Artistic Practice and its Economic Reality.
Round Table Debate.
Art Brussels | Sa 20.04.2013 | 12:30 – 17:00
Moderation: Andrea Phillips

Throughout history artists have taken on the role of seismographs and critical observers of the (cultural) crisis, but also as the creators of models of survival and escape. Ever since the beginning of modern art, experimental artistic practices and innovative strategies developed - all shaping the institutional critique of their own time.

However, the ‘space of negotiable resistance’ as one could describe the working space in which artists maneuver, has become increasingly narrow — not least because of the economic powers that underlie its current structure. The powerful art market thrives on a model of growth and profit, which puts pressure on the sustainable relationships between the artists, dealers, curators and other actors in the field. By capitalizing on (emerging) artistic expression, the current system corners artistic autonomy instead of stimulating it. And by extension, cultural critique, one of the cornerstones of a democratic society, is threatened to become a commodity and pawn within this system.

The assumed mutuality between the artist and the dealer, based on a shared love of cultural production, masks a set of questions about the value of art: how is it created and how is it shared? If artistic practice is caught in a catch 22 with the market on which it operates, can we think of alternative tactics or counter moves within the system? Where do conflicts emerge when trying to put this into practice? Should this relation come to an end or are there ways to build new forms of alliances between all parties involved?

 

The Value of Our Love is an initiative of Jubilee in collaboration with Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, editor of the Manifesta Journal and free lance curator, and Andrea Phillips, Director of the Doctoral Research Programmes of Goldsmiths University, London.

The debate opens the floor to a wide selection of artists and other experts in the field that will speak and think about the impact of the current economic system on the modes of artistic production. Together, we will debate possible trajectories for change towards a new economy, also for the arts.

 The various chapters of the debate will be introduced by short artistic presentations by Lenio Kaklea (FR), performer, dancer, choreographer, Paris / Dilettant (SE), initiators of The Public Office - an open space for work and knowledge exchange, Stockholm /
Bik van der Pol (NL), artists and initiators of School of Missing Studies, Rotterdam / Agency (BE), artist Brussels.

The discussions  will be fueled by the valuable knowledge of 
Jan Boelen (BE), product designer and artistic director Z33, Hasselt / 
Igor Byttebier (BE),  economist and founder Dadelen.be, Gent 
/ 
Fucking Good Art (NL), traveling artists' magazine or editorial project for research in-and-through art, Rotterdam / Guy Gypens (BE),  director Kaaitheater, Brussels / 
Nikita Kadan (UA), artist & activist, Kiev / 
Sally De Kunst (CH/BE), curator and director of the Belluard Festival, Fribourg / 
Anna Manubens (ES), curator & art manager, currently working for Auguste Orts, Brussels 
/ Josine De Roover (BE), co-ordinator NICC and De Voorkamer, Antwerp & Lier 
/ Jack Segbars (NL), artist and critic, Rotterdam / Alain Servais (BE), art collector, Brussels / 
Kris Vleeschouwer (BE), artists and collaborator of arteconomy, Antwerp 
/ Tom Viaene (BE),  journalist and critic for Rekto:Verso / 
Matteo Lucchetti & Judith Wielander (IT/BE), curators of the research project Visible, Brussels and others.

http://jubilee-art.org/?rd_project=325&lang=en

The Value of Our Love is part of the public programme for Art Brussels. This programme curated by Katerina Gregos, Artistic director of Art Brussels consists of discursive activities (talks, debates, encounters with artists), live art and performance. All these activities will take place on The Stage, a specially designed amphitheatre that will host all the events in Terminal 3 at the Art Fair.

http://www.artbrussels.be/nl/Events/The%20Stage

 

JUBILEE is an initiative by Justin Bennett, Vincent Meessen, Katrien Reist and Katleen Vermeir & Ronny Heiremans with the intention to set up a platform to support (audio-visual) artists, whose practices develop out of long-term and cross-disciplinary research with a discursive output.

Starting from the practice of this core group of artists based in Brussels and The Hague, JUBILEE aims to set up an organizational structure that optimizes the output of its members through joining efforts and equally distributing its collective assets and resources (economic, artistic and social). We wish to explore the resulting specific micro-economy and its potential for extension towards other individuals, organizations and structures - both locally and internationally.

Based on the idea of open source practice, redistribution of accumulated value within a mutual economical system and stimulating the exchange of knowledge - both on an artistic level as well as business administration - JUBILEE researches the challenging trajectories for change towards a new economy, also for the arts.

http://jubilee-art.org/?rd_page=4-2&lang=en