WORDS/FAKE WORDS: Part I – dreamideamachine ART VIEW

Our magazine in close collaboration with LISTE Art Fair, as part of our media partnership on a regular basis, begins a new column in response to the social, political and economic situations, occurring globally, the dimensions that begin to take and the way that all these affect contemporary art and art world. For 3-4 times every month, we are putting questions and concerns to influential people in the art world, setting a discussion, bridging the thoughts, worries, concerns and searches of all of us for the present and the future.

As a reference point the rise of neo-conservatism and the sneaky way that are violated and restricted individual and social freedoms globally, which are the result of hard struggles of the past, we put our relevant question. In the Part I, we have answers from: Beral Madra (Founder and Director-BM Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul), Rik Reinking (German Collector, Sammlung Reinking – Hamburg), Maria Loizidou (Cypriot Artist, lives & works in Nicosia), Nasan Tur (German Artist, lives & works in Berlin).

By Efi Michalarou & Dimitris Lempesis
Portrait Maria’s Loizidou, Photo: Mariel Kouveli

As a result of the sociopolitical problems in the recent years, more and more conservative governments are coming to the fore, culminating with the victory of Donald Trump in U.S.A, the rise of the radical right across Europe and the new walls that rise in various regions of the globe, it has created a strong tendency of neo-conservatism that undermines and hacks away at the civil rights and freedoms. Do you consider that the whole situation may negatively affect the art world and the artists? What implications it will take in the future?

Beral Madra (Founder and Director-BM Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul): Living and working in Turkey and being active in contemporary art since 1980, I am quite worried and restless about the political interference into the freedom of expression and creativity in different disciplines. We had gained a very positive international momentum during these 35 years; we cannot afford to loose our position in the global art. Here now, the interference is exceeding the limits of religious or political neo-conservatism; it is destroying the independent art and culture infrastructures (even if these were not up-dated as much as we expected) and pushing them to silence. However, at the moment the private sector art and culture investments, which are meanwhile safe harbour for artists and curators, will be able to resist this attack. We will appreciate all kinds of support from our international colleagues. On the other hand, if we consider that contemporary art with its present accumulation of concepts, aesthetics and forms and its ultimate practice as Relational Aesthetics has gone through many difficult periods such as 1st and 2nd WW, Fascism and Nazism, Cold War; not to forget that there were numerous economic depressions and massive immigrations in the last 50 years too. All mind-opening, steering, agitating art works, concepts and forms were created during and after these difficult periods. 20th century art production is exceedingly intertwined with political and economic episodes and it still is. It is either reciprocating or striking back.

Rik Reinking (German Collector, Sammlung Reinking – Hamburg): Well, your question is if the whole political situation today may negatively affect the art world and the artists? To be honest – my opinion is – and I am sorry to say so – that this is what all happened right now is already the result of a so called “political elite” who is absolutely not educated in any cultural way. So it may negatively affect all of us – no matter if you are or are not part of the art world. We have a whole generation of politicians who never used to go to a concert (and I mean a classical one), never ever visited a museum (except for self-advertisement) nor reading something (else as a right now-must know-bestseller)… well, it sounds hard – right… but this is a fact for most of these politicians! They studied fast and “successful”. So these peoples – the politicians-now decided how to spent money for the cultural world? Of course they will cut the budgets. They cut the budgets because they don’t understand why we need things like museums or theaters. When you never visited something like this you are not going to miss it – ok you will go through your life without loosing time – you was told to behave effective – to earn money , pay your rent and taxes and buy things you don’t need but for your own to satisfy – but this is not life … you have 86.400 seconds – each day – to share with your friends – to grow through critic and dialogues -… this is something called humanity at the end… To the designers of the so called European Union – why didn’t you spent just a second thinking about cultural bridges? Dialogues between generations and culture? Bringing humans together – learning from each other – to create something you may can call a European identity one day? Because you simply never thought about it – and why? Because you was never told so … all you count you count in numbers… as so called profit. So what we now see – it is just a result of being uninterested and less educated. And because of this – because of the fact that each of you don’t know about your culture and so don’t know about your identity anymore – this is what makes you scared and frightened – and building walls won’t help you out of it – building bridges could be the way… otherwise you will stuck inside the illusion of freedom inside your four walls… this is not meant when we say “the only way out is in”. Know your ancestors – know your believes and hopes – know your wishes and dreams – your religion – your passion – trust in what you are however you are – different ? We are all different – because we are unique so be what you be and be open respectful and friendly to anyone crossing your path… and back to profit – please understand that profit is not just counted in money there is another profit which is called a complex cultural and social freedom – may the art world and the artists today will help us to go through this and teach us to learn about our rotes & wings? But maybe it’s just to late…

Maria Loizidou (Cypriot Artist, lives & works in Nicosia): Today we know very well, such as from 1979 when Michel Foucaut first spoke for the refugee problem and said that ”none state shall exert an unconditional right over the life his people or the people of another country”. At the same time we know that today if we cannot be imposed on the support of such value, we are not able at all to defend our lives, our art, our poetry. Around the practices that every one of us adopts, appropriates the right of freedom to operate within the context of an ideology. The framework provided to ensure such freedom is often restricted to the space of an art studio, a gallery or a museum. Even in the public squares, in the streets or anywhere else the artist is active, always the question that arises is whether what is happening is able to penetrate the “walls”, are those able to provoke a relay system to a larger sphere, into a multiplicity? I am coming from one of the smaller countries of the European Union, of the Eastern Mediterranean, with intense political occupation and inequality issues. I have learned to defend the power of brittleness and to comprehend why it is necessity. Understanding to the extent that reveals a certain truth, which involves political relationships where they are not anticipated, it is no simple task. In every incidence, our relationship to the things is understood by the terms of a cumulative process with the world. For us, the minorities, the question becomes visible from a different perspective. The relationship between theory and practice is far more partial and fragmentary. Art as an accumulator of truth omits the theoretical and practical state of things is limited at certain points and breaks free from others. The work of art follows the new difficulties and as a model of revaluation, constantly readjusts.

Nasan Tur (German Artist, lives & works in Berlin): The whole political situation is definitely a threat to the art world.Questions of what kind of relevance art has in these times and which kind of role artists are giving their selves inside the society are rising up. If there is a positive effect than it is the one of self-analysis and repositioning. The relevance of art in general is questioned. What kind of impact do we have as persons who are engaged in the cultural sector? Are we just reacting on situations and observing the world like outsiders, hoping to get chance afterwards to reflect the past? Maybe it will be too late. Beside of feeling numbed on the current uncertainty of the future and the political empowerment of fascistic movements, a high number of political initiatives and projects set of by people from the art community in the last years. People talk more about content, aims, reasons, … instead of career, money and status. You can feel a seeking for communication and cooperation. There is a new awareness of a need for change inside of the art community if they want to play a role and have an effect into the society. I really believe of the necessity in that.

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