Berlin Symposium 1999 On September 4th 1999, a group of Berlin AICA members organized a symposium on contemporary art criticism at the Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin. Under the title »Topicality is Collaboration« (Carl Einstein), the Berlin initiative saw itself as an impetus for an introspective discussion about the demands on current work in the field of art criticism, which should in turn merge into an ongoing discussion process. The symposium was organized by the following AICA members: Barbara Barsch, Andrea Domesle, Matthias Flügge, Michael Freitag, Gerhard Haupt, Rainer Höynck, Andreas Hüneke, Gabriele Muschter and Thomas Wulffen. The project was lead by Thea Herold. In five papers given, an attempt was made to ascertain the position and definition of the art critic's profession. The discussions that ensued in the plenum enriched this search for a position with personal views and experiences. Bernhard Schulz moderated the discussion. »Who is this person, the art critic? Today he has been described as rebel and advocate, as brutal enemy or knowledgeable friend of artists, as emphatic agent or neutral observer of the scene. As curator is he continuing the criticism of art by other means or is he in the future more server and networker or compliant and reliably productive supplier of texts?« Unanswered questions remained unto the end. The discussion on art criticism will be continued in Berlin. Thea Herold, project director Sponsors of the symposium: Akademie der Künste Kunststiftung Poll Art Foundation Berlin Hotel Großer Kurfürst, Berlin		[Texts in German] Walter Vitt Welcome address from the President of the German section of AICA Lectures: Hilmar Frank The Life Interests of Art Criticism Thomas Wulffen The Critic Laughs! Is the Critic Laughing? Statements on Autonomy Katja Blomberg Experiences with Students at the TH [Technical College] Aachen Gerhard Haupt Criticism on the Net - the Internet as a Medium and Tool for Art Criticism Nicola Kuhn German and Anglo-Saxon Art Criticism in Comparison
	©	German section of AICA, 2000 Concept and realization of the website: uinic - art and web projects, Binder / Haupt