12th International Awards for Art Criticism
The 12th Edition of the International Awards for Art Criticism (IAAC 12) 2026, 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 2025 and 31 August 2026.
Candidates are invited to write a review of 1,500 English words or 2,500 Chinese characters on any exhibition of contemporary art. The submissions shall not previously have been published anywhere else.
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.
IAAC 12 is jointly run by the IAAC Organising Committee, the School of Philosophy at Fudan University, and the Shanghai Zhangyuan Art Museum (in preparation), with support from the Royal College of Art in London, the Edinburgh College of Art and the International Association of Art Critics (AICA).
Prizes
The First Prize will consist of a cash award of 10,000 EUR (pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of this amount (currently, around 80,000 RMB). There will be three Second Prizes, each amounting to 3,500 EUR (pre-tax) or the RMB equivalent of around 30,000 RMB.
IAAC 12 application guidelines
Deadline: 14 September 2026