art(s)istas have been realizing projects with children and young people at the interface of art, youth culture and feminist activism since 2016, which convey artistic activity in the sense of DIY and self-empowerment. art(s)istas enable direct experience with their interdisciplinary, collaborativ and transcultural projects artistic practices in dealing with media worlds in an urban context while eliminating cultural hierarchies.

Die Decke hat ein Loch [The Hole in the Blanket] is an exhibition and research project by the artists annette hollywood, Jana Müller and Moira Zoitl, in collaboration with the Kunstverein am Rosa- Luxemburg-Platz Berlin/Susanne Prinz, in which (auto)biographical narratives are used to examine material, contemporary and cultural histories that lie outside of mainstream society.

The working methods of the participating artists overlap in questioning archival inventories using different research and artistic-scientific methods. In artistic works, traces of archive materials are linked, reworked and made visible to form new narratives. Artefacts, documents and other narratives from institutional archives are consciously intertwined with knowledge and objects from the private sphere. The constructed, porous and temporary state of the nature of archives is addressed, a condition that distorts or completely omits the perspective of many realities of life. In accordance with the children’s clap­ping game that gives the title, and which continues to rhyme with “… da sah ich sie dann doch.” […I then saw her after all.], the exhibition project follows the idea that only by looking once again through the holes and fractures of historical archives, a more accurate and diverse picture of society emerges.

with ALEF BLA, NOMBUSO DOWELANI, ANNETTE HOLLYWOOD, LAURA HORELLI, SVEN JOHNE, JANA MÜLLER, ALINA SIMMELBAUER, OFW/PHILIPP URRUTIA, SIMON WACHSMUTH, MOIRA ZOITL

Panel discussion in June 2018 in Berlin

A cooperation event of the IGBK, Deutscher Künstlerbund and Internationales Theaterinstitut (ITI) Deutschland.

On Friday, 1 June 2018, at the project space of Deutscher Künstlerbund Manaf Halbouni (visual artist, Dresden), Dr. Thomas Irmer (journalist and theater scientist, Theater der Zeit), Prof. Ulrike Rosenbach (visual artist, IGBK, GEDOK) and Prof. Dr. Gabriele Werner (Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin) took on the current debate on artistic freedom in potential areas of conflict with for instance ‘MeToo’, racism and right-wing populism. Already early into the evening, the audience participated to the discussion in a very active and fruitful way. The event was moderated by Anna Steinkamp (project manager and curator for cultural cooperation).

From theory to practice

The main focus of the talk moved swiftly towards the critique of power in the arts and to the questions of how and where power is becoming visible in the arts and on the art market today. The current discourse on the contextualization of works and on the positioning of artists was, in this sense, consistently welcomed and could even be extended, in the opinion of all those present that evening.

By no means should artistic freedom be restricted, said Thomas Irmer. But it is rather about a differentiated examination of controversial works and about carrying such a debate permanently into the institutions.

Learning democracy

The audience is no longer a reverent viewer and consumer, but a co-creative actor, elaborating on the works in a critical discourse. Today, art is about “learning democracy,” said Ulrike Rosenbach. It is a current challenge and  incentive for artists, according to Manaf Halbouni, to counteract the high level of organization that, for example, undemocratic groups on the right-wing margins of society are currently successfully implementing.

In solidarity, artists could be able to confidently confront the (art) market and jointly position themselves against the structural problems that also come along with the decision to work as a free artist. But this solidarity must urgently leave the enclosed scientific context, according to the panelists. It needs associations and joint strategies today, since the mere “courageous attitude of the 70s” (Gabriele Werner) in today’s working regime is no longer sufficient for artists.

(Text: Isa Ihle, IGBK office)

The symposium, organized by IGBK and the ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), took place on December 2 and 3, 2015, at KW Institute for Contemporary Art and at the ifa Gallery in Berlin.

Both days about 120 participants followed the lectures and panel discussions. Within the context of the agendas on Foreign Cultural Policy of the German Federal Government (the Commissioner for Culture and the Media as well as the Foreign Ministry), but also taking into account positions of artists involved in exchange programmes, the following questions were discussed:

What is meant by ‘intercultural exchange‘ and which expectations are associated with it – from a European and non-European perspective?

How is the political aim to support ’intercultural exchange‘ concretely organized? Which political expectations towards artists are expressed through funding guidelines and selection criteria?

What understanding of art and artists becomes visible, is perpetuated or newly drafted?

What are on the other hand artists‘ expectations as regards the agendas and programmes that arise from them?

How do artists translate the wish for ’intercultural exchange‘ into self-initiated projects and cooperation? Which issues do they tackle?

We warmly thank all contributors and our guests for the inspiring lectures and the lively exchange!

Are Artists Rich? focused on the value of artistic work in Europe. 

Modern societies need art as a field for experimentation, to “test” and reflect on new, relevant questions and approaches away from current political logic and scientific discourses. But what role does art play in a society of shareholders, “users”, and occupy movements? Should art subordinate itself to the economic system as a “commodity”? What kind of art does society want and what is it willing to invest for the freedom and diversity of art?

Also, in the context of new forms of presentation and dissemination of visual art (interventionist practices, collaborative projects, alternative art spaces, non product-oriented work), the question of contemporary and sustainable art and cultural funding arises. What can cultural funding and legislation (copyright law) look like that take into account new contemporary art forms? Does the support of these artistic freedoms require new models?

The "unusual economy"

The “unusual economy” and the production conditions to which the artists are subject were discussed in relation to the necessary freedoms and opportunities offered by art. Why is the income of the majority of artists below average, even in countries where the conditions with respect to artist funding, social security, copyright, etc. are comparatively good? What structural particularities apply to the field of art? And what is the reason for the symbolic overvaluation with simultaneous economic undervaluation? What makes being an artist so attractive and prestigious, despite the objectively poor income prospects?

Representatives of national and European artists” associations and of the umbrella organizations European Council of Artists (ECA) and International Association of Art (IAA) Europe, as well as independent artists” groups and initiatives such as “Precarious Workers Brigade” (London) and “Haben und Brauchen” (Berlin), were invited.

Short lectures opened the first part of the event: a lecture by the Dutch artist and sociologist Hans Abbing introduced the subject of the special “economy of art” and shed light on the value of art for a society yesterday, today, and in the future. Members of the “Precarious Workers Brigade,” London talked about the real working conditions in culture and education and presented the activist and artistic approach to them.

Lectures were followed by a structured exchange of opinions and experiences of the participants from which key issues emergeed for the 2 work groups: 1. THINK-TANK (discussion / text), 2. ACTIVITY WORKSHOP (artistic implementation / action).

Presentation to Members of the European Parliament

In the evening a summary of the results was presented to Members of the European Parliament.

Also a handout, prepared by IGBK, was submitted, which includes guest contributions (e.g. by Hans Abbing and by the European umbrella organisations and initiatives) as well as a collection of positions on current topics related to contemporary working conditions of visual artists in Europe. Doris Pack, Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament took up the patronage of the evening

Mobility is an integral part of the life and artistic practice of many artists. From October 27 to 29, 2011 a.RTISTS IN TRANSIT/How to Become an Artist in Residence took place at the Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz (Berlin Weißensee School of Art).

Lectures, discussions and workshops focused on different motives for mobility and its ramifications on life and work of artists. Also practical advice on stipends and residencies were given to more than ninety participants.

We would like to thank the lecturers and participants for making the symposium such a sucess with their interesting contributions and fruitful discussion.

Since December 2012 the publication a.RTIST IN TRANSIT/how to become an artist in residence is available. It collects contributions by Leonie Baumann, Paolo Bianchi, Nikhil Chopra, Elke aus dem Moore/Natalia Kot, Peter Müller, Yasmine Ostendorf und Tanja Ostojic.Those are accompanied by abstracts of the IGBK weblog a.RTISTS IN TRANIST where artists who work and travel or do a residency abroad share experiences on their mobile lives. The book a.RTISTS IN TRANSIT was edited by IGBK, annette hollywood and Andreas Schmid. It can be ordered at the IGBK office for free.

A project of the Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK) in cooperation with the Berlin Weißensee School of Art, Berlin, the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa), Stuttgart/Berlin, ON-AiR/Trans Artists, Amsterdam, and the International Association of Art (IAA) Europe. Supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media upon a decision of the German Bundestag.

World tour! THE ART SHOW is a live show that is all about art. Up close! THE ARTISTs Svenja Hehner and annette hollywood present themselves and their guests on a larger than life palette. THE FRÜHWERK with Eva Könnemann touches on aspects of authorship, collaboration and competition in artistic creation. Diego Castro opens with the Immaterialist International THE ARTIST UTOPIA. At the same time, THE LIVE PAINTER Matthias Beckmann visualizes his perspective on THE ART SHOW, his drawing process can be observed live on a video screen. THE EGO is set up on a parallel stage and and and: THE AKTMODELL, THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE, ART FOR FREE, THE WETTER. Finally there is ART KARAOKE singing for everyone.

Artistic projects and networks organised offside the mainstream have gained relevance in the last years. How significant are these places for art and artistic production within an art system moved by economic success?

Is the freedom that might emerge from the work in a community used to develop new artistic formats and themes?

“The Artist Feeling - Künstlernetzwerke”, a project by IGBK and FRISE - Künstlerhaus Hamburg on November 28, 2009, planned and moderated by annette hollywood, Frank Michael Zeidler and Michael Kress, gave an overview of the development of artists’ networks and federations. It was also questioned which role networks play when it comes to the articulation of social relevance that artistic work has, from today’s view and also from a historical perspective. One priority was given to the role of artists’ networks in China.

In the following “The Artist Feeling - Künstlernetzwerke” is documented in a report (PDF, in german) by Nana Tatalovic, art historian based in Hamburg.

(Market) trends, rankings and performance reports meanwhile play an important role as regards the review of contemporary art. How have life and work models of visual artists changed within the last years? How high rates an autonomous artistic development in the age of “artist rankings”?

These questions were addressed by “The Artist Feeling - Existenzanalysen”.

Different models of artistic production and self-expression were discussed and life models confronted with artists’ biographies and real working situations. For some it seems to be naive to ignore the machinery of the market and to go on without any career planning at all. Others insist on developing own positions contrary to trends and market requirements.

In the following “The Artist Feeling – Existenzanalysen” was documented by a report of the Munich based journalist Heinz Schütz, which you can download here (PDF, in German).

annette hollywood chose the path to independence for the world premiere of the video Sorry Curator and the solo show of the same name by initiating the exhibition space no gallery.

After the exhibition, no gallery will be continued as a project space. Here are excerpts from the program:

Neozoon - BESTIA RECREATA or the secret and spooky places
21. - March 29, 2009 
NEOZOON has temporarily moved into the no gallery in the center of Kreuzberg with BESTIA RECREATA. The group of artists quickly transformed the rooms at Kottbusser Tor into a research laboratory in order to treat a herd of unknown animals there. The aim is to restore their autonomous viability in order to then release them into urban survival reality.

Barbara Wille - PEEKABOO!
June 6th - June 21st, 2009 
The greatest fun in hide-and-seek was being discovered. We eagerly awaited this moment. If the hiding place was too good, the game quickly became boring. That’s why you finally gave yourself away by imitating the call of a bird: cuckoo! Look, here I am and you don’t see me! Catching a glimpse, that was what mattered.

bankleer - RABBIT IN CAPITALISTIC MODERNITY
22. August - 06 September 2009 
The exhibition “Hares in capitalist modernity” by the Berlin artist group BANKLEER refers to Joseph Beuys’ action from 1965 “how to explain the pictures to the dead hare” (Galerie Schmela / Düsseldorf). BANKLEER transfers the historical setting to our art epoch, which will probably go down in art history as “capitalist modernism” - a late form of an originally idealistic, revolutionary, enlightened and experimental modernism.

In view of the demanded introduction of Bachelor and Master’s degrees this topic presently experiences an intense debate. The utopian vision of an open European education and research area is opposed to the fears of a bureaucratization and commoditization of the artists’ education.

However, the traditional structure of art studies with its personalized lessons organized in master classes - particularly in Germany - also no longer appears suitable. Although artists from German art academies are among the most successful in the international art business, only a very small percentage of the graduates participate in this market. Under mostly precarious economic conditions the far larger fraction tests new forms of contemporary artistic practice.

The outcome of these endeavors can be described as cultural knowledge production rather than as production of marketable art objects. Projects and cooperative work methods create hybrid artist careers, which appear to displace the traditional image of the artist.

The different perceptions on this topic held by protagonists of the international art market and international teaching institutions were elucidated exemplarily in the context of the symposium. Furthermore, it was of importance to us to show how the debate between the conflicting priorities of the manifold discourses is perceived and conducted by artists outside the universities and how it is reflected in the context of current artistic and curational reality.

We welcomed the speakers and guests with the performance talk RLTY CHCK and opened the conference. Along with a collection of quotes and text fragments pertaining to the topic of art academy we introduced the issues of interest. The starting point of our analysis was the official joint declaration of the Rector’s Conference of the Art Academies of the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the Bologna Process, dating from May 18th, 2006.

For this year’s ladyfest Berlin (2005), the project space of the German Artists’ Association was hijacked. For two weeks, this room has been used to present current post- to pop-feminist positions in the visual arts. From here, with a pop-feminist tailwind, we will overtake established realities to head for new forms of expression.

INSTALLATION: Anna Myga Kasten

PROGRAMM:

Video: level, Christine de la Garenne

Was heisst eigentlich Post-Feminismus? a lecture of Sabine Kampmann

video: Mama Teresa, Sarah Braun

Demoiselle Artistcurator a lecture of Elke aus dem Moore

Video: light boy, Eva Könnemann

a lecture of bildwechsel

video: living a beautiful life, Corinna Schnitt

Auf Sendung a lecture of Julia Schäfer

video: furry feeling,Michaela Metzger

queering work! presented by Renate Lorenz und Pauline Boudry

Performancelecture of Angie Reed

The Deutscher Künstlerbund organises a symposium on June 26th in its Project Space on the image of the artist in a mass media society. Under the direction of the artist annette hollywood, artist stereotypes will be analyzed and their social role, which is determined by the media, will be defined. Different perspectives and perceptions are presented.