In the conference “What is criticism?” presented in 1978 at the Société française de la philosophie, Michel Foucault defined “critical attitude” not as a categorical refusal of all forms of authority, but as a reconsideration of the way we are governed: of “how not to be governed like that,” considering that these principles, objectives, means, and processes constitute the overriding concerns of critical thought. In response to the opening of the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris this fall, writers, artists, and philosophers (including Giorgo Agamben, Georges Didi-Huberman and Jacques Rancière) have taken a virulent stand against the growing influence of major financial groups linked with the luxury goods industry in the art world—an objection certainly in line with this perspective. Without rejecting all forms of private investment in contemporary art, the signatories of the text “Is art but a luxury good?” openly criticize these “noble arts patrons,” whom they consider to be mere speculators largely responsible for government disengagement. Claiming that these “new masters of the market” are exploiting art and art practitioners to “gain prestige” and boost their profits, they invite intellectuals, critics, and artists to break their code of silence and to speak out in order to envision more viable alternatives for the world of art and culture.

Even though some have taken issue with private sector influence, few critics have yet dared to challenge the intellectual power assumed by certain institutions (universities, museums, exhibition and documentation centres) and forums (magazines, newspapers, blogs) that shape artistic trends, condition the discourse, and determine which artists and practices gain visibility at the expense of others. With this in mind, esse wishes to open the debate on what it means to take a critical stance in the world of contemporary art today.

  • What does criticism imply?
  • What are the issues and stakes, who are the actors, and what forums and modes of expression are involved?
  • How and where are debates taking place and whom do they serve?
  • How is the evolution of writing and communication platforms (the web, blogs, etc.) affecting critical practice?
  • Does it promote the free expression and flow of opinions?
  • And more generally, what are the socio-political implications of taking a stand in the field of contemporary art?
  • Does art still contribute to the elaboration of a counter-discourse?
  • What roles are intellectuals, art critics, and artists actually playing in the movement against certain institutional modus operandi?
  • Given the dynamics of dependence, power, and collaboration within the milieu, is it possible for art practitioners to freely take a stand?
  • And finally, what conditions—pragmatic, theoretical, and ideological—are currently shaping art criticism and, in a broader sense, the field of art?

For this edition, esse is particularly interested in theoretical analyses and case studies that address these urgent questions head on. We therefore invite authors to take a stand in the pages of our magazine and to reflect collectively on the critical and political role that a forum such as ours can play in today’s world.

Send your text (1,000 - 2,000 words, footnotes included) in US letter format (doc, docx, or rtf) to redaction[at]esse.ca before April 1, 2015. Please include a short biography (50-80 words), an abstract of the text (100 words), as well as postal and e-mail addresses. We also welcome submissions (reviews, essays, analyses of contemporary art issues) not related to a particular theme (annual deadlines: September 1, January 10, and April 1).