ART FOLLOWING THE TREND? ARTISTS’ VOICES. 

Concept:
kanonmedia, Alexandra Reill, December 2006 

OUTLINE 

Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. starts with two parallel modules – the live interview screening series Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. and a study on the theme.  The live interview screening series is performed regularly during 2007 – international artists in conversation with Alexandra Reill focussing on their motivation to produce art, the targets of their art and their self-defintion of their role and position in contemporary European societies, with a special focus on their financing models for the art production as well as in organizing their life. All screening events are surrounded by a discussion with the audience and the handing out of a questionnaire. The interviews are shot in broadcastable quality and are further published in four ways: 

a. as a series of web clips on a public video blog
b. as a series of text comments within the text forum of the video blog
c. as film documentation
d. as DVD

The interviews are analyzed and integrated in the study Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. Furthermore, a questionnaire on the theme is published internationally with the aim of generating international statistical data through the participation of 500 persons. The questionnaire is evaluated and forms one major chapter of the study Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. Further chapters will discuss the EC Lissabon Guideline on Creative Industries in relation to research results out of the field of Cultural Studies.  DESCRIPTION OF THE MODULES IN DETAIL 

Live Interview Screening Events 

A live interview screening series is performed regularly during 2007 – international artists in conversation with Alexandra Reill focussing on their motivation to produce art, the targets of their art and their self-defintion of their role and position in contemporary European societies, with a special focus on their financing models for the art production as well as in organizing their life. All screening events are surrounded by a discussion with the audience. Individual positions of the artists regarding the character of their art production and their aims in their art production are referred to. In addition, the questionnaire used in the research for the study serves as basis for the conduct of the interview (questions on statistical data on income excluded). 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS BY NOW 
Evrim Asutay, actress/singer, TR
Nicole Baier, film/video/media artist, A
Korhan Erel, musician, TR
Murat Ergin, painter, TR
Heidulf Gerngross, architect, A
Genco Gülan, performer and media artist, TR
Yesim Gülan, actress and theater director, TR
Emel Heinreich, theater director, A-TR
Kurt Hofstetter, media artists, A
Gerald Kofler, journalist/photographer, A
Tina Leisch, theater director, A
Alexander Nikolic, film maker and communication guerilla, cosmopolitan
Marika Schmiedt, film maker, A
Walter Stach, artist and art mediator, A
Eve Tsirigotakis, TV journalist, GR
Leen Vandereyken, author and theater director, B
Frederik de Wilde, media artist, B
Herbert Wulz, informatics designer, A

EVENT SCREENINGS BY NOW: 

2007-04-29
underdog film festival
Interview Screening Genco Gülan 
2007-05-29
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Walter Stach
2007-05-30
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Emel Heinreich
2007-05-31
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Heidulf Gerngross, Kurt Hofstetter, Gerald Kofler, Herbert Wulz
2007-06-05
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Marika Schmiedt
2007-06-06
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Tina Leisch - postponed
2007-06-07  
Municipality Festival 1070 Vienna
Interview Alexander Nikolic - postponed Study 

A questionnaire on the theme is published internationally with the aim of generating international statistical data through the participation of 500 persons. The questionnaire is evaluated and forms one major chapter of the study Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. Further chapters will discuss the EC Lissabon Guideline on Creative Industries in relation to research results out of the field of Cultural Studies. 

QUESTIONNAIRE:
THE ROLE OF THE CONTEMPORARY ARTIST IN THE SOCIETY SHE/HE LIVES IN 

1. Are you a) an individual artist or b) member of an art producing collective/initiative/organisation?

1.  
   1.  
   2.  

1. In which field of art production are you active?

1. What is important to you in your art production? What are you aspiring to/striving for in/with your art production?

1. How would you define the chances and needs of art in the social society you live in? (check as many as apply, please describe details)

1.  
   1. Art comes from the need to produce art.
   2. Art comes from unsolicited/voluntary production.
   3. Art has always been a pioneer in society.
   4. Art produces added value/s for a society.
   5. Art is entertainment.
   6. Misc. (please describe)

1. How would you define the quality of art production in the social society you live in? (check as many as apply, please describe details)

1.  
   1. The quality of art comes from the need to produce art.
   2. The qualitiy of art comes from talent.
   3. The quality of art comes from know-how.
   4. The quality of art comes from financial ressources.
   5. The quality of art is defined by the added value created for a society.
   6. Misc. (please describe)

1. Do you perceive art production a) as a profession or b) as a vocation or c) would you define the artist in a different way? (check as many as apply)

1.  
   1. Profession
   2. Vocation
   3. Other (please describe)

1. If you checked „Vocation“, could you please describe more closely what you mean using this definition:

1. In your opinion, which role does a contemporary artist have in the social society you live in?

1. Which role would you define for yourself? As an artist, what would you define as your task/s?

1. Which function/s would you ascribe to yourself as an artist in the society you live in?

1. If you are part of an art producing collective/initiative/organisation, how would you define your role and function in the team?

1. If you are not part of an art-producing collective/iniative/organisation: Do you often cooperate with other artists and persons involved in creative production?

1.  
   1. Yes
   2. No

1. If yes, on which basis do these cooperations work in regard to content production and financial settings? Which forms of budget and work sharing do apply?

1. Do you live from your art production as main occupation?

1.  
   1. Yes
   2. No

1. Do you need other income than that coming from your art production to make a living?

1.  
   1. No
   2. Yes

1. If yes, which kind of job/s are you holding?

1. What is your contract for this/these jobs?

1.  
   1. Full-time employment as a worker
   2. Part-time employment as a worker
   3. Full-time employment as a clerk or similar
   4. Part-time employment as a clerk or similar
   5. Short-time employment
   6. Personal Service Contract (Freier Dienstnehmervertrag)
   7. Freelancer
   8. Licensed one-(wo)man business
   9. Licensed business – other form of enterprise

1. Which one of these jobs would you define as your main occupation or would you define your art production as your main occupation?

1. In ten years, do you think that there will be an increase of private sponsorship for the arts in the country where you have your primary residence?

1.  
   1. Yes
   2. No

1. According to your answer given, which effects and consequences can you imagine regarding this situation?

1. In ten years, do you think that there will be a) an increase, b) a decrease or c) the same overall amount of public funding means for the arts in the country where you have your primary residence?

1.  
   1. Increase
   2. Decrease
   3. Same amount of public funding

1. According to your answer given, which effects and consequences can you imagine regarding this situation?

1. Are you female/male?

1.  
   1. Female
   2. Male

1. How old are you?

1. Approximately: What net income (after deduction of social fees and taxes) do you achieve per year?

1.  
   1. From 0.000,– to 2.000,– Euro
   2. From 2.000,– to 4.000,– Euro
   3. From 4.000,– to 6.000,– Euro
   4. From 6.000,– to 8.000,– Euro
   5. From 8.000,– to 10.000,– Euro
   6. From 10.000,– to 12.000,– Euro
   7. More than 12.000,– Euro

1. How many persons live in your household?

1. How many persons in your household do earn money/generate income?

1.  
   1. 1 person
   2. 2 persons
   3. 3 persons
   4. 4 persons
   5. 5 persons
   6. More than 5 persons

1. Approximately: What is the monthly income of your household (after deduction of social fees and taxes, including social benefits such as unemployment benefit, dol-money or similar, child benefits, alimonies, pensions, housing/rent subsidy, etc.)

1.  
   1. From 0.000,– to 1.000,– Euro
   2. From 1.000,– to 2.000,– Euro
   3. From 2.000,– to 3.000,– Euro
   4. From 3.000,– to 4.000,– Euro
   5. More than 4.000,– Euro

1. Which ethnic background would you define mostly as the one you belong to?

1. In which federal state is your primary residency?

1. In which nation is your primary residency?

Video Blog

A public video blog is published in English. It serves as a discursive international internet platform on the following themes:

Self-reception of the artist regarding his/her art production
Motivation to produce art
Targets of the art production
Self-definition of the role and function of the artist in the society he/she feels adhering to
Framework needed for the art production
Models to finance art production
 

Film Documentary and/or TV format 

The interviews produced during the Live Interview Screening Series are edited with the aim to produce either a 40’ film documentary or a series of 20’ each as a TV documentary broadcasting format. A soundtrack is composed by Korhan Erel to be added to the documentary.   DVD Video clips featuring the participating artists in their interviews are the multimedia part of the interactive DVD. The study Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. form the textual part of the DVD. The DVD serves as a demo product for the presentation of the project at film and media festivals. Final Event Video blog, DVD and – if possible – the print publication of Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. are presented in a final event, framed by buffet, DJIng and VJIng on the theme. 

ART FOLLOWING THE TREND? ARTISTS’ VOICES. 

Team 

Concept, coordination, interviews, video production
Alexandra Reill, kanonmedia
Technical coordination live interview screenings
Herbert Wulz, kanonmedia
Camera Work
Alexandra Reill, Oscar Wlaschitz

Support

 

Art Following the Trend? Artists’ Voices. is supported by the Department of Culture of the City of Vienna – Science and Research and by the Municipality of 1070 Vienna.

Our thxs also go to 3-elements for supporting us with sound equipment and datonet for supporting us with webspace for the video blog.