Art criticism in the Nordic countries is tackling the issues raised by intersectional viewpoints, antiracism and demands of inclusion and diversity in the fields of art and journalism. There seems to be a need to establish new means of thinking and writing, but also to reassess the very community engaged in art criticism. Shine On Critique! is a project focused on questions of inclusion and diversity in art criticism. For this webinar, we have invited several different voices from varying parts of the fields of art and criticism to discuss these topics.
The Presentations
Towards Norm Critical Leadership. In her presentation Rita Paqvalén (FIN) will focus on the need for inclusive leadership. In order to create inclusive and diverse art criticism it is important not only to focus on how and what we write, but also on the composition of the “we” that writes, recruits new voices, makes selections, and decides which works are relevant.
Rita Paqvalén is a freelance writer and the Executive Director of Culture for All Service. Her organisation supports the art and culture sector in Finland in issues related to accessibility, equity, and diversity. Paqvalén is also one of the coordinators for the Nordic Network for Norm Critical Leadership.
Under the White Gaze – How to Review Art from the Margins. Actress, writer, and activist Laura Eklund Nhaga (FIN) considers issues of representation. How does representation affect the work of an art critic, and does it matter who is reviewing – and what, and how they review it?
The Invisible Ethnic Nature of the Western Idea of Critique. How deeply is ethnicity coded in Western thinking of criticism? Max Ryynänen (FIN) is a Senior Lecturer at Theory of Visual Culture (Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture).
Hosting: Maarit Jaakkola, Nordicom
“Re-newing Reviewing: New and Innovative Practices among Art Critics” is a webinar series of three long-format webinars will discuss the new and emerging practices of art criticism and reviewing. The topics to be discussed are 1) Inclusion and diversity, 2) Criticism and politics, 3) Economic structures of arts criticism. Criticism and politics will take place on March 10, 2022 and Economic structures of arts criticism on October 13, 2022.
Shine On Critique! is a project concerning art criticism. It is funded by the Kone Foundation and coordinated by the Finnish Critics’ Association.