Entries open for global art review awards

The Ninth Edition of International Awards for Art Criticism was launched on June 15 at the Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum.

Organized by the Philosophy School at Fudan University, Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum, Royal College of Art, Edinburgh College of Art and the International Association of Art Critics, the award is open to candidates from around the world writing in Chinese or English about any contemporary art exhibition held offline or online between September 1, 2022, and August 31, 2023.

Candidates are invited to write a review of 1,500 English words or 2,500 Chinese characters on any exhibition of contemporary art.

"As its name indicates, the IAAC is an international award for art critics and the submitted reviews reflect the diversity of the contemporary art world, including the broad range of exhibitions around the world; they incorporate various cultural traditions; at the same time, they include various art forms," said Sun Xiangchen, dean of the School of Philosophy at Fudan University and co-chair of the IAAC Organizing Committee.

"When the uncertainties of the global situation press in on people, art reflects this turbulence in its own way, diffracting the current state of affairs, capturing moments of life through the telephoto lens of history. Art has become an indispensable element in contemporary life."

The first prize will be given a cash award of 10,000 euros (pre-tax, US$10,927). Each of the three second prizes will be awarded a cash prize of 3,500 euros. Twenty entries (10 in English and 10 in Chinese) would be selected and translated for the bilingual publication of IAAC9 in 2024.

The jury members of 2023 include Colin Chinnery, co-founder of Sound Art Museum in Beijing; Frances Morris, Director Emerita at the Tate Modern; Jonathan Watkins, independent curator and writer; Lucy Steeds, director for Art in Context, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh; and Nikita Yingqian Cai, deputy director and chief curator of the Times Museum Guandong.

Those who are interested, log on to the official IAAC website (www.iaac-m21.com), enter the relevant details and upload their review and any accompanying images.

The closing date of entries is September 20.