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.


 

»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

Theater, Opern- und Konzerthäuser sind keine Infektionsorte
Theaters, opera houses and concert halls are not places of infection

by Deutscher Bühnenverein (27 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutscher Bühnenverein

In an urgent letter, Ulrich Khuon as President and Marc Grandmontagne as Managing Director of the German Stage Association address the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the State Premiers. As they have already pointed out several times in the media over the past few days, they once again underline that, for physical reasons, mass contagion in theaters, opera houses and concert halls is not possible. They therefore ask that a reasonable decision is taken during the consultations of the Ministerial Conference and that the venues do not close. These are indispensable cult ural spaces for society. Therefore, it is not only important not to lose the trust of the public that has just been regained, but also to save small and medium-sized institutions from ruin.

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tag Hygienekonzepte Ansteckungsgefahr Schließungen Verhältnismäßigkeit Gefährdung der Kulturnation
Performing Arts/ Cinema Offener Brief

New York’s Arts Shutdown . The Economic Crisis in One Lost Weekend

by Michael Paulson, Elizabeth A. Harris, Graham Bowley (23 Sep 2020)
Original source: New York Times

This feature gives a feeling of the evaporation of the art industry in New York City illustrating the loss with abstracts of 22 (former) art workers and depressing photographs. The shutdown has touched New York in its heart:  Before the pandemic, New York state’s arts and cultural sector contributed $120 billion to New York’s economy, or 7.5 percent of the state’s economic output, and employed nearly half a million people. Taxable revenue from performing arts companies fell 85 percent this spring compared to 2019. The perspectives are still dark: T he Broadway theatres remain closed at least until next spring. The Metropolitan Opera has scheduled its reopening for Fall 2021.

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tag New York Theater Tanz USA Schließungen Konzerthäuser Arbeitsplatzverlust Umsatzeinbruch Bankrott
All sections Bericht

„Wo ist die Empathie des Herrn Spahn?“ . "Where is the empathy of Mr. Spahn?"

by Matthias Goerne, Manuel Brug (13 Sep 2020)
Original source: Welt

In an interview with the newspaper Die Welt, the successful lied singer Matthias Goerne expresses his displeasure about the treatment of the concert world during the Corona crisis. He recently took part in a discussion round with the Minister of Health Jens Spahn. The disappointment about the minister's behavior is great: His answers were only evasive; culture as an economy is still not recognized. Although there are subsidies for institutions, the many solo self-employed still look anxiously to the future. The clubbing and stabbing among the concert organizers has a lready started, as the agencies are also struggling to survive. The situation is very difficult at the moment, especially for the young professionals. Many of them will not succeed in gaining a foothold in the market. On the other hand, there are colleagues who have slipped into basic welfare and are now looking for a new job. There is no common voice on the music market. Goerne is even disappointed by the agencies, as they do not argue with sufficient power. Those who work as freelancers are getting more and more immoral offers, because the public houses can save money reducing the number of guests. Yet it is precisely these guests who attract the public.

Goerne shows particularly little understanding for the fact that distance rules do not apply in public transport, but that in concert halls large distances between visitor seats are required. The festival season and above all the Salzburg Festival, which was realized successfully and without infections, has demonstrated that the audience of concert events is highly disciplined and that seating arrangements in a checkerboard pattern can be implemented without danger. Being happy to attend concerts again, the visitors abtstain from conversations in the hall. In addition, many concert halls have excellent ventilation systems that minimize the risk of infection. Goerne cannot understand why the economic power of the industry is not taken into account here giving it a chance to generate income again. Instead, politicians are accepting the death of theater and opera on a large scale.

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tag Konzerte Konzerthäuser Konzertagenturen Solo-Selbständige Studierende stiller Tod Salzburger Festspiele Schachbrettmuster Jens Spahn
Music Interview

Ein bisschen Event geht immer . Klassik & Corona
A little bit of event always works . Classical music & Corona

by Manuel Brug (20 Jun 2020)
Original source: Welt

The friends of classical music would currently be preparing for an exciting festival summer if Corona did not prevent pretty much everything that inspires the classical world. In his article, Manuel Brug gives an overview of the plans for the summer and the start of the season. While the start of the season has already been postponed to January at the major opera houses in the USA, the Paris Opera is struggling with a 40 million deficit. In Germany, the new season is being celebrated with smaller productions, only the Bavarian State Opera does not want to miss a per formance with Marina Abramovic.

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tag Klassische Musik Oper Konzerthäuser Spielplan Festivals USA Paris Streaming Marina Abramovic
Music Bericht

Elend und Energie . Musik in Corona-Zeiten
Misery and Energy . Music in Times of Corona

by Eva Blaskewitz (02 Jun 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk

Eva Blaskewitz takes the listeners of the  radio broadcast Music Scene at Deutschlandfunk on a journey through the music landscape during the corona crisis. Both individual musicians and orchestras are currently developing diverse new formats in order to keep in touch with their audience. But the costs for events that have not taken place are high, the self-employed musicians fear for their existence.

tag klassische Musik Absagen Honorare Konzerthäuser Konzertagenturen Onlineangebote Balkonkonzerte Idagio
Music Bericht

Eine Frage der Klimaanlage? . Corona und Kulturveranstaltungen
An air-conditioning issue? . Corona and cultural events

by Reinhard J. Brembeck (22 May 2020)
Original source: Süddeutsche Zeitung

Even before the crisis, the promotion of the independent art scene was not very lavish. Currently, the survival of the arts are not considered to be of relevance in politics. While aid for Lufthansa and the easing of restrictions for football matches are being discussed, support for artists is only hesitant. Even large orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra are going into short-time work. Although the concert halls don't want to become a virus hotspot, the ban on exercising their profession is ruining them financially. Houses like the Festspielhaus in B aden-Baden or the Berlin Philharmonic have to generate a large part of their income themselves. Even rich institutions soon go bankrupt. In this situation, the commentator asks the question whether the artists should not put forward their demands just as shamelessly as other commercial enterprises.

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tag Konzerthäuser Berufsverbot Fluggesellschaften Hygieneregeln
Music Kommentar

Zeitenwende in der Klassik . Konzertveranstalter in der Coronakrise
The turn of an era in classical music . Concert management in Corona times

by Karsten Witt, Eckhard Roelcke (08 May 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur

The classical music scene is facing a structural change as a result of the Corona crisis. Eckhard Roelcke talks with music manager Karsten Witt about the scenarios and what opportunities the crisis might bring. He is concerned that not only the event management for concerts will change radically after the crisis. He also predicts that all artists, ensembles and orchestras that are not subsidized will hardly be able to hold their own on the market in the future.

tag Klassische Musik Ensembles Konzerthäuser Veranstalter Konzertagenturen
Music Interview

Kultur in der Corona-Krise . Erwacht endlich aus der Schockstarre!
Culture during Corona Crisis . Finally wake up from freeze mode!

by Marco Frei, Christian Wildhagen (01 May 2020)
Original source: Neue Züricher Zeitung

Translation

tag Klassische Musik Konzerthäuser Gleichbehandlung Bundesliga Großveranstaltungen Onlineangebote Hygieneregeln
Music Beitrag

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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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