"Ich glaube, ich habe viele Künstler nicht verstanden"
Adrian Searle, the long-standing chief art critic for The Guardian, is stepping down after three decades at the publication and nearly 50 years in art criticism. In a reflective interview, Searle discusses his transition from a practicing painter and educator to a critic, noting that his early interactions with students like Peter Doig and Isaac Julien helped him realize his true strength lay in writing rather than art-making. He recounts his experiences navigating the British art scene, from the decline of Greenbergian abstraction to his encounters with formidable figures like Richard Serra.
Searle’s departure marks the end of an era for British art journalism, as he was a primary voice documenting the rise of the Young British Artists (YBAs) and the global expansion of the contemporary art market. His career trajectory highlights the evolving relationship between criticism and practice, suggesting that the most effective critics often possess a deep, practitioner-based understanding of the creative process. His retirement signals a significant shift in the landscape of traditional institutional art criticism at a time when the medium is undergoing rapid digital transformation.