Quo vadis ars?

The situation in the cultural sector has been described and discussed in numerous interviews, corona diaries, comments and reports in the past few weeks. Our annotated collection of currently 193 sources gathers voices from different sectors and media. This creates a picture of the cultural landscape in crisis, whose temporal transformation can be explored interactively via a dedicated tag cloud.


 

Darum ist Liefers' Kritik so wichtig!
This is why Liefer's critique is so imporant!

by Ralf Schuler (25 Apr 2021)
Original source: Bild

In his commentary, Schuler points to parallels between the actors' contributions to #allesdichtmachten and the strategies of dissidents in the GDR. The ironic exaggeration in Jan Josef Liefer's contribution in particular resembles that of a submissive party obeisance, which at the same time undermines the party line. With this East German perspective in mind, Schuler points out: "Perhaps in the end it really is the biographical background that makes people more sensitive to the mechanisms of conformity pressure, which today no longer emanate from a repressiv e state apparatus, but more and more often from a political-media group dynamic."

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tag #allesdichtmachten DDR Gruppendynamik Schauspieler*innen 1989
Performing Arts/ Cinema Kommentar

Leipziger Buchmesse abgesagt
Leipzig Book Fair canceled

by Martin Hoferick (29 Jan 2021)
Original source: Kulturzeit

A major event is currently hardly plannable and so it is not surprising that the director of the Leipzig Book Fair, Oliver Zille, announced this week with a heavy heart the cancellation of this year's fair. Precisely because Leipzig relies on so many forms of encounter, the fair is hardly safe to hold this year. A shift to the digital is out of question for the organizers, because here the personal encounter as a central element of the Leipzig fair cannot be adequately implemented. The format itself will definitely be retained in the coming years, the situation on th e book market is good despite the cancellation. Nevertheless, Andreas Rötzer from the publishing house Matthes und Seitz demands that support for the industry must be considered if other major events are cancelled in the course of the year. A vaccination center will now be set up in the exhibition halls this far.

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tag Buchmesse Buchbranche Digitalisierung Begegnung Großveranstaltungen
Literature/ Text Bericht

Die Seele leidet - Weihnachtszeit ohne Kulturveranstaltungen
The soul suffers - Christmas time without cultural events

by Maria Ossowski (26 Nov 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk

The extension of the Lockdown light into December means renunciation for many people. By this, journalist Maria Ossowski does not primarily mean the cultural workers and restaurateurs, who are not allowed to offer their services in the last month of the year either. She is referring to the approximately nine million museum visitors or one and a half million people who attend an opera, theater, concert or reading in Germany each month - which they are currently not allowed to do, despite excellently prepared hygiene concerts. The cultural workers themselves - according to the subtext of the admonition of the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Culture Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen not to demand a special treatment again - are not entitled to defend themselves against the recent professional ban. After all, the November subsidies will be paid out at some point.

Ossowski proves that this argumentation is wrong. It is not a question of prohibition to work, nor is it a question of how Christmas can be celebrated in the family circle. Because this argumentation overlooks the fact that Christmas does not mean pure happiness for everyone. People who have to cope with family losses or separations, who live alone or are ill, often find the Christmas season a great emotional burden. For these people, culture provides solace in the pre-Christmas period. Many would therefore have done anything to give the pre-Christmas season an inner meaning through cultural events. The mental needs of these humans are put aside in favor of gifts and Christmas goose in the family circle, thereby we should be particularly concerned in the Advent about their well-being.

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tag Dezember-Lockdown Kulturveranstaltungen Advent Einsamkeit Trost Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen
All sections Kommentar

»Als ob Kultur nur Bespaßung wäre« . Louwrens Langevoort über Corona-Maßnahmen
. Louwrens Langevoort about Corona measures

by Louwrens Langevoort, Carsten Beyer (29 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur

That's the perversion of the whole story. We are not a swimming center. It's not like we can close in one day and on December 1st we open again and the audience is back. The director of the Cologne Philharmonic has to cancel 30 events for November. Whether and when he will be allowed to reopen his house is still written in the stars. Since concerts require advance notice, he would have to know by now whether he will be allowed to play again on December 1, otherwise it would be impossible to organize a performance. Basically, a certain frustration is exp ressed in the conversation: even though Langevoort, as director of the Philharmonic, must expect the worst, he had hoped that the intensive advertising for the well-designed hygiene concepts in theaters, operas and concert halls, among others by the German Stage Association, would be noticed by politicians. The second lockdown for cultural institutions seems to him to be exaggerated, especially since he has the impression that politics does not do exactly that in those places where it would have to take consistent action. The fact that the Chancellor talks about having to reduce the total mass of encounters because of the incomprehensible chains of infection is completely understandable to him. Nevertheless, the disappointment is great - also about Markus Söder's statement that one does not want to offend anyone who has made an effort. The cultural industry feels that it suffers a snub in the face of current events.
Asked about the promised compensation payments, Langevoort is skeptical. Also in the spring support was promised. These were only implemented very slowly and many companies and solo self-employed persons did not benefit from them. He also points out that artists want to perform and not to become welfare recipients. In addition, the houses also see themselves as cultural institutions with an educational mission. They want to fulfill this mission even in times of pandemic.

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tag Konzerthäuser Philharmonie Köln Soforthilfe November-Lockdown Planungssicherheit Angela Merkel Markus Söder Deutscher Bühnenverein Bauernopfer
Music Interview

Buchhandel setzt auf Digitalpräsenz . Frankfurter Buchmesse ohne Aussteller
Book trade focuses on digital presence . Frankfurt Book Fair without exhibitors

by Alexander Skipis, Britta Bürger (08 Sep 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur

At a press conference, the director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, announced the cancellation of the presence fair in the exhibition halls in Frankfurt. The decision was made together with all publishers and representatives of the national booths. In the end, the restrictions, especially the travel restrictions, were too great to adhere to the presence event.
The fair is an important pillar for the book industry. Since a digital offering was also planned from the outset, Alexander Skipis, General Manager of the German Publishers & Booksellers Associ ation (Börsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels), assumes that the presence of books will be maintained. As before, there will also be physical events in Frankfurt where authors can be experienced live.
As a further mainstay, a digital rights trading platform will enable publishers to handle the rights business, which has been important at the fair to date. However, personal exchange will not be possible at this point.
Another important pillar of the Book Fair is intellectual exchange and freedom of opinion and the press. These topics will also be dealt with online and in face-to-face events. Such online offerings will certainly not reach as many readers as a presence fair. The intensive encounter will therefore play a major role in 2021.

There will be a series of physical events in Frankfurt. In addition to the award ceremonies - Book Prize and Peace Prize - there will be readings in the festival hall. They will be distributed simultaneously through the media and can be accessed worldwide. Nevertheless, it should not be overlooked that the lack of attention to the book will damage the book market. Sales will probably not really be satisfactory in the autumn of 2020 either.

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tag Buchbranche Buchmesse Frankfurt Lesung Alexander Skipis virtuelles Angebot
Literature/ Text Interview

Große Säle, wenig Plätze: Lohnt sich das ganze Theater? . Corona-Schutzbedingungen
Large halls, few seats: Is the whole theater worth it? . Corona protection conditions

by Marc Grandmontagne, Anne Schneider, Karin Fischer (05 Sep 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk

The format "Streitkultur" at the German radio station Deutschlandfunk juxtaposes two opposing positions, which are represented in the dialogue. The aim is to give listeners the opportunity to examine a complex topic from different angles and then form their own opinions. The question of the current situation of the theaters in Germany offered little potential for debate for the two guests of the program - Anne Schneider, managing director of the Federal Association of the Free Performing Arts, theater director and festival organizer, and Marc Grandmontagne, man aging director of the German Stage Association (Deutscher Bühnenverein). Both agreed that the German theaters need to close ranks at the moment in order to jointly point out their situation and maintain public support.
The discussion thus offered insights into the current situation at the theaters. The demand of the Bühnenverein to allow the cast to follow the chessboard pattern in the theaters, since the danger of infection is demonstrably very low at cultural events with fixed seats, was also presented, as was the plight of the privately run houses. The funds to be distributed within the framework of the Neustart Kultur program will mainly benefit the non-publicly run institutions - however, many program areas have not yet been advertised, since the allocation of funds and the budgetary review of their use still have to be clarified.
Marc Grandmontagne pointed out that one should not be mistaken about the fact that Corona has hardly created any new problems, but rather acts as a catalyst that has brought to light the precarious conditions in many theaters and venues. The situation will not become any easier in the coming years when the public budgets are empty. Nevertheless, one must not forget that culture is a central task of the state. Public institutions such as day-care centers, swimming pools or municipal theaters must not be played off against each other because they are all important for society, its development and cohesion. In addition, no budget can be consolidated at the expense of culture. Rather, the potential that these facilities offer should be used and even unusual approaches should be pursued to shape the future.

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tag Theater Schachbrettmuster Streaming Neustart Kultur Kulturförderung Systemrelevanz
Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview

Wie Autorinnen und Autoren in der Corona-Krise geholfen wird . Rettungspaket »Neustart Kultur«
How authors are getting help in the Corona crisis . Rescue package »Neustart Kultur«

by Anne Sailer (24 Aug 2020)
Original source: mdr Kultur

Within the framework of "Neustart Kultur" [Restart Culture], authors are also to be supported in three subprograms. The aim of the programs is to generate public attention in order to boost sales. In addition to an internet platform on which 100 authors can present themselves and receive €500 each for their contribution, there is also the program "Thousand Literary Reencounters". Here the authors receive 1000€ each. In the third line of funding, interactive programs for children and young people are supported.
The German Literature Fu nd was commissioned by the German Federal Cultural Minister of State  Monika Grütters, to distribute the money. This means that the association is faced with a very special task, since its task is more to promote aesthetically demanding literature that has few chances on the market.
One author whose film can already be viewed on the Literature Fund website is Daniela Danz. She applied for the first subprogram with a sketch of her ideas. Now she can be watched walking through the grass in rubber boots and reading the opening poem of her new poetry collection. Even though everything appears very relaxed in the video, it took her many attempts until the timing was right. Even if the offer seems very low-threshold, the technical realization is still a challenge. The German Literature Fund received far more project proposals than there is money for. But even for those authors who are allowed to present themselves in a video, the program is only a drop in the ocean. What would really help is a return to normality, with real readings in front of an attentive audience.

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tag Autorenförderung Neustart Kultur Deutscher Literaturfonds Monika Grütters Daniela Danz
Literature/ Text Bericht

Vorhang auf! . Spielstart: Anti-Corona-Konzepte deutscher Theater
Open the Curtain! . Start of Season: Anti-Corona concepts of German Theatres

by Verena Greb, Nadine Wojcik (19 Jul 2020)
Original source: Deutsche Welle

Dismantled seats, Plexiglas panes, hand disinfection, separate entrances and exits: The operation at the theaters is to start again, but this requires hygiene concepts to protect the audience from being infected by droplets. Each theatre is currently developing its own concepts. What they all have in common is that a maximum of a quarter of the previous tickets can be offered.
Special tests were carried out in Augsburg and Berlin. With the help of machines and fans, hydrogen peroxide is nebulized over large areas in the halls. The Berliner Ensemble reports that th e naturally degradable disinfectant can kill 99 percent of viruses and bacteria. In the future, the technology will therefore not only be used for the halls, but also for toilets and entrance areas.
Meanwhile, a theater course has been developed at the Munich Residenztheater. The visitors are guided in groups of four through different stations in the building where the individual scenes are performed. However, it is problematic that not only the audience has to be kept at a distance, but also the actors must not get too close to each other.
Therefore, the schedules for the new season have been revised in all buildings, and extremely physical productions have been cancelled, as have those with many different roles.
Even though the theaters are slowly awakening from their state of shock, fundamental doubts remain about cultural policy: Why do the theaters have different regulations than German aviation? What significance does culture have? The survival of the large theaters is ensured by Corona cultural aid. If this is not sufficient, the federal states will help out in the long term. For the small theaters, which cannot keep buoy up with their limited number of seats, things do not look so rosy. They now have to decide whether to extend the Corona break. The curtain may have fallen here forever.

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tag Spielzeit Theater Hygieneregeln Wasserstoffperoxid Freie Szene Kulturförderung
Performing Arts/ Cinema Bericht

Zerreißprobe für die Buchmesse
Ordeal for the book fair

by Sandra Kegel (04 Jul 2020)
Original source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

The Frankfurt Book Fair is not only an important economic factor for the industry, it is also a historical institution, as it can look back on an intellectual tradition and five hundred years of history. In the current crisis, the fair management, together with the Börsenverein, has decided to hold the fair this year, but to distribute many events throughout the city. Now it has become known that the city of Frankfurt wants to expand the trade fair concept for 2021 to include music and gaming. The outcry in the book industry is huge. It is to be hoped that the book fair concept will survive this crisis as well.

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tag Literatur Buchmesse Frankfurt
Literature/ Text Bericht

»Die Künstler haben Angst« . Wird die Kunstwelt nach Corona eine andere sein und wenn ja, wie anders?
»The artists live in fear« . Will the art world have changed after Corona?

by Vincenzo de Bellis, Heinrich Schwazer (03 Jun 2020)
Original source: Neue Südtiroler Tageszeitung

The art world will change, but we will only be able to see it in a year. The reopening is currently a real test. Even if he assumes that many smaller galleries will not survive the crisis, de Bellis is not sure whether the art market will be affected by the economic crisis.

tag Kunstwelt
Visual Arts/Design Interview

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Facing arts is a non-profi project. Feel free to support it and get in touch with us!

The Team

Facing arts is a projet by STORM.

STORM is an acronym playing with the initials by Miriam Seidler & Tim Otto Roth, who are hit both by the Corona crisis. Dr. Miriam Seidler is a scholar in German literature and currently works as specialist in public relations. Dr. Tim Otto Roth is a scholar in art and science history and works as a conceptual artist and composer. He is known for his huge projects in public space, cooperations with leading scientific institutions and his immersive sound and light installations. Miriam and Tim collaborate regularly for years. With facing arts they reaslize their first common art project.
You find more informatin on both initiators on www.miriamseidler.de and www.imachination.net.

Special thanks to Paco Croket for the tag cloud programming!

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