Application deadline: September 14, 2025
The 11th International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC 11) is open for submissions!
On June 7, 2025, the 11th International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC 11) was officially launched at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, inviting submissions of art reviews in Chinese or English from around the globe. IAAC 11 is jointly organized by the IAAC Organizing Committee, the School of Philosophy at Fudan University, and the Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum, with support from the Royal College of Art in London and the Edinburgh College of Art.
The Eleventh Edition is open to candidates from anywhere in the world writing in Chinese or English about any contemporary art exhibition held anywhere in the world or on-line between 1 September 2024 and 31 August 2025. Candidates are invited to write a review of 1,500 English words or 2,500 Chinese characters on any exhibition of contemporary art.
The First Prize will consist of a cash award of 10,000 Euros(pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of this amount (currently, around 80,000 RMB). Each of the three Second Prizes will be awarded a cash prize of 3,500 Euro (pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of this amount (currently, around 30,000 RMB). The level of the Awards is pegged to a fixed amount in Euro, but international Award winners may choose to be paid either in Euro or in RMB at the official exchange rate on the day that the payment is effected.
The Organising Committee of the International Awards for Art Criticism aims to support independent critical coverage of contemporary art, away from the immediate pressures of the market, media and private patronage. The Awards are to stimulate good writing, critical thinking and dialogue and research in China, the UK and wider afield.The objectivity of the selection process is underpinned, both by the recognised professionalism of the Chinese and English-speaking jury members and by the strict anonymity of the judging process.
The IAAC 11 international jury comprises five members: Alfredo Cramerotti, Curator, Writer, Publisher, Director of the Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern Qatar, and President of IKT. Ying KWOK, Senior Curator, Tai Kwun Contemporary, Hong Kong. Ning OU, Artist, Curator, Writer, and Founder of ISOGLOSS (New York-based). Filipa Ramos, Writer, Curator, and Lecturer at the Art Institute, FHNW Academy of Art and Design, Basel. Bernhard Schulz, Berlin-based Art Critic specializing in art, architecture, and cultural politics.
Closing date for entries: September 14, 2025.
Concurrent with the IAAC 11 launch, the forum “Radical ‘Terroir’: Southern Narratives and Art Writing” was held at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, exploring how regional experiences in literature, art practice, and critical writing can inspire cross-cultural expressions. Fan Bo, President of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, noted: “Addressing topics like ‘Southern Narratives’ or the ‘Global South,’ our academy leverages its position in the Greater Bay Area to engage with South China, Southeast Asia, and broader Southern regions. Through initiatives like the Pan-Southeast Asia Triennial and the Southeast Asian Art Research Center, we contribute to these critical global discussions.”
