Adrian Searle, the outgoing chief art critic for The Guardian, reflects on his 30-year career by recounting a vivid, personal montage of the art he has witnessed. He describes unforgettable encounters with works ranging from Vermeer's intimate paintings to Fiona Banner's suspended jet fighter, Roger Hiorns's crystal-filled flat, and Emily Jacir's poignant project on Palestinian displacement, highlighting how these experiences blend memory, story, and direct observation into a critic's life.
Searle's reflection matters because it offers a rare, first-person chronicle of a transformative era in contemporary art from a pivotal institutional voice. His tenure spanned the rise of global art fairs, monumental installations, and politically charged works, and his departure marks the end of a significant chapter in art criticism. The piece underscores the critic's role not as a definitive authority, but as a passionate, fallible witness whose writing is shaped by the visceral impact of art and the unpredictable contexts in which it is seen.