art+argument @ the Trudelhaus, Baden - the results!

We gathered at the Trudelhaus in Baden as a sunny Sunday afternoon drew to a close to celebrate the finissage of Rita Ernst, Clare Goodwin and Silvia Reichwein’s exhibition, and to debate the important issue: Power lies on the periphery! Defending the motion Gregory Hari drew on a friend’s experience. This friend had spent several years in a North American province, far more remote a place than exists in Switzerland, and found it formative. ‘I guess we say ‘in’ and ‘out’ [of the city, said Hari’s friend] because they are the centres where people from all directions come and go. Like the gravity of a sun which causes comets to enter and exit a solar system again and again.’ Hari put it to the audience that artists need the periphery as much as they need the city’s force to work against.

Sandi Paucic countered that history demonstrates how art requires the city to become meaningful. Famous Swiss painters like Henry Fuseli (Johann Heinrich Füssli) and Arnold Böcklin had to travel beyond Switzerland to find success and fame, because Switzerland had no significant cities that could support culture. ‘Only since we have the wonder of Art Basel, which happens since the 1970s, since [Paul] Nizon’s ‘Der Diskurs in der Enge’ stated that Switzerland was still too small to do any cultural production, surprisingly since then, things have blossomed. There was a miracle in the 80s and 90s when the art in Zurich started to become international!’

Claudia Spinelli, defending the motion, was not convinced, and said that there were equally valid examples of artists, such as Vincent van Gogh, who had thrived away from urban centres. She also attacked the so-called virtues of the city – a large audience does not make a well-qualified audience or even good viewing conditions. ‘Let me give you an example: we spent our holidays in Paris, and my seven-year old son had seen the Mona Lisa in some comic, and so he wanted to see the real Mona Lisa. So … we went to the Louvre. It was horrible. You would see more of this painting in a reproduction, because it was covered with glass, and you have half a minute for which you are allowed to be two metres away from it. I think centres are very bad for art.’

Jacqueline Falk was the last to put her opening arguments, against the motion. She spoke of the essential role of the city for the artist, and the artist’s role in the city in turn when it comes to cyclical development and regeneration. Falk compared the city where she works – Zug – to another hub – Qatar. Even if Qatar came late to high culture, it has quickly become an important cultural centre. ‘Our city of Zug is also the centre of a canton, and it is important that the little villages around Zug … support the city and give the money to the city because that’s where everything happens. We have the institutions that provide band rehearsal spaces, concert halls and theatre stages for upcoming and well-established artists to come to our city to perform.’

After these divisive opening gambits, a combative debate ensued. The benefits of the periphery in an internet age were considered, as well as the quality of experience for artists in major urban centres. The market came to the fore frequently, ad did pleas not to consider the market and artistic life as one. There was also discussion as to whether Manifesta – the biennial of the periphery - had got lost or found itself in choosing Zurich as its next site. A close debate ended with a narrow victory for the opposition.

Thanks again to the Trudelhaus, and Sadhyo Niederberger in particular, for the invitation to debate in Baden, and to the participants. Please remember that what was said during the debate does not necessarily accord with the participants’ own opinions! All the debaters were playing assigned roles. If you want to know more about art+argument, please email aoiferosenmeyer(at)gmail.com

art+argument at the Trudelhaus, Baden

Power lies on the periphery

An art+argument at the Trudelhaus, Baden

on Sunday, 4th May 2014 at 17h

Trudelhaus, Obere Halde 36, 5400 Baden

Jacqueline Falk, Gregory Hari, Sandi Paucic and Claudia Spinelli will debate the role of major cities versus regional hubs, where culture should be and where it flourishes. 

This debate takes place on the occasion of the finissage of the exhibition ERNST, GOODWIN, REICHWEIN at the Trudelhaus; the finissage will begin at 16h, with the debate at 17h.

Four cultural experts in two opposing teams debate and discuss a motion that they have been assigned. Each participant has been given a position opposing or defending the motion, and each has five minutes to argue their case uninterrupted. Thereafter the speakers challenge each other, and the audience may in turn question the speakers. The event ends with a vote for the more persuasive team. 

This is a forum for discussing culture where the unspeakable may be said. Each speaker must play his or her assigned role, regardless of whether they agree or not. Speakers benefit from temporary immunity: what they say during the debate is not necessarily their opinion and they cannot be held to their word afterwards. 

Art + Argument is an itinerant event bringing together exciting minds from the Swiss art scene and beyond. To know more, write to aoiferosenmeyer (at) gmail.com 

art+argument @ florian christopher - the outcome!

On the 2^nd April a select gathering assembled in Florian Christopher Seedorf’s Showroom in Zurich. The topic for debate: art is a private affair.

Benedict Tomlinson opened the defence of the motion by recounting the history of private collections and their contribution to public culture. Numerous landmark institutions have private origins, from the Tate Gallery in London to the Guggenheim museums around the world, the Fondation Beyeler outside Basel and, latterly, the Rubell Family Collection or the Uli Sigg’s donation to the M+ museum in Hong Kong. Thanks to private individuals a wealth of art has become accessible to everyone, and can even reinvent failing cities, as is the example with the Guggenheim in Bilbao.

Veronika Spierenburg countered that the experience of art had to be a public experience. Going to a museum is not just about the art, but also about doing something in common with fellow citizens. She also made the point that political statements or activity must, by definition, be public. If art is to be political, it must therefore also be public.

Anna Francke supported Ben’s opening arguments with a paean to the art market. This private mechanism in fact sustains the art world; private spending helped the art world recover from the slump of the late 2000s. Art fairs are not only good for galleries and buyers but also benefit cities, associated businesses and visitors. But Caroline Loemmart contested that the art market only hindered public appreciation of art, making it ever more difficult for public institutions to compete. While the so-called generosity of private collectors and their donations often has more to do with escaping tax payments than real munificence.

The debate swiftly became an open discussion about the differences or benefits of the private and public in the art sphere. Issues raised included the difficulty of any art space being truly independent of financial interests; the entanglement of private and public interests in nominally public institutions and the lack of transparency thereof; and which institutions are accountable for their actions, not to mention to whom.  The benefits of exposure to art were also picked over – whether the idea of public education and improvement through culture is still valid today. And if free institutions really were purely providing art for art’s sake or were a government means of stimulating other (private) businesses.

A highly productive conversation in Florian Christopher’s private salon closed with a tied vote for which side had made the better arguments.

art+argument @ florian christopher, Zurich

Art is a private affair

at the off-space

florian christopher, Zurich

Anna Francke, Caroline Lommaert, Veronika Spierenburg and Ben Tomlinson debate whether art should be in the open or behind closed doors.

7pm, 2nd April 2014

florian christopher

c/o Seedorf

Gotthelfstrasse 37

8003 Zurich

The exhibition space is on the 4th floor (no lift) and space is limited. Attendance will be limited to 20 guests. PLEASE RSVP to artandargument(at)gmail.com to reserve a place. 

Four cultural experts in two opposing teams debate and discuss a motion that they have been assigned. Each participant has been given a position opposing or defending the motion, and each has five minutes to argue their case uninterrupted. Thereafter the speakers challenge each other, and the audience may in turn question the speakers. The event ends with a vote for the more persuasive team. 

This is a forum for discussing culture where the unspeakable may be said. Each speaker must play his or her assigned role, regardless of whether they agree or not. Speakers benefit from temporary immunity: what they say during the debate is not necessarily their opinion and they cannot be held to their word afterwards. 

Art + Argument is an itinerant event bringing together exciting minds from the Swiss art scene and beyond. To know more, write to aoiferosenmeyer (at) gmail.com