After 30 years at the Guardian, chief art critic Adrian Searle is stepping down from the role he has held since 1996.
The Guardian announced today that Searle will leave his full-time role at the end of March. His final article, a look back at the past three decades and what he has learned, will appear on April 1. He will continue to contribute occasional pieces.
Searle joined the Guardian after transitioning from a career as a painter. Over the next three decades, he became one of the most influential voices in British art criticism, writing about contemporary art with authority, clarity and wit.
He played a pivotal role during the rise of the Young British Artists in the 1990s, offering early support for figures such as Steve McQueen, Gillian Wearing, and Chris Ofili. His criticism ranged across painting, sculpture, performance, video, and installation, and he built a reputation for championing artists at the outset of their careers, including Peter Doig, Marlene Dumas, Isaac Julien, and Philippe Parreno.
Beyond writing, Searle served on the Turner Prize jury in 2004. The Guardian’s announcement also said that he organized major exhibitions at institutions including the Hayward Gallery, the Serpentine Galleries, and the Reina Sofía in Madrid.
Reflecting on his tenure, Searle called the experience “an exhilarating ride” during a period of significant social, political and cultural change. He said that while he still has the curiosity and enthusiasm for the job, he now wants to write differently, with fewer deadlines and more space, and to see where that might lead.
Katharine Viner, the publication’s editor-in-chief, said in a statement, “The Guardian will miss Adrian’s fantastic writing on the visual arts, and so will I. His reviews are always perceptive, insightful, and often funny. He looks at art with incredible care, even tenderness, and notices the details that make it soar or sink. Adrian’s body of work creates a high bar for the Guardian to live up to as we continue to deliver more of the rigorous, world-class culture coverage he has championed for three decades.”
Following his departure, Guardian art critic Jonathan Jones will continue to cover major exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale in May. Other regular critics include Charlotte Jansen, Eddy Frankel, and Chloë Ashby, with Ben Eastham joining the roster.
