1969

oblikovanje: Fenshu

Velikan slovenskega umetniškega prostora, ki si je služil kruhek z delom v knjižnici, Dane Zajc, je v letu 1969 orisal umetnikov paradoksalni položaj.
Leto je 2009-to, skoraj 2010 bo, in zdi se, kot bi Dane o tem govoril včeraj.
Sodobno mesto umetnika slikovito prikaže spodnja korespondenca med umetnikom Francem Purgom in kustusom Mamuka Rainerjem Fuchsom ob razstavi vzhodnoevropske umetnosti Gender Check.


Dear Rainer Fuchs,

Gender Check is an exhibition that will show 250 artists from Eastern Europe in a Western institution. There is no question that many other people are involved in the production of such a huge project - from photographers, designers, drivers, caterers, installers, cleaners, curators, and the directors of the institution - and it is obvious that all these people will be paid.

Where, then, does the idea come from, that the artists should work for free? Why did the organisers decide to allocate the budget to include a fee for everyone except the artists? Why should artists work as volunteers? Perhaps it stems from a romantic, old-fashioned idea that artists - and in particular non-western artists - have to be poor, and grateful to have their work shown in a prestigious Western institution.

The organisers and curators of the biggest museum of modern and contemporary art in Austria and the whole of Central Europe have accepted the neoliberal capitalistic system that allows for the legal exploitation of others wherever possible. As is stated on the Mamuk website, "Art is profitable" - particularly when you get it for free.

For these reasons I have chosen to decline your invitation to participate in the Gender Check exhibition and to support a system that is based on exploitation.

Franc Purg


in Fuchsov(chef curator) odgovor:

Dear Purg Franc,

we would very much regret not to have you in the exhibition, because your work is crucial to the subject of the show. There are a lot of arguments from your side which I understand completely, nevertheless each exhibition is a kind of investment which in the end enables also the artist to profit from participations. That is one of the reasons why normally fees are not paid to artists in exhibitions, unless they are performing and their works have not that kind of visual presence which fine art otherwise has. But as I learned you would of course not accept our arguments. Nevertheless I don´t have the possibility to pay artist fees under the precondition of the number of artists we have in the show. I still hope for your understanding.