The International Association of Art Critics (AICA) brings together some 4,200 art professionals from some 70 countries all over the world, organised into 63 National Sections and an Open Section. AICA is particularly well represented in all parts of Europe, Australia, North and South America and the Caribbean. It has very active National Sections in Middle Eastern and Asian countries (Israel, Singapore, Japan, Hong-Kong, Pakistan) and a number of African Sections have been formed in recent years. To visit the international AICA website, click here.
Objectives
The main objectives of AICA have changed little over the years. However, they were redefined in November 2003, to emphasise further the global reach of the Association, its cross-cultural ambitions and its interdisciplinary approach. As currently stated, AICA’s main objectives are:
- to promote art criticism as a discipline and contribute to its methodology
- to protect the ethical and professional interests of its Members and co-operate in defending their rights
- to maintain an active international network for its Members, with the aid of available technologies and encouragement of face-to-face encounters
- to contribute to mutual understanding of visual arts and aesthetics in all cultures
- to stimulate professional relationship across political, geographical, ethnic, economic and religious boundaries
- to defend impartially freedom of expression and thought and oppose arbitrary censorship
Qualifications for Membership
Candidates are elected by theirs peers, by secret ballot. To be eligible, they must produce evidence of sustained activity over the previous three years, in one or more of the following areas:
- Daily/periodical press, or broadcasting on radio, TV or video, or in the electronic media
- Publication of works of art history, aesthetics or criticism
- Teaching of art criticism, art history, aesthetics, curating, or art, at higher or tertiary level
- Curatorial work and analysis for educational or scholarly ends, including the production of scholarly or critical texts for museums or galleries, whose principal aim is not essentially commercial
For more information on how to join, please visit the apply section.