Let's make sure there is ART at KiezBurn this year
Benjamin Langholz
Public
Seen by 181
Hi I'm Benjamin. I've been to 18 burns around the world including Burning Man, Kiez Burn, AfrikaBurn, Borderland, Nowhere, Midburn, and Burning Japan. I've created grant-funded artworks at Burning Man 2017,2019, AfrikaBurn 2018,2019 and Midburn 2017. You can see my work here www.benjaminlangholz.com
KiezBurn is an amazing event, but I feel it's lacking art. When I say this I don't mean it's lacking in artistic gestures or creative endeavors, in this area we are overflowing. But the kind of art that to me, and I believe many others is one of the things that defines a burn. Large scale, interactive, installation artwork. The kind of thing that blows your mind, inspires you and makes you say wow out loud.
For an artist, this kind of artwork is expensive, takes months of planning, and is an incredible gift. Sadly I do not believe the Dreams Platform is an effective way to create opportunities for this kind of art to arrive at our event.
I am proposing and volunteering to organize an Art Department for KiezBurn 2020. I want to publicize an open call for installation art to have concepts submitted and reviewed within the next month. Then myself along with whoever else is willing to volunteer will select 3-5 artworks that we feel will bring the feeling of burner art to KiezBurn, and are likely to be executable. I would then propose that some of the funds leftover from last year, let's say €15,000 (someone who has an eye on the money could give a better idea here) and distribute it to these artworks in order to secure meaningful funding for them early on to at least get them started towards being able to create their vision. The art department would then continue to support and keep an eye on the projects up until the end of KiezBurn when they are uninstalled and taken offsite.
To be clear I am not proposing at this moment to do away with the Dreams Platform. In fact, I would encourage the artworks selected by the Art Department to seek additional funding through the Dreams Platform once it's available. I propose that this Art Department and art funding happen well before, with separate funds, and entirely independently from the Dreams Platform.
CJ Yetman Thu 13 Feb 2020 5:47PM
No Paul, I did not. I said “ I thought your post was not very nice or cooperative“ in response to you specifically asking what was with the emojis, which was driven by you ending your post with “If you want to fo it, I'll send you the full list and you can knock yourself out!”. Now you seem to have some personal vendetta against me and your dragging that into a completely different thread, interrogating me about why I have an interest in this, and apparently trying to trap me in some logical fallacy, but instead you’re just wasting everyone’s time. I stand by what I said, here and there. I’m not engaging in this nonsense anymore because it’s not productive.
Karlo Walz Mon 17 Feb 2020 7:14AM
the question remains: who exactly is the art department
Benjamin Langholz Fri 14 Feb 2020 12:09AM
@Karlo Walz I would also prefer to have the ART Department be run by someone in KiezBurn Org (Is there a KiezBurn org?). But since last year I discovered the system KiezBurn decided to use to fund artwork (Dreams) was not something I as an artist would participate in. I decided that this year, instead of creating artwork for KiezBurn I would take that energy and invest it into helping to create a system I would want to use and enable other artists to create ART.
When seeing the "Do-ocracy" stance of KiezBurn organizational style I thought this was a great way to contribute my energy.
One this I would say is that I think the current system was put in place without consulting enough, or thinking in the best interests of the artist who make ART. So I think I can represent that interest very well in the creation of the system.
Of course, the selection process will be subjective. ART is subjective. But it will be the combined subjectivity of the members of the ART Department and not mine alone.
CJ Yetman Thu 13 Feb 2020 4:07PM
No one, including myself, is obligated to make proposals, add input, justify their interests or opinions, nor respond to incessant interrogation by others.
Paul aka Khromo Thu 13 Feb 2020 3:15PM
@CJ Yetman
That thread contains no input from you. As it stands, you have made no proposals.
The thread DOES contain the line:
For example, last year's Dreams process had the following implications:
we did not see a lot of big art funded due to the inherent structure of Dreams
... which would indicate that making it a part of Dreams would not be a wise move.
Again - you are trying to be a part of a process you do not believe in and want to fail. This is a conflict of interest. I have no problem with you joining the board, but I'd argue that people who are at least enthusiastic about the idea should be prioritised.
They don't have to be experts, or artists, just enthusiastic.
CJ Yetman Thu 13 Feb 2020 11:04AM
There's a thread about setting up the Dreams platform here if you're interested in that... https://talk.kiezburn.org/d/XHhwWky3/setting-up-dreams-platform-process
Vlad Thu 13 Feb 2020 6:44PM
If you want to single-handedly distribute the entire kiez burn art budget, you should!
Paul aka Khromo Thu 13 Feb 2020 3:03PM
@Vlad This isn't management science,, this is a do-ocracy. No one has to be an expert in anything to join a board with Kiezburn. You know this.
Vlad Thu 13 Feb 2020 12:17PM
@Paul aka Khromo in Management science it is called expert group decision making. If those people are not experts, it is even worse.
walto · Sat 29 Feb 2020 4:22PM
we will discuss this, and more, on the 4th of March during the Dreams kick-off meeting: https://talk.kiezburn.org/d/OceFnITD/kickstart-dreams-2020