MUTANT PRACTICES FOR A SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM

SIGN was uitgenodigd door de Faculty of Fine Arts of the University van Baskenland om op 6 juni deel te nemen aan de Conferentie ‘Practicas Mutantes Para Un Ecosistema Sostenible’ (Mutant Practices for a Sustainable Cultural Ecosystem) in Bilbao.
Onze bijdrage ging uit van de vraag: Hoe kan je een projectspace op een duurzame, inclusieve, eigenzinnige, onafhankelijke manier blijven runnen met aandacht voor de jonge kunstenaars en hun werk, inclusief eerlijke betalingen?

Deelnemers: SIGN (Holanda), Artoteka (Bizkaia), Iturfest (Bilbao), & Espacio Artemisa (Portugalete y margen izquierda).

NB: In december 2023 verscheen de publicatie ‘Practicas Mutantes’ , met de bijdrage ‘Sketches from a Dutch non-profit art space’ van Sign.

SIGN was invited by the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of the Basque Country to attend on June 6 to participate in the Conference ‘Practicas Mutantes Para Un Ecosistema Sostenible’ (Mutant Practices for a Sustainable Cultural Ecosystem) in Bilbao.
Our contribution was based on the question: How can you continue to run a project space in a sustainable, inclusive, idiosyncratic, independent way with attention to the young artists and their work, including fair payments?

Participants SIGN (Holanda), Artoteka (Bizkaia), Iturfest (Bilbao), & Espacio Artemisa (Portugalete y margins izquierda).

In December 2023 the publication ‘Practicas Mutantes’ was launched , with the contribution ‘Sketches from a Dutch non-profit art space’ by Sign.

I. TÍTULO

KULTURA-EKOSISTEMA JASANGARRI BATENTZAKO PRAKTIKA MUTANTEAK / PRÁCTICAS MUTANTES PARA UN ECOSISTEMA CULTURAL SOSTENIBLE /

MUTANT PRACTICES FOR A SUSTAINABLE CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM

II. CONTEXTUALIZACIÓN DE LAS JORNADAS / JARDUNALDIEN TESTUINGURUA / CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE CONFERENCE

Desde finales del pasado siglo, la cultura se viene ofreciendo como recurso: acorde al sentido expresado por Yúdice (2002), la cultura está “para otra cosa”, más que como un fin en sí misma. Con ello, y aunque Occidente presente un paradigma productivo idóneo para la aparición de múltiples biotopos artísticos, la inoculación del acelerado ritmo del capitalismo en el arte y la cultura, exige ajustarse a una serie de mecanismos previamente definidos que, en última instancia, merma su biodiversidad. Durante la jornada se abordará la búsqueda de formatos y prácticas contemporáneas que faciliten imaginar y ensayar mundos más cuidados, amables y feministas, para quienes los sostienen, ayudando a reestablecer el equilibrio de este particular ecosistema.

Joan den mendearen amaieratik, kultura baliabide gisa eskaintzen da: Yúdicek (2002) adierazitako zentzuarekin bat, kultura “beste gauza baterako” dago, berez helburu bat izan baino. Horrekin, eta nahiz eta Mendebaldeak arte-biotopo anitzak agertzeko ekoizpen- paradigma egokiak sustatu dituen, artean eta kulturan kapitalismoaren erritmo bizkorra inokulatzeak aurrez definitutako mekanismo batzuetara egokitzea eskatzen du, eta mekanismo horiek, biodibertsitatea murriztera daramatzate. Jardunaldia zehar, artista eta kultura- eragileentzako arte-mundu zainduagoak, atseginagoak eta feministagoak imajinatzen eta entseatzen lagunduko dituzten formatu eta praktika garaikideak bilatuko dira, ekosistema berezi horren oreka berrezarri ditzatekeenak, alegia.

Since the end of the last century, culture has been offered as a resource: according to the sense expressed by Yúdice (2002), culture is “for something else” rather than as an end in itself. Thus, although the West presents an ideal productive paradigm for the emergence of multiple artistic biotopes, the inoculation of the accelerated pace of capitalism in art and culture requires adjusting to a series of previously defined mechanisms that, ultimately, diminish its biodiversity. The conference will address the search for contemporary formats and practices that make it easier to imagine and try out worlds that are more caring, friendly and feminist, for those who sustain them, helping to reestablish the balance of this particular ecosystem.

Participan: Sign (Holanda), Artoteka (Bizkaia), Iturfest (Bilbao), y Espacio Artemisa (Portugalete y margen izquierda).

Sketches from a Dutch non-profit art space.

Quotes from a lecture by Ron Ritzerfeld & Marie-Jeanne Ameln leaders of SIGN, Groningen, The Netherlands. www.sign2.nl

SIGN is a vivid, experimental, interdisciplinary stage for young professional artists on a national level. It produces presentations in all shapes and contexts possible, initiates the production of new works and offers necessary reflection. There are exhibitions/projects or activities in its own space, on the street, in public space or on location.

We search for the not yet proven talent.

SIGN creates possibilities for young artists to show and develop their crafts and contributes to further professionalising. It challenges them to take new steps and stimulates the production of new works. We contribute to the continuity in their process and further profiling. We offer young artists conditions, environments, time and space to experiment with their work & presentation and try to find out the meaning of it in relation with the context we bring. SIGN gives necessary feedback and reflection on this process.

Reflectants

Young artists can choose an expert from a ‘pool’ of so-called ‘Reflectants’ (established active artists who previously exhibited at SIGN) and receive feedback during process of making their new works.

Why young artist?

They contributes to the dynamics, movements and development in the art world. We invest in this new influx. Young artists have a good feel for the ‘zeitgeist’ and are involved in current developments; and act on these. Their artistry is in proportion to this, sometimes with a rebellious activist tone. In this way we contribute to the continuation of a dynamic art climate. Non-profits are important for this and provide artistic refreshing.

History: without money & with support.

SIGN exists for 33 years, was founded in December 1988. We had always the intention to show experimental work by young artists. The ideal position and content was and is paramount and not the commercial interest. There is always attention for the artist’s perspective.

In earlier days the work was voluntary, without pay, and exhibiting artists also received no compensation. But there was support. In the 80’s there was a lot of unemployment, an economic crisis but the social benefits system was well organized and that made it possible to do this kind of activities while keeping benefits. Lots of new artists run spaces/ and non-profits emerged.

Idealistic drive

The idealistic drive and our motivation was the most important factor to keep going. And by these tolerance construction it was possible. And thanks to a friendly connection we had a former butcher’s shop at our disposal, which is still our base! That too was made available on the basis of idealistic motives; the rent was low. That gave us the opportunity to develop further.

Government support in The Netherlands then & now.

Governments gradually realized that non-profits can be important for the development of the art climate, habitat as breeding ground for new art. Subsidy opportunities increased in nineties & zeros for projects, art programs and individual artists. This resulted in professionalization.

For the preservation of non-profits, governments has to recognize the importance of this and are willing to invest. The extent to which this happens is a battle and involves selection and rat race: budgets are limited. It seems a nice system, but a minority succeeds. The idealistic motivation remains necessary.

It’s also possible to run an initiative/community from a collective perspective as part of daily live. More idealistic, independent, without the Western subsidy systems. Like ruangruppa, Indonesia and their presentation in Kassel at Documenta.

What about us?

Since 2004 SIGN is part of the cultural infrastructure and receives structural subsidy from the Municipality of Groningen. This provides a basis, a minimum existence. In addition we regularly applied for project grants from various national funds. Since 2015, we are supported by the prestigious national Mondriaan Fund.

Nice and easy maybe; meanwhile we are 33 years later. Most important is that you maintain curiosity in young art and artists. In those 33 years we profiled ourselves as an important national art stage. It has never been boring, we look for innovation, renewal and craziness and sort of whimsy in the young artists.

What are we doing now with these subsidies?

We organize around 9 presentations per year. With working periods, making new work including residences. Circa 34 young artists find a place in our annual programme. We scout a lot specially at graduation shows of art & post art academies throughout the country.

Contexts: The relationship of man to his environment is part of our program; the artworks & artists will explain themselves with aspects of society. The communicative aspect is part of it, many subjects are engaged. Diversity is also a fact. Many young artists are of international/non-Western origin. The committed, critical and social art expressions we present make this known. There are many topics related to this, issues of gender, identity, equality, climate.

In our programme, in particular, interventions in (semi)public space take place and involves interaction with the environment & daily live. The public space is a non-artistic space. Playing with the function, nature, meaning and identity of a place or space leads to different approaches. How public is public space?

Practice

Resume: SIGN makes a direct contribution to artists careers and practices to make it more sustainable. Production of new work means continuation of that artistry and getting awareness how to relate to their profession.

The experiment means also different ways of presentation, residencies, interventions on other locations, connections in other cultural and social scenes.

The functions learning, producing, presenting are joint with regards to the artists. Our function is support, accompany, reflect during the process and we take care of pleasant & safe conditions and the proper stimulating context.

For every concept and every situation we make a good challenging composition of young artists. Their work has a substantive connection within a project. Different artists with different disciplines and angles are brought together, brought into contact with each other; points of view, knowledge and experiences are exchanged.

Also collaborations with other parties are entered into to create the right context and circumstances!

Organisation structure:

SIGN is foundation and subscribes to the Governance Code Culture, Code Diversity and Inclusion, Fair Practice Code. These are recommendations and a basis for proper functioning of your organization like implementation, transparency, supervision, proper treatment of personnel and artists. Its also guidelines for getting subsidies in The Netherlands.

Thanks the Mondriaan Fonds artists get a fair fee; we choose for an equivalent payment for staff & artists.