Conversations | What’s the Point of Art Criticism? Perspectives From Across the Field


Siddhartha Mitter, Independent writer and critic
Du Keke, Editor, Artforum China
Jareh Das, Independent curator, researcher and writer
Keith Wallace, Editor Emeritus, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art

Moderator: Mark Rappolt, Editor-in-Chief, ArtReview

It is often said that art criticism is in crisis. From the lack of opportunities for critics to practice as professionals, to the issues of economics that seep into decisions made by editors and publishers in a small and competitive field. But there are other issues affecting art criticism today—like shifts in form, approach, perspective, and questions around art criticism’s function in a changing world. How do these overlapping issues impact the ways in which the discipline is evolving?

Siddhartha Mitter is a freelance art journalist and critic. He contributes principally to the New York Times and has also published widely in publications within and outside the art field. He is based in New York City and works locally, nationally in the U.S., and internationally, often in Africa.

Du Keke is the editor of Artforum.com.cn and a writer and translator based in Tokyo.

Dr. Jareh Das is an independent curator, researcher and writer who lives and works between West Africa and the UK. Das’ academic and curatorial practice is informed by an interest in global modern and contemporary art with a specific focus on performance. She has written for publications including Ocula Magazine, Frieze, Hyperallergic, Bomb Magazine, Nka Journal of Contemporary African Art, and The Art Newspaper.

Keith Wallace has been a curator of contemporary art since 1979 as Director/Curator of the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver, Associate Director/Curator at the Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery at the University of British Columbia, and independently. From 2004 to 2020, Wallace was Editor-in-Chief of Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art published by ARTCO, Taipei.

Mark Rappolt is the Editor-in-Chief of ArtReview. He founded its sister publication, ArtReview Asia, in 2013. His writing has appeared in a number of publications, ranging from The Times and Die Zeit to i-D and Citizen K, and includes exhibition catalogues on artists such as David Cronenberg, Bharti Kher, Wang Guangle, Yuko Mohri and Liu Xiaodong. Books include monographs on architects Greg Lynn and Frank Gehry. Recent exhibitions include the touring show Breaking the Waves (2021) at the chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai and the K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong; and One Tiger or Another, cocurated with Tom Eccles (2022) at Mathaf, Doha.

This talk will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Cantonese and Mandarin.

The Art Basel Hong Kong 2023 Conversations program is curated by Stephanie Bailey.
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