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Meet the First Four Judges of VAO26
- Amy Quinn
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
First Four Visual Art Open 2026 Judges Announced
The Visual Art Open is thrilled to reveal the first four judges for VAO26. Carefully selected from across the contemporary art world, our judges bring exceptional knowledge, experience, and insight, ensuring a fair, inspiring, and rigorous assessment process. Find out more about the VAO26 Judging Criteria here.
Our panel features practising artists, writers, critics, professors, collectors, and curators – each contributing a unique perspective to the evaluation of every submission.
Addi Aegisdottir
Addi is the Sales Director at Mall Galleries, home to the Federation of British Artists. Since 1961, Mall Galleries has championed artists through exhibitions, events, prizes, and awards, with a strong focus on figurative art.
Part of the senior leadership team, Addi works closely with the CEO, Chair, and Board of Trustees to create exceptional opportunities for artists. She specialises in sales development, e-commerce, marketing, and brand strategy, and has a genuine passion for supporting artists at all stages.
Over the past three years, Addi launched the Mall Galleries Art Consultancy, offering bespoke services for private and corporate clients commissioning and curating artworks by emerging and established artists. She also has extensive experience in the primary and secondary art markets, having built collections for national and international collectors and institutions.
Stephanie Dieckvoss
Stephanie has over 15 years of experience in cultural management across public and private sectors, with a distinguished career in galleries and international art fairs. She managed the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery and raised over £2 million for the gallery’s expansion through a charity auction with Sotheby’s.
She is an Associate Lecturer on the BA Culture, Criticism and Curation course at Central Saint Martins and teaches the business of the art market for IESA, London. Stephanie is also a frequent speaker, delivering lectures and keynotes at leading cultural institutions.
She holds MAs in Art History from the University of Hamburg and the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, and an MBA (Public Services) from Warwick Business School. Her research covers contemporary art markets, art and conflict, globalisation, private museums, and the role of art schools. Stephanie is also the London Art Market Correspondent for Handelsblatt.
Tabish Khan
Tabish is an art critic, writer, speaker, podcaster, and curator committed to making art accessible to everyone. He visits and writes about hundreds of exhibitions annually, from major blockbusters to emerging art shows. His work appears in Londonist, FAD, Artsy, Elephant, Stir World, and the New York Observer.
He co-hosts the podcast The Good, The Bad and The Arty and has judged numerous art prizes. Tabish is a trustee of the City & Guilds London Art School and the Discerning Eye exhibition, an honorary trustee of ArtCan, and a critical friend of UP Projects, which brings contemporary art into public spaces.
Hannah Grout
Hannah is the Senior Fair Manager at The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art. She works with UK-based and international artists, overseeing curation, exhibitor development, and feature management.
With a background in art marketing and PR, Hannah advises artists on how to professionally position themselves at art fairs and within the wider market. She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a BA in History of Art from the University of Leeds. Her combined experience helps foster engaging and dynamic fair experiences.
More judges will be announced in the coming weeks – we can’t wait to share the full panel!
Artists looking to take their practice to the next level are invited to submit their work for VAO26. Apply now and gain the chance to be reviewed by this distinguished panel
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