Discussion on Art Criticism: Associations of Art Critics
World of Art | School for Curatorial Practices and Critical Writing | The World Around Us
In December, as part of the project The World Around Us (Svet okoli nas), a discussion on art criticism took place, dedicated to the work and role of associations of art critics in Slovenia and Serbia. The speakers were Saša Nabergoj, Dr Tomislav Vignjević, Urška Jurman, Miha Colner, and Sladjana Petrović Varagić.
The discussion opened with an introductory lecture by Saša Nabergoj, President of the Slovenian Association of Art Critics, who presented the history and mission of the association. This was followed by a conversation with participants from Slovenia, and in the second part, Sladjana Petrović Varagić, Vice-President of the AICA Association – Serbian Section, presented the state of art criticism and the work of the association of art critics in Serbia. The speakers also addressed various initiatives in the fields of cultural policy and education, reflecting on how associations could contribute to efforts to improve working conditions for art critics.
The event was held in Slovene and Serbian.
Miha Colner is a curator at Božidar Jakac Art Museum in Kostanjevica na Krki, and also works as a lecturer and publicist. He publishes articles, reviews, and essays in newspapers, magazines, professional publications, and on his blog.
Urška Jurman is Programme Director of the Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory. She works as a curator, editor, writer, and organiser in the field of contemporary art. She has also been part of several initiatives in the field of art criticism.
Saša Nabergoj is Director of the Loški Museum in Škofja Loka and President of the Slovenian Association of Art Critics. Previously, she was a long-time collaborator of SCCA–Ljubljana, where she directed the World of Art school between 1998 and 2015.
Sladjana Petrović Varagić works as a curator and producer in the fields of visual art and film. She is Vice-President of the Association of Art Critics AICA – Serbian Section, and author of the project Criticism at Work.
Dr Tomislav Vignjević is a Senior Research Fellow at the Science and Research Centre in Koper and an external lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. He is the President of the Association of Art Critics – Slovenian Section of AICA.
Accompanying image: Zoran Djukić
The event was organised by SCCA–Ljubljana and SEECult.org in cooperation with the Slovenian Association of Art Critics and under the umbrella of the project The World Around Us, which focuses on the state of criticism in the region. The project is led by the Zagreb-based NGO Kurziv, a platform for culture, media, and society, in cooperation with Kulturtreger (Zagreb), SEECult.org (Belgrade), Kontrapunkt (Skopje), and SCCA-Ljubljana.
Support: Kultura Nova Foundation
