Can We Trust the Art Critic?

Writing about being asked to speak at the ICA in 1977 for a conference on the Crisis in British Art, Victor Burgin said the following: “I never did learn what the ‘Crisis in British Art’ was; nor, I suspect, did anyone else. In retrospect I now see a textbook example of what psychoanalysis terms projection: the crisis sensed was not in ‘art’ but in criticism itself.” Writing in early 2026, we set out to speak to critics to find out just how this crisis has mutated, and whether there’s any hope for those of wanting to trust critics again.

4 Feb 2026

Condo 2026: Critic's Picks

It’s sometimes difficult to know how to judge a show in Condo. Is it solely down to the art, or is it the way the host space and visiting gallery create a new context together? The following shows, presented in no particular order, demonstrate in my humble but correct opinion the many kinds of “good” you can find across this year's exhibitions. This is less a definitive ranking than a small taxonomy of Condo success: sometimes it’s host/guest alchemy and the generation of a third thing; sometimes it’s simply two strong programmes sharing space; sometimes it’s a pairing that only makes sense once you’re in the room - and sometimes it’s just pure visual pleasure.

28 Jan 2026

What Can We Expect from the Art World in 2026?

Happy 2026 everyone! As we all know, ins and outs lists are boring and passé, unless they’re yours. I’ve gathered a few of my own predictions for the coming year.

19 Jan 2026

Has Social Media Made Art Worse?

Is the internet the best cultural infrastructure we’ve ever built, or the reason everyone’s making the same work, saying the same things, and spiralling in public? brave speaks to artists across generations about what social media gives, what it takes, and what’s left

12 Jan 2026

How Do Curators Actually Pick Artists?

Exhibitions don’t appear by magic. They are built through relationships, timing, labour and decisions most artists are never taught to read. Victoria Comstock-Kershaw looks at how shows actually come together, and why understanding the structure matters more than believing the myth.

15 Dec 2025

Should You Go to Art School?

“I wouldn't be where I am without art school.... But then again I wouldn't be where I am without art school.” Art schools promise community, credibility and a career. Most artists get debt, precarity and a second job. Victoria Comstock-Kershaw talks to artists, advisors and curators to ask: in 2025, is art school still worth it - or is the work all that really matters?

5 Dec 2025