Master Project

Agustina Struengmann

Reflections on artistic services, performance and the institution


 

1 May–1 June 2015
Zurich

Raphaële Bidault-Waddington, San Keller, Martin Schick, Rosalie Schweiker and Florence Jung

Video Interviews based on the Thesis: Performance art and the fundraising gala: a look at the art world’s experience economy.

With an increasing number of event-driven performances occurring in the contemporary art world, this thesis examines the gala event in contemporary art and how it merges fundraising with performance art. Performance art is particularly suited to fundraising galas because it provides a once in a lifetime experience for the crowds that support culture.

When an artist is invited to direct a gala and create a performance, how does the stage of the gala affect the creative process? Will the artist create a critical piece or something less challenging and more entertaining? The gala raises other questions as well: How does an artist deal with institutional commissions? What does it mean for the artist to be critical within the institution? How do artists feel about performance art becoming more mainstream? If asked to do a performance for a gala at an institution what would they do? These are all questions posed to artists in the video “Reflections on artistic services, performance and the institution”, a video that furthers the discussion on the artist’s role as service provider in the context of institutional commissions.

Image Credits
#2 – Semiospace © R.Bidault-Waddington
#3 – Semiospace8 © L.Pasqualini
#5 – Das Beruf des Ku?nstlers © San Keller
#6 – Soft Serve © San Keller
#8 – Martin Schick, Agglorobics © Davy Depauw
#9 – X Minutes, Schick-Gremaud-Pavillion © ingoodcompany
#11 – Kulturfotzen-Kindergarten-collab. with Maria Guggenbichler © Rosalie Schweiker
#12 – The Emely Showroom © Rosalie Schweiker