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THIS WEEK ART maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 NOVEMBER 2019 4 An Paenhuysen, a Berlin-based writer, curator and arts educator will be coming to Malta to deliver a masterclass on art criticism. She speaks to TEODOR RELJIC about what participants can expect, and how contrary to popular belief, love and lightness can be very much part of the critiquing process Teodor Reljic 'Thinking is a dangerous How has your background (educational, professional and otherwise) influenced your approach towards criticism, and what were some of the most important lessons you've learned along the way? School and academia defi- nitely sharpened my research and opinion-making skills, but they didn't contribute much to my joy and confi- dence in writing. I consider myself to be a 'light' writer, which doesn't really fit with the 'seriousness' that aca- demic writing seems to im- ply. Over the years, I turned this 'weakness' of mine into my main interest. The po- tential of the short and the light-humored is what my critical writing and thinking- practice focus on. And it's al- so what most exercises in my workshops are about: they can be written in a short time span and are intended to try out some half, rather than fully accomplished, thoughts. To have fun became my main advice in writing. I'm a huge Andy Warhol fan so I agree with his philosophy of taking it easy. What would you say are some of the main principles that an art critic should cleave to at all times, and how many of these are actually 'teachable'? Writing is a great way to think things through. But thinking is also a dangerous activity and it involves vul- nerability. It's a lot easier to accept the status quo than to think for oneself. So to gain confidence and strengthen one's voice, it is necessary to have a safe space to experi- ment. The classroom can be this safe space. Creativity is social: without any commu- nication and feedback one won't be able to grow. But this sharing doesn't neces- sarily always need to be a show and tell. It can take the form of 'write-in's' as the po- et and art critic Eileen Myles practises them: to write "in the vicinity of other thinking writing bodies and this strict- ly for dreamy and real private writing production". How has the social media landscape changed the nature of art criticism, and what are some of the best ways to combat its worst tendencies and side-effects? I don't really see social me- dia as something negative for art criticism. It actually helps me to do my own thing inde- pendently of art magazines or newspapers. I love blog- ging! Social media also allows me to explore different ways of writing, for instance with picture haikus that fit the display of Instagram. What are you most looking forward to exploring with your upcoming workshop in Malta, and how do you hope to influence and help budding art critics locally? Although the workshop is about art writing, I like to think that it is for anyone who wants to write about the world we live in. Writing helps to create an awareness of the surroundings, to no- tice things, and to enjoy them more. And art invites you to look at and sense the world in a slightly different way. The critical part of art criti- cism is often considered to be a downer; a negative activity that comes from angry, frus- trated, and nagging people. But I find that it's out of love for art that critical writing and thinking comes about. So I hope the workshop on art criticism can inspire people to love more and more! "It's a lot easier to accept the status quo than to think for oneself"