Artworkers of the world - where art thou?
Mayday Artists Conference will take place in Chelsea College of Art in Manresa Rd. site (of King's Rd.). The date is April 30, 2001, which is Mayday eve between 11:00–20:00.
It will be a symposium about art as well as a political act. Invited artists and students to discuss current issues of artists' practice, art institutions and their operation, subversion and incorporation, implications of globalisation on art. The conference is aimed to turn the growing unrest among artists to a political act that will improve the actual life conditions of individual artists and democratise their participation in the art institution.
One of the general issues is the future of the art scene in London; I see it as one of the last remnants of Tatcherism combined with characteristics of global capitalism. We will attack the hierarchic form of its establishment, the way the resources are distributed between artists and institutions, the decision making in galleries and museums that is formed in the shape of capitalist enterprises, the dispossession of artists from the huge profits that the private sector as a whole benefits from their activity. The workshops will be dedicated to a discussion of the possible uses in the future of existing institutions - such as Tate Modern. Other workshops will deal with salary standards for art workers as employees or free – lances, self management of artist's practice, involvement of artists in their communities life, the institution of art in the light of global capitalism, art as a form of global resistance.
We are trying to get artists whose commitment to the political has been long and uncorrupted. It is important to build links from the close past (art strikes) to the present moment. There is a history of the political act in art that inspires students and artists. Those who want to engage themselves with the practice and continue the project of negation and subversion of capitalism through art would like to form a route of dialogue with experienced artists . Another goal is mixing and involving students and college-staff in the discussions, together with well established artists and negate hierarchic divisions.
The format will be a general assembly with a few speakers (about 15-20 minutes each) and workshops for smaller groups in order to enable people to talk freely. The lunch break will be an occasion for informal discussion. There is an option for other short art projects during the day. There might be continuity for the conference by proposing future projects, formation of groups or any other way that individuals will choose.
Participating:
Already participating: artists Ella Gibbs (Belt) who works with a group of artists friends: David Lillington and Amanda Mcgregor, artists Holly Allen, Lizzy Sutcliffe and Tom Cargill, with whom I have talked and held a few discussions, B+B - Sarah Carrington and Sophie Hope who initiate and facilitate discussions based on art practice, artists Andy Ridley and Noel Douglas of ATAC, Guy Taylor of Gllobalise Ressistance, artists collective Indymedia, Susanne Clausen(SZUPER gallery) and Alun Rowlands. Public Life, next to Spitalfield Church, will be open especially after the conference for a party of video and music. Free entrance. We are still waiting for answers from artists, teachers and non-artists. More artists are involved in documenting the conference or contributing their talents during the day. Publicity will be through the internet – www.transartist.nl – and the anarchist books publication, Freedom Press.
Contact with me: Zuky Serper
(proposed) Timetable
11:00 – 11:30 reception
11:30 – 13:30 assembly (4-8 speakers + questions from audiance)*
13:30 – 15:00 lunch (canteen, pubs+restaurants in King's Rd.)
15:00 – 17:00 discussion groups**
17:00 – 17:30 coffee / cigarette break
17:30 – 19:00 assembly ( discussion group report)
20:00 PUBLIC LIFE***
- Ella Gibbs will collect any documentation of the project which will be published later.
- Public Life, next to Spitalfield Church, will be open especially after the conference for a party of video and music. Free entrance.
- Susanne clausen (SZUPER gallery) and Alun Rowlands will present a recent incident.
Discussion Groups:
- Andy, Mirari, Amanda: Creativity, Freedom, and the Migration of people; Individuality in unity.
- Laurence, John Wild, Noel Douglas : ATAC *- Art Tendency Against Capitalism.
- Holly: The Global and the Personal: Implications of globalization on the individual; How can globalization disrupt / corrupt principles of individuals in daily interaction / transaction with other people. Effects of it on art and practice.
- B + B: A stop-over which initiate and facilitate discussions on art practice and related issues.
- Zuky: A new operating system for artinstitutions. (Tate Modern as a test case).
- ---*: The artists' role in their community.
- David: Preachers Project for BELT at the Whitechapel Art Gallery - 2001.
- INDYMEDIA (www.indymedia.org.uk) - Will send 2 members of the group.
p.s. Good news: Gustav Metzger knows about us and is very exited. He will make something for the cnfrnc! (A good friend met him yesterday in the Lux) yours, zuky serper
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