Presentation of the report Radiography of the profession of art criticism and curatorship

The Miró Foundation Auditorium in Barcelona hosted the presentation of the report Radiography of the profession of art criticism and curatorship.

During the event, the main results of the report were presented, by Sílvia Amblàs, technical director of D'EP Institut and author of the study, and the round table "The profession of criticism of "art and curatorship. Current challenges" with the participation of Montse Badia, art critic and curator of exhibitions, Carme Sais, head of service for Cultural Heritage, Museums and Visual Arts of Girona City Council, and David G Torres, art critic, curator of exhibitions, playwright and professor specializing in contemporary art. Ricard Planas, art critic, editor and independent curator, will moderate the panel.

The study is a diagnosis or x-ray of the profession of art criticism and curatorship that aims to collect and order, for the first time in Catalonia, the situation of this profession and the factors involved in its development. The Catalan Association of Art Criticism (ACCA) highlights the important shortcomings in the profession, mainly linked to precariousness and the loss of centrality in the world of art. In this sense, it is necessary to collect information that allows us to answer, among others, questions such as: how many people make a living from art criticism? Do they live more in the private sector or in the administrations? How is the art critic adapting to the changing situation in today's world?

The report on art criticism and curatorship in Catalonia collects and organizes, for the first time, the situation of this profession and the factors involved in its development. The main objectives are to know both the state of professionalization of the trade and the labor and sociological conditions in which it is carried out and to propose actions to improve them.

Sílvia Amblàs broke down how 95% of professionals have university degrees, but only 23% have exclusive dedication. 64% get less than €15,000/year for this job and most contracts are verbal. As Albert Mercadé emphasized, "most professionals cannot dedicate themselves exclusively to art criticism and curatorship due to the precariousness of working conditions".