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.
Was braucht es, um wieder Kontrolle über die Pandemie zu bekommen?
What does it take to regain control of the pandemic?
by Gunter Gebauer, Julius Stucke (24 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
In an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio, philosopher Gunter Gebauer asks the question of what significance culture still has today. A lot can be accessed and consumed within our own four walls. The way out is therefore no longer so important. The crisis could thus also result in a clear-cut, based on reduced demand. Many cultural workers already have to look at how they earn their living. Gebauer reports, for example, about an opera director who gives rhetoric courses. The concern Gebauer expresses is not only that these many drop-outs will not come back, but that the demand for culture will decline fundamentally because people have become accustomed to everyday life without cultural events. Interestingly, Gebauer does not ask what effects this will have on our economy, since he contradicts Julian Nida-Rümelin's thesis that we are in a situation similar to that of 1945, in which the country would have clearly oriented itself towards the Deutschmark and the economy.
Another topic is the appearance of the punk band »Die Ärzte« in the Germany's major news program »Tagesthemen« on Friday evening. Julius Stucke, moderating the interview with Gebauer, criticizes that the dramatic situation of the industry could not really be conveyed seriously during the program because everything appeared so »neat«. Gebauer contradicts this, because he considered the power of punk culture, which the three musicians brought to the stage, as important to convey the seriousness of the situation. The philosopher felt that it was particularly important that the ›old hands‹ stood up for all the employees in the background in order to point out their situation. Read More Read Less
Another topic is the appearance of the punk band »Die Ärzte« in the Germany's major news program »Tagesthemen« on Friday evening. Julius Stucke, moderating the interview with Gebauer, criticizes that the dramatic situation of the industry could not really be conveyed seriously during the program because everything appeared so »neat«. Gebauer contradicts this, because he considered the power of punk culture, which the three musicians brought to the stage, as important to convey the seriousness of the situation. The philosopher felt that it was particularly important that the ›old hands‹ stood up for all the employees in the background in order to point out their situation. Read More Read Less
tag Aufstehn für Kultur stiller Tod Streaming Krise als Chance Solo-Selbständige Die Ärzte Tagesthemen Punk Julian Nida-Rümelin All sections Gespräch
Corona-Pandemie: »Kultur merkwürdigerweise in dieser Krise marginalisiert«
Corona Pandemic: »Culture strangely marginalized during this crisis«
by Julian Nida-Rümelin, Änne Seidel (18 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
»Aufstehn für Kultur« [stand up for culture] is an appeal for a demonstration in Munich. The goal is to address as many people interested in culture as possible and to motivate them to participate in the demonstration. The importance of this is explained by one of the initiators, political scientist, philosopher and former Minister of State for Culture Julian Nida-Rümelin, in an interview with the German radio station Deutschlandfunk.
Politics reacts to public debates. Therefore, Nida-Rümelin is convinced that it is now necessary for eve ryone interested in culture to raise their voice now. The cultural workers be only helped, if the public pressure by the cultural consumers grows. That is particularly important after seven months of stagnation, because anyone who decides to change careers now is lost to culture. This means that the unique cultural asset in Germany is permanently threatened. Even if the artists reacted very creatively to the crisis during the first lockdown, this must not obscure the existential need.
Even if politicians have tried to support cultural workers so far, it must be said that the programs that have been implemented so far are not sufficient. With regard to an unconditional basic income for artists, Nida-Rümelin explains that he considers it the task of politics to ensure that no existences are destroyed in the crisis. Anyone who has been able to live from art up to now can prove this, for example, through tax assessments. In addition to the economic and social cushioning, the former Minister of State for Culture also sees a problem in the fact that cultural life has been reduced to a minimum. If there are no cultural events and no debates, this has an impact on the constitution of society. Politicians must counteract this in order to limit the damage to immaterial values caused by the crisis as much as possible.
Nida-Rümelin does not consider a second, European lockdown to be feasible. The resulting costs cannot be mitigated a second time. The result would be a depression. In 1929 we saw what psychological, social and cultural consequences such a crisis can have. The foundations of coexistence and democracy would then be shaken. European society must prevent this danger at all costs. Read More Read Less
Politics reacts to public debates. Therefore, Nida-Rümelin is convinced that it is now necessary for eve ryone interested in culture to raise their voice now. The cultural workers be only helped, if the public pressure by the cultural consumers grows. That is particularly important after seven months of stagnation, because anyone who decides to change careers now is lost to culture. This means that the unique cultural asset in Germany is permanently threatened. Even if the artists reacted very creatively to the crisis during the first lockdown, this must not obscure the existential need.
Even if politicians have tried to support cultural workers so far, it must be said that the programs that have been implemented so far are not sufficient. With regard to an unconditional basic income for artists, Nida-Rümelin explains that he considers it the task of politics to ensure that no existences are destroyed in the crisis. Anyone who has been able to live from art up to now can prove this, for example, through tax assessments. In addition to the economic and social cushioning, the former Minister of State for Culture also sees a problem in the fact that cultural life has been reduced to a minimum. If there are no cultural events and no debates, this has an impact on the constitution of society. Politicians must counteract this in order to limit the damage to immaterial values caused by the crisis as much as possible.
Nida-Rümelin does not consider a second, European lockdown to be feasible. The resulting costs cannot be mitigated a second time. The result would be a depression. In 1929 we saw what psychological, social and cultural consequences such a crisis can have. The foundations of coexistence and democracy would then be shaken. European society must prevent this danger at all costs. Read More Read Less
tag Grundeinkommen stiller Tod Systemrelevanz Aufstehn für Kultur Lockdown 1929 Depression Kulturstaat All sections Gespräch
Geld allein reicht nicht . Coronafolgen im ärmsten Bundesland
Money alone is not enough . Corona effects in the poorest federal state
by Felicitas Boeselager (02 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk
An independent theater group, two art students and a small club were interviewed by Felicitas Boeselager for her feature about the independent scene during the Corona crisis in Bremen. What all actors are sharing is the joy of being able to offer events again. The audience at all events was also enthusiastic and grateful to finally be able to experience culture again. The independent scene in Bremen is closely connected by the pandemic, mutual support and exchange about new formats is highly appreciated by those affected. Nevertheless, all of the actors are currently una ble to make ends meet without public funding for culture.
Stephan Behrmann, freelance actor and dramaturge as well as spokesman for the »Alliance of Liberal Arts«, emphasizes that cultural funding in Bremen has been good for both the solo self-employed and the independent scene. However, he complains that the aid did not work so well in all federal states. He considers current scholarship programs that finance the artists' work on projects in an open-ended way to be good. He also rates the support provided by the "Neustart Kultur" program positively - even if one billion does not really seem sufficient considering the size of the industry. Whether the money actually helps the individual artists cannot be predicted at the moment - especially since the administrative effort involved in awarding grants is quite high. How many »silent deaths«, i.e. artists who have looked for a job in another branch, are to be registered, is currently not yet foreseeable. The situation will not improve in the next few years either. Since the municipalities are very much shaken, they cannot afford to support culture. Behrmann therefore considers it an inevitable consequence that the federal government will help out.
Read More Read Lesstag Bremen Kultursommer Bremen Freie Szene Clubszene Kulturförderung Neustart Kultur stiller Tod Insolvenz All sections Feature und Interview
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.
Read More
Read Less
tag New York Theater Tanz USA Schließungen Konzerthäuser Arbeitsplatzverlust Umsatzeinbruch Bankrott All sections Bericht
»Vielen von uns droht die Supermarktkasse«
»Many of us are at risk to sit at the supermarket checkout«
by Heinz Rudolf Kunze (17 Sep 2020)
Original source: NDR Info
In an interview with the NDR, the German singer and songwriter Heinz Rudolf Kunze talks about his experiences during the Corona pandemic and the situation of the music industry. All the central topics of the discussion are addressed in the interview. The picture he draws is depressing. In the music industry, too, live performance is the most important source of income today. CDs are primarily produced to promote concerts. Kunze openly calls streaming an exploitation, because the musicians cannot finance themselves from the cents they receive. Even successful accompanying musicians can only survive the Corona crisis by working in other industries. Although open-air concerts could be held in the summer, the number of visitors was usually limited. In contrast to the adjacent gastronomy, the event industry has to fulfill strict hygiene requirements. Kunze doesn't mince his words when it comes to the regulations that vary from region to region. Here "little princes" are at work, who rule arbitrarily. In autumn and winter, no concerts are possible. His own tour has been postponed until spring; whether it can actually take place is written in the stars.
For the future Kunze hopes that the cultural industry will be recognized as an economic factor. At the same time, the cultural offer in Germany, which according to its perception is the largest in the world, must be maintained. This requires the prudent promotion by politics. Kunze equates the breaking away of this offer with the deforestation of the rainforest. Thus he chooses a very drastic picture for the danger in which he currently sees his industry. Read More Read Less
For the future Kunze hopes that the cultural industry will be recognized as an economic factor. At the same time, the cultural offer in Germany, which according to its perception is the largest in the world, must be maintained. This requires the prudent promotion by politics. Kunze equates the breaking away of this offer with the deforestation of the rainforest. Thus he chooses a very drastic picture for the danger in which he currently sees his industry. Read More Read Less
tag Popmusik Hygieneregeln Berufsverbot stiller Tod Streaming Konzerte Music Interview
„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.
Read More Read Lesstag Konzerte Konzerthäuser Konzertagenturen Solo-Selbständige Studierende stiller Tod Salzburger Festspiele Schachbrettmuster Jens Spahn Music Interview
Von Zombies, Würmern und Corona auf dem Land . Lola Randl über „Die Krone der Schöpfung“
About zombies, worms and Corona in the countryside . Lola Randl on the „The Pride of Creation“
by Lola Randl, Frank Meyer (28 Aug 2020)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
Lola Randel wrote one of the first pandemic novels with her novel "The Pride of Creation". The novel is set in a village and deals with life with and in nature, as well as with how to deal with the pandemic, which breaks into the village idyll width townspeople fleeing in their vacation homes. Whether the first-person narrator is actually infected remains open. The novel consists of short, small chapters, which are listed again in a register at the end. The almost lexical chapters structure the fictional text and help the narrator to grasp the situation. The st ructure of the lexica also provides the narrator with support, however, as she gets lost in her research on the Internet. Randel thus finds a narrative picture of how many people at the beginning of the pandemic obtained information on the Internet in a patchwork of images.
The narrator is working on a zombie story, which is why the undead play an important role in the narrative. They have a metaphorical role, since they stand for the virus as the smallest zombie, the smallest undead. In the interview, the author herself is surprised that the zombie story has taken up such a large space in the novel at the end.
The motto of the novel is a poem from the baroque era. Mortality, which the baroque author Andreas Gryphius deals with, is a counter position to the repression of death in the present. In dealing with the transience of life, the author poses the question of how to explain society's reactions to the current threat in relation to the pandemic.
The interview gives the impression that Randel's narrative is controlled by emotions and experiences. Themes and motifs are imposed by the narrative and are given space in the novel. Whether the handling of the pandemic in the narrative is just as unreflected as the author would like to make us believe, the readers must probably find out for themselves. Read More Read Less
The narrator is working on a zombie story, which is why the undead play an important role in the narrative. They have a metaphorical role, since they stand for the virus as the smallest zombie, the smallest undead. In the interview, the author herself is surprised that the zombie story has taken up such a large space in the novel at the end.
The motto of the novel is a poem from the baroque era. Mortality, which the baroque author Andreas Gryphius deals with, is a counter position to the repression of death in the present. In dealing with the transience of life, the author poses the question of how to explain society's reactions to the current threat in relation to the pandemic.
The interview gives the impression that Randel's narrative is controlled by emotions and experiences. Themes and motifs are imposed by the narrative and are given space in the novel. Whether the handling of the pandemic in the narrative is just as unreflected as the author would like to make us believe, the readers must probably find out for themselves. Read More Read Less
tag Corona-Roman Zombies Gesellschaft Metapher Literature/ Text Interview
»Das ist kein Neustart, das ist der Tod auf Raten« . Konzertveranstalter und Corona
»This is not a fresh start, this is living on borrowed time« . concert organizers and Corona
by Benjamin Fischer (17 Aug 2020)
Original source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Stephan Thanscheidt is co-head of FKP Scorpio. The company, with around 350 employees in 11 countries, is not only one of the largest festival organizers in Europe, but last year the company hosted around 3000 concerts by more or less well-known musicians - including superstars such as Ed Sheeran and David Guetta. Thanscheidt is primarily responsible for the organization of the festivals. In the summer, he usually spends more time at festivals than at his desk. This is important in order to keep a feel for the wishes and expectations of the visitors.
In March and April, FKP Scorpio continued to plan the summer events. Although there was already a bad feeling during the lockdown, but without a long-term cancellation by the authorities, the company had no choice but to postpone the festivals for the time being in order not to lose insurance coverage. This was an enormous effort, as events and the corresponding tickets had to be rebooked time and again. The advertising was reissued, only to announce the next postponement.
The industry, which even during the economic crisis of 2009 had hardly any loss of revenue, now faces completely new challenges. Short-time work and home offices have been completely unknown until now. Although there are regular digital meetings, it is difficult to realize joint creative work. Especially for the ten trainees, the situation is more than unsatisfactory, as they are currently only getting to know parts of the planned areas of responsibility.
In the summer, the industry has prepared itself for a standstill until Christmas. If no events are possible next year either, many companies are on the verge of closure. Although the public and politicians have the impression at the moment that the drive-in cinema concerts or other events will bring money back into the coffers, according to Thanscheidt, this is not a matter of income to be taken seriously, but rather of "living on borrowed time". FKP Scorpio has been running a solid business in recent years and can still fall back on reserves. If, however, no festivals with normal capacity can be held next year, FKP Scorpio will also be in trouble. Read More Read Less
In March and April, FKP Scorpio continued to plan the summer events. Although there was already a bad feeling during the lockdown, but without a long-term cancellation by the authorities, the company had no choice but to postpone the festivals for the time being in order not to lose insurance coverage. This was an enormous effort, as events and the corresponding tickets had to be rebooked time and again. The advertising was reissued, only to announce the next postponement.
The industry, which even during the economic crisis of 2009 had hardly any loss of revenue, now faces completely new challenges. Short-time work and home offices have been completely unknown until now. Although there are regular digital meetings, it is difficult to realize joint creative work. Especially for the ten trainees, the situation is more than unsatisfactory, as they are currently only getting to know parts of the planned areas of responsibility.
In the summer, the industry has prepared itself for a standstill until Christmas. If no events are possible next year either, many companies are on the verge of closure. Although the public and politicians have the impression at the moment that the drive-in cinema concerts or other events will bring money back into the coffers, according to Thanscheidt, this is not a matter of income to be taken seriously, but rather of "living on borrowed time". FKP Scorpio has been running a solid business in recent years and can still fall back on reserves. If, however, no festivals with normal capacity can be held next year, FKP Scorpio will also be in trouble. Read More Read Less
tag Konzertveranstalter Festivals Versicherung Planungssicherheit Exit-Strategie Auszubildende Music Beitrag
Martin Meyers Buch »Corona« – die Pandemie wird Literatur
Martin Meyer's book "Corona" - the pandemic becomes literature
by Christoph Leibold, Martin Meyer (19 Jul 2020)
Original source: BR24
The Swiss journalist and longtime NZZ columnist Martin Meyer has published with »Corona« one of the first Corona novels at Kein & Aber publisher. The text was developed from an idea during the lockdown. For the author, the subject of Corona is particularly interesting - as he describes it in an interview - because it asks basic questions and throws the individual back on his or her own ego. The examination of such existential situations is a characteristic of literature.
The old main character Matteo is also in a lockdown. The name of the dis ease that made the state of emergency necessary is not mentioned. Matteo reads epidemic literature to deal with his situation. The literature from the Bible to Albert Camus leads to philosophical activity. Martin Meyer understands the fact that the novel itself is entitled »Corona« as a reference to man as the pride of creation (in German: crown of creation). But the crown, according to Meyer, can also be seen as a crown of thorns, considering how fragile human existence is.
Asked whether literature does not need distance from an event in order to be able to reflect on it, Meyer makes a different claim. Literature can also emerge from personal affection. Read More Read Less
The old main character Matteo is also in a lockdown. The name of the dis ease that made the state of emergency necessary is not mentioned. Matteo reads epidemic literature to deal with his situation. The literature from the Bible to Albert Camus leads to philosophical activity. Martin Meyer understands the fact that the novel itself is entitled »Corona« as a reference to man as the pride of creation (in German: crown of creation). But the crown, according to Meyer, can also be seen as a crown of thorns, considering how fragile human existence is.
Asked whether literature does not need distance from an event in order to be able to reflect on it, Meyer makes a different claim. Literature can also emerge from personal affection. Read More Read Less
tag Corona-Roman Seuchenliteratur Martin Meyer Albert Camus Pest Literature/ Text 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.
Read More
Read Less
