Episode 935: Chicago Critics Roundtable

The Bad at Sports roundtable gathered Chicago’s leading voices—Curtis Bozif, Annette LaPeak, Pia Singh, Gareth Kaye, and host Duncan McKenzie—to confront what they call the ‘crisis of criticism.’ Participants noted that the buzzword ‘art ecology’ frequently lists artists, galleries, and collectors but leaves critics invisible, despite their essential function in the ecosystem. The conversation traced the podcast’s origin as a response to that omission, recalling past guests like James Elkins and Michelle Grabner. By framing criticism as a revitalizing force, the panel signaled a possible resurgence in thoughtful, independent art writing.

A striking theme was the multi‑hyphenate identity of Chicago’s critics. Many juggle roles as painters, curators, educators, and writers, a reality shaped by the city’s limited market and neoliberal pressures. Annette LaPeak highlighted her cross‑publication experience, while Pia Singh emphasized her Indian‑American perspective that drives her to write for under‑represented audiences. Gareth Kaye admitted a recent hiatus from formal reviews, yet his Substack keeps the dialogue alive. This blend of practice and theory informs how they select subjects—often guided by personal taste, cultural resonance, and a desire to fill gaps left by mainstream media.

The panel agreed that criticism functions less as objective journalism and more as a democratic conversation. By publishing subjective, poetically charged essays, critics give works a ‘voice in the bottle’ that can attract collectors, spark public interest, and validate artists’ labor. In an era of shrinking legacy media, such independent platforms become vital for sustaining the Chicago art scene and for challenging the notion that criticism must be neutral. Their collective optimism suggests that a vibrant, inclusive critical ecosystem can thrive when writers embrace their multiple hats and prioritize honest, passionate discourse.