Call for Applications: Academy for Art Criticism

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Note: This call was translated from French. French proficiency is likely mandatory.

AICA Academy

Academy dates: October 7–16, 2026 in Rennes, France
Open call deadline: May 1, 2026

AICA International is launching a call for applications for the third edition of the AICA Academy, which will take place in Rennes from October 7 to 16, 2026, on the occasion of the 58th Congress of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA), held from October 12 to 16, 2026.

The AICA Academy is a program of residencies, meetings, and training dedicated to contemporary art criticism practices. This French-language edition is aimed at young professionals from all backgrounds (art historians, artists, curators, etc.) active worldwide, with priority given to candidates from the African continent. AICA International, an NGO, thereby contributes more broadly to UNESCO’s priorities in education, gender equality, cultural diversity, and freedom of artistic expression.

This program is intended for young art critics who wish to engage in a collaborative workshop focused on theoretical and practical experimentation. Over approximately ten days, participants will be welcomed in a supportive environment and invited to share their experiences and questions about art criticism. The aim is to collectively reflect on current issues in art criticism within ecological and social contexts, addressing the construction of narratives around history, memory, and identity; questioning relationships to archives and the status of minority narratives. Literary creativity and expanded forms of writing will also be encouraged.

Through partnerships with local institutions and professional networks, such as Documents d’Artistes Bretagne (DDA), participants will take part in training modules, writing workshops, meetings with regional and international art critics and thinkers, as well as exhibition visits and artist studio visits.

This program is initiated and led by Sonia Recasens, Director of AICA International, and Mathilde Roman, Vice-President of AICA International.

Scientific Committee

Géraldine Gourbe is a philosopher, author, art critic, curator, teacher, and researcher in aesthetics. Since 2007, she has published on the Los Angeles art scene, radical pedagogies, artistic communities, and feminism.
Oulimata Gueye is an independent curator and researcher working at the intersection of the history of science and technology, contemporary art, and popular cultures, with a strong focus on Africa and Afro-descendant diasporas.
Dilda Ramazan is a curator, art critic, and PhD candidate at Sorbonne University, focusing on contemporary art scenes in Tashkent, Almaty, and Bishkek since independence.
Sonia Recasens is Director of AICA International, an art historian, critic, and independent curator whose practice explores themes of intimacy, the body, memory, transmission, and migration.
Mathilde Roman is an art critic, curator, and lecturer at Pavillon Bosio, working on exhibition scenography, video installation, and expanded, collaborative formats of art criticism.

Application Details

Open call deadline: May 1, 2026
Selected participants announced: May 22, 2026
Academy dates: October 7–16, 2026

Residency Conditions

Travel and accommodation costs will be covered by AICA International
Participants will be hosted at the Cité internationale Paul Ricoeur in Rennes from October 6 to 17, 2026

Eligibility

Open to young art critics (under 35)
French-speaking international candidates
Priority given to applicants from the African continent
AICA membership is not required
Applicants must commit to attending the full duration of the residency and participating in all training modules, workshops, visits, and meetings

Application Process

For further information: aica.office@gmail.com

Applications must include a motivation letter and CV in PDF format and be sent no later than May 1, 2026 at midnight (Paris time) with the subject line:
“Application AICA Académie Rennes”

Please send applications to:
Sonia Recasens, Director of AICA International
aica.office@gmail.com