On September 2, the International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC) Press Conference was successfully held at Shanghai 21st Century Minsheng Art Museum (M21) , marking the first voice of this museum.
From left: Gan Zhiyi (Directorof M21 and host of the press conference), Ling Min (Board member of IAAC and Associate Professor of the Department of Art History and Criticism in College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University), Ai Min (Vice-Chairman of the Social Responsibility Management Committee of China Minsheng Bank) and Li Feng (Deputy Director of M21)
At 3pm of on that day, the IAAC press conference was officially held. Vice-Chairman of the Social Responsibility Management Committee of China Minsheng Bank Dr. Ai Min, Director of M21 Ms. Gan Zhiyi, Deputy Director of M21 Mr. Li Feng, and Board member of IAAC and Associate Professor of the Department of Art History and Criticism in College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University Prof. Ling Min spoke glowingly of the significance of “MSMS” (i.e. Minsheng Meishu, literally means “Minsheng Arts”) leading art criticism to international standards, together with representatives of over 10 cultural institutes, such as Wang Huangsheng (Directorof Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)), Zheng Hao (Founder of How Art Museum), Yun Cheagab (Director of How Art Museum), Li Xu (Deputy Director of Power Station of Art), Zhou Zhicong (Deputy Director of Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai), Kong Dada (Director of Shanghai Culture Artworks Research Institute) and Paul Freches (Culture Consul of the French Consulate General in Shanghai), and more than 40 media as well.
Wang Huangsheng (Directorof Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts) delivered a speech at M21
At 4pm, Wang Huangsheng, Director of Art Museum of Central Academy of Fines Arts, delivered a speech at the press conference, mentioned that currently art criticism in the fever of domestic art development is ubiquitous, but attentions are paid mainly to art creation rather than art criticism. The existing art criticism awards in China mainly include Youth Art Criticism Awards set up by CAFA and CCAA Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition founded by Uli Sigg, while IAAC is consisted of international professional experts and sponsored by Minsheng Bank, a financial institute with powerful strength, which makes it more international and independent.
Ling Min (Board member of IAAC and Associate Professor of the Department of Art History and Criticism in College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University) made a speech at M21
Ling Min, a board member of IAAC and Associate Professor of the Department of Art History and Criticismin College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University, stated at the conference that to ensure the selection is academic judgment with more independent review, the selection of the panel members has been considered and discussed for more than half a year. Finally, six art critics home and aboard are selected, including J.J. Charles Worth (Vice-editor of Art Review in UK), Richard Vine (Managing editor of Art in America), Rachel Withers (lecturer and writer of Artforum International), Karen Smith (art historian and Executive Director of OCAT Xi’an), Lu Yinghua (curator, art critic and writer) and Yi Ying (Professor of CAFA).
Henry Meyric Hughes (Honorary Chairman of International Association of Art Criticism, UK) and Prof. Juan Cruz (Board member of IAAC) in conversation about the IAAC
Different from CCAA Contemporary Art Awards Exhibition or CAFA Youth Art Criticism Awards, IAAC is specifically oriented at exhibition criticism rather than the art criticism in general. Therefore, Henry Meyric Hughes, Honorary Chairman of International Association of Art Criticism of UK,also indicated in a video on his conversation with his board member Juan Cruz, “Generally speaking, there is no such function as art critics in the global art field at this stage, and also lacking in relative training on art criticism. Besides, quite a few review articles are inundated with superfluous exhibition background and exaggerated boasting so that we cannot propose creative and in-depth thinking on single artwork or the exhibition itself.”
Nearly 50 media participated in the press conference of the IAAC
To ensure the justice and objectivity of the selection, the awards will be conducted under anonymity of the judging process at the end of November to select exhibition criticism with independent thinking and creativity. All the submitted papers of participants shall be written about any contemporary art exhibition held in the world between 30 September 2013 to 30 September 2014. From now on till Oct. 15, the IAAC is open to candidates of any age from anywhere in the world for both Chinese and English art criticism, with the aim to draw people’s attention to the development of the global art exhibitions and expecting that exhibition criticism can lead the public to understand art and inspire their interest and form a good habit to visit art museums and watch exhibitions.
Paul Freches, Culture Consul of the French Consulate General in Shanghai, visited M21 with the Director of M21 Ms. Gan Zhiyi
At 4:30 pm in the afternoon, after the end of the IAAC press conference, participants accompanied by Ms. Gan Zhiyi, Director of M21, visited M21 which is rebuilt from the Expo French pavilion. M21 is a new force in the art field which is more international compared to Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum. Together with Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum and Beijing Minsheng Art Museum, M21 belongs to art institutes of China Minsheng Bank, composing the “MSMS” art system.
Ai Min, Vice-Chairman of the
Social Responsibility Management Committee of China Minsheng Bank, made a
speech at M21
According to Dr. Ai Min, Vice-Chairman of the Social Responsibility Management Committee of China Minsheng Bank, the art industry includes many elements, such as artists and exhibition spaces. The expectation of “MSMS” setting up the art museum system is to take the establishment of world-leading art museums as an important way to bear social responsibility and repay society. In the future, M21 will not only be an exhibition venue for art and culture, but also an important base for art exchange and creation to realize the prospect of “bringing art to the public, bringing people into the realm of art”.