Economic crisis is about to hit every country sooner or later. Cuts of budgets for culture endanger even well established and renown institutions. Not only economic crisis but also a political shift to the right puts the future of the arts in question.
Most artists live under precarious conditions already, subsidized only by very small funds. Only a few belong to the upper class, the „artistocracy“. In general the art system reproduces and even boosts the class society. But yet most artists seem to live in a bubble. They follow a highly individualistic ideology that leads to personal success rather than social collaboration. The inequality of the art system is growing due to an unfair distribution of resources.
The identity of a city is highly affected by it’s artist community. „We are the gasoline of cities“ says Einat Tuchman and interprets this metaphor also in another way. Like the world will run out of this resource sooner or later also cities jeopardize to dry out one of their resources, the artists.

Einat co-organizes „State of the Arts – solidarity and action“ a „Work Symposium“ to discuss some of the mentioned problematics at beursschouwburg on November 6th. (In our talk I mentioned comparable ‚movements‘ of Berlin: Haben und Brauchen  and Netzwerk Projekträume )

Things to consider for a (un)certain future

Since we met not only to talk, but also to do „kopieren kuratieren“ we decided to each select 5 objects for the other and do kind of a tarot oracle.

My choice for Einat (in regard of the symposium)

The gear wheels:
No matter the size and the capacity of the participants, they are linked. They all turn, also when only one is active.

The motor:
The source of energy brought in by all participants. But also a kind of an „übermotor“. It’s important to find a way to recharge the batteries of the participants if they are getting tired.

The motherboard:
All contributions should be collected, archived and organized functional and understandable. The motherboard is the brain of the symposium, reuniting the ideas of all participants.

The glass:
Transparency is very important. Amongst the participants and towards a public. There shouldn’t be hidden agendas and if there are, they should be communicated to avoid misunderstanding.

The Ink:
Not only I hope that the results of the symposium will be inked in the skin of the participants, politicians, cities etc. But I hope they will be copied around the world.

Einat’s choice for me (in regard of a possible future of my curatorial practice):

The strap:
A frame to constantly play with. It’s mobile and flexible and interactive. You can change the shape from inside and outside.

The sponge:
You absorb, you squeeze. Things disappear and reappear. It’s also a symbol of gathering information, filling your tank and then produce.

The spring:
The spiral as a symbol for endlessness. But also the ability to playfully move. It can multiple energy. Compress it and it springs high.

The mirror stick:
We constantly project but don’t let the world project on us. How does the world curate me when I curate it?

The metal bar:
It’s your temple. It’s a mesh and a frame. A container with the possibility to merge in and out. It’s where your experience is. And it shows your accessibility.