THE 4th INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART EXPERTS FORUM
8 - 13 February 2006
ARCO06
Carles Congost. Photographic Glimpses
Collection. ARCO 2001. 4th INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART EXPERTS FORUM
-59 Panel Discussions
-Course on Visual Studies From Feb 8th to Feb 13th 2006
ana.alvarez@ifema.es
sibley.labandeira@ifema.es www.arcospain.org
ARCO
The International Contemporary Art Fair
25th Anniversary
IFEMA
Feria de Madrid
28042 Madrid, Spain
February 9th-13th
THE 4th INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART EXPERTS FORUM ARCO06
This new edition of the International Contemporary Art Experts Forum will take place in the framework of ARCOs 25th Anniversary. Organised in nine different series of panel discussions that respond to nine different themes, all of which are some of todays major art concerns. As well a Course on Visual Studies entitled Geo-Politics of the Image in Knowledge Society.
But all this is just the starting point, since ARCO proposes one of these nine themes to the panel directors and they give it their special touch. Each panel director chooses his or her guest speakers and the specific topic within the proposed theme. Among these panel directors we find museum directors, curators, professors, editors, authors, art critics, philosophers, artists, collectors and gallerists. So each session is built at the moment it takes place, making all of the panels unique and unrepeatable. The audience also plays an important part, one of the forums aims is to extend this dialogue between experts to those who feel the wish to deepen their interest in art or art related fields and would like to share their viewpoints.
Theory of Art Criticism: Art Criticism in Spain, the State of the Matter
The idea is to generate a debate around the theory of Art Criticism, its evolution, meaning and validity as a legitimising vehicle for art and art practice, understanding it as yet another artistic manifestation. One that is becoming more and more necessary in view of the increasing amount of contemporary art centres that have opened their doors in Spain for the last 25 years. It has been a very exciting quarter of century and ARCO has been a privileged witness of the creation and evolution of these art centres, their publications and curatorial policies, as well as the discourse of consolidated and emerging art critics. In short, a reflection on how Art Criticism contributes to our perception, and what conclusions we may reach when we centre our analysis on Art Criticism itself.
Museums Past and Present
Opposite to the traditional idea of museum as custodians of the past, the idea of museum as creators of a discourse is becoming stronger. In fact, some times, the works of art and their display compete to centre the attention of the visitors. But both depend on one of todays key figures in the art world, the curator. Who we can see as the author of the messages launched by museums, and not only museums, since this practice has gone beyond the walls of our temples of knowledge and keeps spreading out.
New Systems, New Channels of Art Consumption, Diffusion, Patronage and Protection
Looking back we realise that a lot has changed in the art world during the last century. In addition to the evident change of artists, artworks and public, the ways of producing, the channels of diffusion and the patronage systems have been altered. One of the consequences of these novelties in the art scene is the need of a new legislation that contemplates and protects them. Which are those new ways of art consumption, diffusion, patronage and protection?
The Art of Collecting Art
By collecting we understand something more than pure accumulation of objects. It implies searching, selecting, knowing, and relating to, as well as the desire to transcend the barrier of time. Yesterdays collections have given birth to many of todays museums and foundations. The collections that are now taking shape share the same yearnings, and just like them, are the result of a long-term enterprise whose best reward will take place in the future.
Media and Materials: Public Art and Biotechnological Art
Faced with the evidence that art history isnt really made of a chronological succession of art schools or art styles, and in a moment when art gets increasingly harder for the general public to follow, maybe talking about media and materials is a good starting point in order to understand todays art in all its complexity.
Visual Culture Today
In the last few years numerous shelves have been filled with publications on what has been called visual culture. Time has proved once again how mentalities change, and how language is altered along with these changes. And so a new discipline is born, although it really isnt a new discipline, just a different, more inclusive, way of facing what we up until now we have called Art.
Art and Education
If we stop to think of the multiplication, diversification and hybrid character of todays art forms, we realise that Art Schools are facing a great challenge when teaching their students. At the same time, artists are becoming increasingly demanding with their public. Between them we find the curator, one of the key figures in todays art scene, and whose education plays an important role in Art, Art History, Aesthetic and Cultural Management Studies.
Art and Feminism
During the last decades Art and Art History have been reviewed under various perspectives. Perspectives that up until very recently had been set aside, since they didnt respond to the dominant and dominating unique model, of the self-centred, enlightened, heterosexual, white male. A model that hasnt been extinguished, but that now co-exists with other visions. We think that pointing out the blanks isnt enough, we should also ask ourselves why, how, by whom and who has History left out. This series deals with the perspective of Spanish women artist.
The Austrian Day
As in previous editions, we have a special series of panel discussions dedicated to our guest country. Who better than Gerfried Stocker, Artistic Director of Ars Electronica Center, to give us his view on Digital Art. For this purpose he has summoned national and international Digital Art Experts, that include curators, artists, professors and art critics.
COURSE ON VISUAL STUDIES: GEO-POLITICS OF THE IMAGE IN KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY
Directed by José Luis Brea, Professor of Aesthetics at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. The course consists of six conferences given by international leading figures and two round tables. The idea is to analyse the irruption of Visual Studies in the academic scene related to artistic practice. As well as its flexibility as a discipline ready to assume the complexity intrinsic to cultural and symbolic production.
