资源描述
Studio Berlin III The Situation of Berlins Artists and the Gender GapStudio Berlin III The Situation of Berlins Artists and the Gender Gap Institute for Strategy Development (IFSE), August 20183 IFSE Studio Berlin III Mind the Gap! After New York, Berlin is the most important contemporary art production centre worldwide. Under what conditions do the artists live in this city? We address this question concerning the situation of Berlins artists within the scope of this study. This is our third publication on contemporary art in Berlin. The pilot study was published in June 2010 in cooperation with Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.). The goal of the first publication was to analyse the development of Berlins art scene, which many could only describe as a wonder and which at the same time gave rise to an opportunity to examine the conditions of the artists in Berlin. The second study, which took place in the following year, was a response to the exhibition Based in Berlin and the plans for a new Kunsthalle, a publicly funded museum of contemporary art, of the then Mayor and Senator of Culture Klaus Wowereit. More than 2,000 activists from the art scene protested against this exhibition of young art from Berlin with an open letter entitled to have and to need manifesto. They demanded a discourse on the conditions of the artistic and cultural production in the city and the participation of all art and cultural workers in the symbolic capital of the city of Berlin, to which they had con tributed greatly. We analysed the working and living conditions of artists in Berlin and presented the results to the public as a contribution to the debate which started in 2011. One focus of the study was the increasing shortage of space for artistic practice in Berlin. Everyone is affected by the precarious situation in art, but it was noticeable that, as in other areas of society, there is a fairly substantial gap between women and men. This gender gap in the field of visual arts is the focus of our new investigation into the situation of Berlins artists. Our research shows that the gap between female and male artists is multifaceted, and occurs both in the exhibition context and in terms of financial income. A closer examination of this gender gap should not segregate the artists, but rather bring them together so they can work collabora tively on the problems exposed and overcome them. Because inequality between men and women is an intrinsic reality in the art world, it deserves our attention. Nevertheless, we do not want to exclude anything or anyone by focusing on the gender comparison. Especially when it comes to the precarious economic situa tion, it should always be remembered that precarious conditions should be over come together, regardless of gender. This time, the initiative came from our cooperation partner, the Professional Association of Visual Artists Berlin (the bbk berlin). To develop the more than 100 questions, IFSE once again worked 4 IFSE Studio Berlin III alongside many key players and institutions in the Berlin art field. Out of an esti mated 8,000 professional artists, 1,745 took part in the survey. The participants are between 19 and 89 years of age. As in 2011, 63% of the survey participants were women and 34% were men. The average age is 47 years old. In 2017, the financial income resulting from their artistic practice only fully covered the expenses of 20% of the artists. For all the others, the artistic prac tice is a lossmaking business. The income resulting from their artistic produc tion covers on average up to only 44% of the expenditure incurred. The unstable economic situation is particularly felt by female artists. They earn even less than their male counterparts. Women have a greater share in parenting, and when it comes to separation, in nine out of ten cases the single parent is the mother. Here the art sector does not deviate from the norm in Germany. Due to the precarious conditions in the art world, this often means that children and career are mutu ally exclusive. At the moment, it is mainly women who point out this gender gap. Men should also address this sociopolitical problem as it is in their own interest. All in all, the figures which emerged from our survey were what we expected, but they are still alarming in many aspects. One could take for granted the expecta tion that visual artists will have a low income, however, that it is so low is really frightening. Based on our findings, we wish for a dialogue on diverse approaches and measures to improve the artists economic situation. In the first study an idea was developed and remains applicable and its relevance has once again been confirmed in this current study: A contemporary art development plan for Berlin that regards art in Berlin as the citys cultural asset and introduces it as an issue which deserves its own development oriented cultural policy. This plan can create conditions and perspectives for fruitful developments. An initiative from representatives of cultural policy would be desirable, but the first step can also be taken by the cultural workers themselves. The former should understand that the starting point is appreciation and commitment to those who create out standing value for this city under demanding conditions. The latter should not be discouraged by any resistance or setbacks when telling and demanding their perspective on the creative city. What matters is that we fight for the best ideas that we can actually implement, rather than arguing about what should be done. New York City published the first comprehensive cultural plan in the citys his tory in 2017 . A group of artists and activists have presented their own version of a cultural plan in response. We should follow this example. The study results pre sented here are intended as a basis for constructive measures and as an impe tus for a discussion about new forms of participation in Berlins cultural policy. We thank all participants of the survey; the number was overwhelming! Thanks to the bbk berlin for the initiative and the varied assistance with its implemen tation. We would like to thank all those who have contributed suggestions and criticism or have provided us with information. The IFSE study was supported by the Senate Department for Health, Long Term Care and Gender Equality and by boesner Berlin, a supplier of artist materials. They all made this study possible. 5 IFSE Studio Berlin III Thank you very much! Last but not least, we would like to thank the Branden burger Tor Foundation for allowing us to present our results on April 24th at the Max Liebermann House, because this house is meant to be a place where major cultural issues of both our city and our country can be discussed. This is exactly what this study is about, it is not the end, but the beginning of a cultural and sociopolitical debate. We received about 100,000 responses, of which around 10,000 were written responses (the rest were multiple choice). In this compilation, we focus on the most important results. We will provide further results in the coming months in working sessions, talks or at conferences. 1,745 artists answered our questions in an average of 28 minutes. That is more than 100 working days in total. Additionally, all participants who were involved in pre paring this project have invested more than 100 working days on this study. We want to be prudent in dealing with the results. We must not rush, neither in their evaluation nor in ascertaining the implications of the results. We should take as much time as necessary for a constructive dialogue on possible approaches and measures together. Hergen Wbken Founding Director, Institute for Strategy Development (IFSE)6 IFSE Studio Berlin III Studio Berlin III The Situation of Berlins Artists and the Gender Gap The Studys Design This study focuses on the results of a survey of Berlins artists. The questionnaire comprised a total of 105 questions and was developed based on the survey con ducted by IFSE in 2011 and surveys conducted by the Professional Association of Visual Artists Berlin (the bbk berlin) in cooperation with artists, representatives of institutions in the field of contemporary art in Berlin and cultural policy activists. The survey results have emerged from a mainly qualitative research on contem porary art that has been taking place in Berlin since 2008. Since that time, we have conducted several hundred interviews with various protagonists of Berlins contemporary art scene. The current survey was conducted online from January 26 to February 19, 2018. The link was sent by the bbk and many other institutions and networks to Berlins artists. Our study results are on the whole, in all their essential criteria, a representative sample of the artists in Berlin. If a single result is not considered representative, because, for example, it is only relevant to a very small group, then this is noted accordingly. In total, 1,745 people took part in the survey. 1,134 answered the ques tionnaire in its entirety, the others partially. There were so called filter ques tions that were only answered if applicable. Thus, we only asked those who had previously specified that they had children if they were single parents. We indi cate the sample size in the highlighted results. Please note that the percentages cannot always add up to 100%, because participants were also given the option of not answering. This means that there is a great heterogeneity in our data. The characteristics of the entire artistic population, which we used for verification purposes, are in tune with our findings. The distribution of age, gender, place of residence or income corresponds to the actual social structure distribution. The link to the sur vey was sent to the appropriate target group. Not 100% of all artists were reached, however there is no reason to suppose that their nonparticipation would have substantially changed the outcome of our survey. The survey was available for more than three weeks. The average time required to complete it was 28 minutes. It can be assumed that all participants answered the questions to the best of their knowledge and belief. All results were checked for plausibility. When the result was not plausible, we either did not use it or noted it accordingly. For example, it was noticeable that only a small number of artists of Turkish descent answered the survey. A higher number would have been expected in view of their substan tial presence in Berlin. However, this has no influence on the representativeness 7 IFSE Studio Berlin III of the other results. The description of the situation of Berlins artists presented here will not be able to reproduce every aspect 100% exactly, but it does provide a reliable basis. Berlin in an International Context In Berlin, we estimate the number of visual artists to be around 8,000. Based on the figures provided by the Knstlersozialkasse (KSK artists social security scheme) we researched data from a variety of sources to reach this estimate. In the end, however, this number necessarily remains an approximation, which in our case is probably on the low side. Research of the 20 most important locations for contemporary art worldwide proves, first of all, that there are even less reli able sources about professional visual artists. Artists work and leave their marks but it is hard to get precise information regarding how many of them there are and what kind of conditions they live in. This invisibility arises from the fact that visual artists are either not recognized as a professional group or the criteria used to distinguish them vary greatly from city to city. When comparing and analysing the data available on visual artists worldwide, it becomes clear that New York, London, Paris and Berlin are the cities with the highest density of visual artists, allowing us to make a comparison between these four cities. In France, a report released in 2018 by the Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication shows that there are 34,234 Artistes plasticiens, of which 43% are female. 35% of those reside in the Parisian Region = 11,981. According to a report by the Mayor of London, 11,500 artists were working in artists work spaces and studios in London in 2014. However, we can assume that there are also artists who do not have their own workspace, and the total number of artists is thus higher. We have approached institutions such as the Artists Union England, London City Hall and the Arts Council of England and none could provide a more precise estimate. In the USA, the National Endowment for the Arts reports, using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, that there are 207,590 fine artists. This definition ranges from painters and photographers to calligraphers and tattoo artists. Since there is no visual artists category in the US Federal Census, the closest estimated number of visual artists in New York would be the artists and related workers category. In 2015, this category recognised 18,577 individuals, a figure that, according to our research, seems to be very low even for visual artists alone. The category includes graphic artists as well as visual artists and related workers, as for example, artists assistants. This information was provided by Eli Dvorkin, the managing editor of the Centre for an Urban Future, which produced the study Creative New York in 2015. If we whittle this number down to artists who have exhibited in museums and galleries, then the small number of 1,654 would be more accurate. In both cases, the geographical area considered includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. Based on our research, we estimate that there are currently more than 20,000 visual artists in New York, about 12,000 in Paris, and about 18,000 in London. 8 IFSE Studio Berlin III Combined with the population figures of these cities, the density of artists per 1,000 inhabitants is the following: City Population Artists Density New Y ork 8,500,000 20,000 2.35 Berlin 3,700,000 8,000 2.16 London 8,900,000 18,000 2.02 Paris 12,000,000 12,000 1.00 Gender Balance in the Visual Arts In New York in June 2017 , the City University of New Yorks Guttman Community College published a report analysing data from 1,300 artists represented by 45 leading art galleries in New York City. This data corroborates a study on gen der inequality which investigated solo exhibitions in five major US museums: MoMA, Whitney, Guggenheim, Moca LA and LACMA. From 2007 to 2014, thus over a sevenyear period, only 29% of the solo exhibitions at the Whitney were by women artists, at Guggenheim it was less than 25% and at MoMA, solo exhi bitions by women did not even reach 20%. There are
展开阅读全文