, the most central quality of art is its form, rather than the conventional subject matter. According to Fry, the value of art should therefore be judged on its ability to produce a distinctive aesthetic experience, with the experience representing a so-called aesthetic emotion.
Art criticism not only helped to justify individual artists’ works, but also helped open up whole new movements and new ways of perceiving art.
Mid 20th century art was helped along with critics such as Polish-Italian writer Guillaume Apollinaire and Argentine writer Rafael Squirru, who saw a reoccurrence of the poet-as-critic (like Baudelaire). Apollinaire’s literary contribution helped in defining the aesthetic principles of Cubism as well as of Surrealism, while Squirru contributed greatly to promote Latin American art through the decades. In the US, writers such as Clement Greenberg wrote critical essays published in Art and Culture (1961), and helped create awareness of the emerging American art, particularly in praising Abstract Expressionists Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman and others in that group.
Art criticism became a channel for representing art in the otherwise marginalised areas of the art world, and basically helped widen the reach of art documentation.
In 1949 the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) was established as an affiliate of UNESCO in order to revitalise critical discourse, which had suffered from fascism throughout the 1930s and 40s. AICA was established to preserve the vocation of art criticism, as well as to analyse its responsibility to artists and the public. According to AICA, its defined objectives included promoting art criticism as a discipline and defending impartial freedom of expression and thought.
Art criticism as a global network was thus established by forming its own international association. AICA became a support system and a forum for art critics to understand their responsibility, as well as to revitalise the profession.
In the 1970s, Feminist art criticism came naturally with the general feminist movement. A new direction of criticism emerged emphasising the under-representation of women in art. American writer Linda Nochlin’s essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? (1971) paved the way for new discussions on the issue. Nochlin brought up issues of societal barriers preventing women from pursuing careers in art. She also criticised previous perspectives on Orientalism for their often erotic or violent themes as reflections of the early 19th century attitudes of chauvinism and misogyny in France.
Art criticism opened up the doors for more inclusivity by questioning previous attitudes in art practice. Despite the refinement of art theories over previous centuries, a critical re-evaluation of fair representation in art history was raised with Feminist art criticism.
Art criticism today – artworks and art-words
This is the part that really intrigues me, the role of art criticism today. Based on the lessons from the above historical walk-through, some aspects of the evolution of art criticism still seem valid today. The audience can be differentiated between two branches; the public and the artists. Different types of art writings seem to serve different purposes – academic art criticism for scientific study and assessment, and popular art criticism for a wider audience. And then, there are the aspects of personal judgement, fairness, and partiality. So, with that in mind, what makes a good critic?
Photo: Harland Miller’s Tonight we make history, Blain & Southern Gallery Berlin, 2016
Gilda Williams’ practical handbook How To Write About Contemporary Art (2014) discusses certain principles worth considering for art critics. According to Williams, art critics lose their credibility if the writing comes off sloppy or somehow marked by favouritism. As a minimum, the critic should disclose any partiality, whether it is writing about a friend, relative, colleague, or the critic’s previous relationship with a given institution or venue. Furthermore, Williams warns readers about seemingly objective art writings from commercial material, such as catalogues from auction houses, galleries, or private collections. However, Williams does note that the traditional image of the art critic as an impartial, incorruptible, and fully independent art explorer is merely a popular myth. Today’s art critic must take upon many roles (researcher, blogger, editor, curator etc.) in order to respond to the demands of art writing, and must master several formats of writing (journal-writing, market news, interviews, academic theory etc.).
Eleni Gemtou, art scholar at the University of Athens, in her Subjectivity in Art History and Art Criticism (2010) points out the overlapping roles of art historians and critics in terms of analysis, comprehension, interpretation, and evaluation. However, Gemtou characterises the art historian as a person taking a more scientific and objective approach to art, while the critic should balance subjectivity with acknowledged artistic values equally. One role complements the other, as the historian lays the foundation for essential evaluation by the critic.
Challenges of art criticism today
It is notable that, as art or painting has been declared dead over and over again (as in the cases such as Paul Delaroche (1839), Marcel Duchamp (1912), and Donald Judd (1976)), art criticism too, has also been declared dead several times. To understand that claim, we would have to investigate the reasoning behind it.
Photo: Carl Andre: Sculpture as Place, 1958–2010, Hamburger Bahnhof Berlin, 2016
Art critic James Elkin’s Art Criticism: Writing Without Readers (2003) raises interesting points by arguing that art criticism is in a worldwide crisis. According to Elkin, the world is experiencing an increasing number of writers, but a decreasing number of them contributing to intellectual debates. Elkin argues that the overproduction of art writings is merely used as a selling point in catalogues of commercial galleries, while relevant articles are drowning in a vast selection of art magazines and online media. Ultimately, this means that, art criticism has reached a point where no one takes it seriously, or even bothers to read it.
In the interview On Time And Spaces For Criticism: An Interview With Thijs Lijster (2015) by Spanish artist-writer Anna Dot, the question “where is art criticism?” rather than “what is art criticism?” is raised. Lijster argues for changing the focus to “where”, as the displacement of criticism has found new channels such as new media, institutions, and professional writings. He points out that, even if we consider traditional art criticism as having a hard time, it does not mean art criticism has ended. The threat to traditional art criticism is connected with how it is bound by time and space. For Lijster, there is a looming threat of art becoming generic, as the borders of history and territory become blurrier. He also describes how the two branches of art criticism are facing challenges, in the sense that, academic art criticism suffers under cutbacks in universities, and popular art criticism suffers under decreased readership.
On the online show Tea At The Beatrice with Glenn O’Brien (June 2016), Glenn O’Brien meets fellow art critic Jerry Salz. In this cosy, slightly dissatisfied-with-everything, but openhearted conversation between the two seasoned art critics O’Brien and Salz, the audience gets valuable insights into the current state of art criticism. They pick up issues such as how one of the largest art magazines, ArtForum, hardly publishes any actual criticism anymore, and the importance of using of plain language in art writing. What is interesting in this conversation is how criticism seems to have been replaced by the art media’s interest in attracting advertisement revenue. Salz mentions the fear of retaliation against art critics from the galleries and institutions if they write bad reviews. However, Salz emphasises that the size of the venue matters, as negative criticism could have devastating impacts on small venues. In his words: “to take a sledgehammer to a small place”. He further argues that art criticism is generally about respect, and you are respecting the art by allowing criticism to play a role. Across the table, O’Brien expresses the state of art criticism with: “I think it is over, because you can’t write a bad review”. They further discuss the issue of art critics collecting art. When asked, O’Brien openly admits he has been buying artworks as he discovered artists, arguing he’s an advocate for the arts rather than a critic. Salz, on the other hand, states that any artwork he and his wife Roberta Smith (also a celebrated art critic) have ever received has been sent back, except works given by close friends.
It is valuable to hear these thoughts and arguments from art critics on the state of art criticism today. There seems to be a consensus that the traditional art critic is no more, but the role has branched out to several fields within art. Platforms for general publications have changed along with critical writings and the readership. This could answer my personal question as to why I no longer see and read any current reviews. They are surely there, but as a reader you’ll have to become a researcher too. So, I sense that, there is a demand for accessibility and sorting out relevant information.
The potential of art criticism today
I find it hard to believe that art criticism is really dying, or is dead, for that matter. Although, as I mentioned in the introduction, I probably fall under the category of people who do not bother to read art reviews. It is definitely not for the lack of interest, but I think that, my personal attitude towards reviews is more linked to a personal relationship to art. My experience of art is a personal thing. I love making the discoveries and assessments on my own. Another valid point, as mentioned by experienced writers on art (O’Brien, Salz, Williams etc.), there seem to be a general problem with the language in current art writings, which probably goes with the commercial demand for art writings (but not criticism).
Photo: Frank Holliday, Partners & Mucciaccia Singapore, 2015
It is hard to disagree with the idea that, the 19th century critic roaming the salons of Paris is no longer among us. If that is what the critics mean by the traditional art critic is dead. I am completely fine with that; it still holds value in a historical context. But I think art criticism offers much more than the personal judgment of shows or artworks, as it provides valuable documentation in itself.
The “make or break” factor of art criticism is interesting though. Salz’s comment: “to take a sledgehammer to a small place”, not only applies to small venues, but to small art scenes as well. Feedback is invaluable at any stage of development, but hammering on something before it gets a change to flourish, is dangerous too. It is a balance worth considering.
I understand the critics’ desire to retain the integrity of professional art criticism. I understand that professional art critics want to maintain both, the principles of “good writing”, as well as that of professional relationships with other art professionals.
In the broadest sense of art writing, anyone can be an art writer. There are countless art events taking place all over the world, and art criticism should play a role in this. For small art scenes, there has to be room for assessment and feedback for the benefit of the public and the artists. In worst cases, we will see developing art scenes with only positive marketing materials available. Catalogues and commercial writings are fine, for they provide the public with general information and they also play a part in documenting events for future use. But one could argue that, good art scenes need good art critics, and for that to sustain, art criticism essentially needs credibility, impartiality, and passion.
Finally, I think we should be careful with the term art world when we are actually talking about the art scene in a country, or even just a particular city. The practices and the level of development are so different across continents and cultures that, it would be a shame to assume we are all facing the same challenges, and thereby try to apply the same solutions.
I absolutely see a value in art criticism for both big and small art scenes today. I believe it should play a role in educating the audience, documenting art events, as well as giving access to art scenes we probably would not be able to reach.
Further Reading – History of Art Criticism
Britannica encyclopedia: Pliny the Elder, Natural History (around AD 70); Xie He Six Principles of Chinese Painting (6th century AD); Dennis Diderot (1713-1784); Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918).
Vasari, Giorgio Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550)
Richardson, Jonathan An Essay on the Whole Art of Criticism as it Relates to Painting and an Argument in Behalf of the Science of a Connoisseur (1719)
Ruskin, John Modern Painters (1843)
Mayne, Jonathan, The Mirror of Art: Critical studies by Charles Baudelaire (1956), Doubleday & Co., New York.
Woolf, Virginia Roger Fry: A Biography (1940), Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York.
Nochlin, Linda essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, published in Gornick, Vivian Woman in Sexist Society: Studies in Power and Powerlessness (1971), Basic Books, New York.
Further Reading – Contemporary art criticism
Gemtou, Eleni Subjectivity in Art History and Art Criticism (2010), published in Rupkatha Journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, India.
Williams, Gilda How To Write About Contemporary Art (2014), Thames & Hudson, London.
Elkin, James What Happened To Art Criticism? (2003), Prickly Paradigm Press, Chicago.
Dot, Anna interview with Lijster, Thijs – On Time And Spaces For Criticism: An Interview With Thijs Lijster (2015), A*DESK online art magazine (see www.a-desk.org)
Online show Tea At The Beatrice with Glenn O’Brien, episode from June 14th 2016, produced by Made To Measure (M2M).
