THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THE IDEA
Biljana Ciric
Sophie Jones from SCAPE recently interviewed Biljana Ciric who was the international guest speaker at the SCAPE Public Art Development Workshops, and presented a Public Talk "The Public Sphere: Strategies of Involvement" on Monday 23 April 2012.
SCAPE: Your recent projects Taking the Stage Over and Institution for the Future offer alternatives to art institutions and deal with issues of self-initiated art projects versus institutionally led projects. What led you to develop these projects?
BILJANA: Since I started working as an independent curator I have developed a research process related to the individual project. I initiate the planning for my project one or two years in advance, so I think my working method is more or less similar to an institution’s. These two projects have slightly different points of departure and they were presented in very different contexts.
Taking the Stage Over was a year-long project concerning performance art, which developed through my continued interest in live-based work and the lack of platforms to support these kinds of works in China. There is very little opportunity for artists to develop and discuss performance work in China, as there are few platforms that support this unpredictable medium. Many institutions are prejudiced toward live work due to performances that occured in the late 90’s in China, which touched upon the issue of violence and human ethics. Likewise, many different performance art festivals marginalised live works and the discussion surrounding it.
My initial idea for this project was to bring discussion into a contemporary art context and work with mainstream institutions in China, such as museums and theatres. My intention for working with institutions was to facilitate redefinition of their position towards performance art and provide a possibility for future live presentations. As mainstream art media is very much market oriented, the audience doesn’t hear much about the work of artists such as Keren Cytter or Tino Sehgal. Taking The Stage Over provided an opportunity for emerging Chinese artists to present live-based work, as well as introduced emerging international artists and facilitated discussion around their work. This project had a large educational aspect, as whenever artists came into town we initiated artist talks and workshops, in order to understand the context of their work. Every month one artist’s project was presented. Depending on the individual project it was presented for an evening or over a few months.They predominately took place in Shanghai, but some of them toured to Beijing and Guang Zhou. I worked closely with institutions to present the individual projects and the discussion series, which was very important to the endeavour.
Institution for the Future was developed as part of the Asia Triennial in Manchester last year, when the Chinese Art Centre invited me to curate a project. I found the exhibition itself to have problematic geographical limitations: why is the Asian Triennial in the UK? My point of departure was: how can I add to global dialogue about individual contribution to art systems, in an environment where there is little to no public funding for art? I basically looked to artists who contributed to the art system and went beyond the production of individual work. These artists were deeply involved in establishing platforms for dialogue and discourse; educational programmes and supporting the younger generations’ work. I think our whole social structure is changing and I believe that the role of individual as institution will be re-established in the future. Institution for the Future will be developed into a book of the same title; asking international artists, curators and activists to contribute their ideas on what kinds of institutions they hope for in the future. The book will be published later this year in collaboration with the Chinese Art Centre.
SCAPE: Institution for the Future establishes dialogue regarding the lack of infrastructure supporting the arts in various parts of the world. Why is it important to develop conversation on this topic?
BILJANA: Institution for the Future doesn't only look at the countries with lack of infrastructure, but also places with infrastructure such as Singapore or Taiwan. The exhibition looks at artists who chose independent thinking and action over satisfying corporate and other sponsorship goals. I think the topic is very important as a reminder for practitioners: what our role should or could be in art. At the same time, it is important for participating artists to formulate, extract and share their own way of working in specific localities.
SCAPE: What do you think Hu Xiangqian’s work for Institution for the Future says about working as an individual versus working with a community or within an institution?
BILJANA: Hu Xiangqian’s work Xiangqian Museum has a very simple point of departure: he takes his body as a museum and gives public speeches about the museum collection: the collection in his head, which could be works he has seen or works that he made up. Xiangqian Museum deals with the basics of artwork and its ownership first of all. Today many people collect paintings or installations, but what should be collected are ideas; the element of art that is most important. That is what Tino Sehgal is doing, for example, through selling his work. On the other hand, I think art provides the possibility of putting the individual at the same level as a museum or any other institution. Every person could be a museum if they wanted to take on the role. I think roles in the system really overlap: individuals could be media, or could be institutions.
SCAPE: You have previously commented that institutions in China present their exhibitions as ‘market economy products’, which you find problematic. In your opinion, what are the benefits and pitfalls of both working with artist run spaces and working with art institutions?
BILJANA: I am not against the market; I think the market is the strongest force not only in China, but internationally as well: that is a fact that we have to admit. What is specifically lacking in the Chinese environment is a variety of production and approaches to art. It is a very monotonous system run by galleries and the market. I think having different platforms, not only for the production of artworks, but for knowledge production is something that we really need.
SCAPE: Christchurch is currently in a time of recovery, following a recent series of earthquakes. Due to this disaster there are now reduced venues for exhibitions and studio space is at a premium. From your experience curating in countries that lack significant arts infrastructure, what role does public art have in a difficult environment?
BILJANA: I think role of the public space is crucial in situation like this. I think SCAPE adopts ways of working in new conditions, which is a very good example. When I left an institution in 2007, one of my first projects was a three day intervention on the streets of Shanghai, in 2008 I did a project on construction site of an art space warehouse. So I always say that sites are not important, the most important thing is the idea and the message that you want to share through your project.
SCAPE: How can artists become catalysts for change in contemporary culture?
BILJANA: I think artists are very important for our culture: they are the ones who keep challenging us, the way we see the world and our expectations. They confront the system we all work and live in. This is something I would like to further address in SCAPE’s Workshop talk.
SCAPE: What advice would you give to someone that wants to set up an art initiative/make a difference to the community via an artistic practice?
BILJANA:
- Spend a lot of time thinking
- Be open to different possibilities
- Go and talk to different artists and learn to listen
- Do it again; go to talk to an artist and listen
- Be open to criticism and learn from it
- Encourage people to take part in your project
- Don't be afraid to fail – there is no failure in art
- Repeat these steps over and over