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.


 

So werden wir die Welt nicht retten
This is not how we will save the world

by Cornelius Meister (29 Oct 2020)
Original source: Staatsoper Stuttgart

Failure of the German society is diagnosed by the General Music Director of the Stuttgart State Opera, Cornelius Meister, in his statement on the current situation in the Corona crisis. On the one hand the society did not manage to stop the virus, on the other hand it could not give the politicians any confidence that a differentiated decision would be handled responsibly. And so cultural institutions where no infections have been detected are now being taken into collective custody - worse still, they are being categorized under "leisure facilities". This blac k and white thinking is dangerous, and who if not culture could counteract it? The humanistic tradition, which Cornelius Meister advocates, means not only differentiated action on the part of politics, but at the same time a way of dealing with one another that is characterized by mindfulness. Only in this way can the physical and mental health of our fellow human beings be protected. A "cultureless November", on the other hand, will not save the world

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tag November-Lockdown gemeinsame Verantwortung schwarz-weiß Denken Freizeiteinrichtungen Kollektivhaft
Performing Arts/ Cinema Statement

Jagt den Krimi in die Luft! . Literatur und Corona
Blow up the thriller! . Literature and Corona

by Simone Buchholz (28 Oct 2020)
Original source: Zeit

Crises freeze time for a moment and divide our experience into a before and after. One of the central tasks of art is to tell about such times of crisis. One genre for which the crisis is a core element is the crime fiction,novel, and so it is not surprising that the German crime novelist Simone Buchholz reflects on a new orientation of the genre in the weekly newspaper »Die Zeit«.
In order to finally gain a firm place in the genre of society novels, the crime fiction would have to throw overboard a whole range of its previous characteristics, above al l a simplistic narrative and the German idyll. Instead, the new crime fiction must shake at the genre's boundaries, leave every safe haven and devote itself to the completely unknown. Only the individual can be at the center of such a new novel. The characteristics that Buchholz now lists are the human striving for knowledge, his sense of solidarity and an idea of social cohesion. This reads as if Faust was crossed with Gretchen. The new crime fiction novel should also be a contemporary witness and, in addition to documenting the state of the crisis, it should also document how the crisis was withstood.  
Is the genre abolishing itself? asks the experienced crime novelist at the end of her dream of a new crime fiction novel. We will know when her new novel is published.

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tag Corona-Roman Kriminalroman Neuausrichtung von der Krise erzählen Quo vadis ars
Literature/ Text Reflexion

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

Eight Small New York Theaters Sue Cuomo Over Pandemic Restrictions

by Michael Paulson (26 Oct 2020)
Original source: New York Times

Eight smaller New York theaters with less than 200 seats are suing the Governor and Mayor of New York and claiming their right to equal treatment, as bowling alleys, casinos, gyms and shopping malls have already been allowed to reopen. The theaters are represented by attorney James G. Mermigis, who has already successfully sued for the reopening of the Catholic Diocese of New York and the gym.

tag New York Theater Rechtsweg Gleichbehandlung Verhältnismäßigkeit
Performing Arts/ Cinema Bericht

»Die virtuelle Welt hilft uns leider nicht« . Star-Geigerin Anne-Sophie Mutter über Corona
»Unfortunately the virtual world does not help us at all« . Star violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter on Corona

by Anne-Sophie Mutter, Gero Schließ (20 Oct 2020)
Original source: Deutsche Welle

Already in the summer, violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and her colleagues wrote an open letter calling for support from the society for musicians. Now she is using the Opus Klassik award to draw attention to the precarious situation of many artists in the Corona crisis. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, she once again expresses her position. She herself is doubly affected by the pandemic. Not only are most of her concerts cancelled for 2020, but in March she had to cancel her tour because she herself had fallen ill with the corona virus.
The violinist reacts with incomprehension to the current actions of politics. At concerts and cultural events, there are extremely strict rules of hygiene, while in restaurants people are allowed to celebrate without distance. The fact that this not only discriminates against a single profession, but also against a high-turnover industry and thus the entire German cultural landscape is on the verge of collapse, hurts her very much. She does not want her concerns to be understood as criticism of the work of the Minister of State for Culture, with whom she is in close contact. Rather, she hopes for new aid measures for all solo self-employed people in the cultural industry so that it can be saved through the crisis. If this does not happen, the industry must raise its voice in demonstrations.
For Mutter, there is no question that art and culture are important as sources of consolation, especially in times of crisis. To rely on streaming as self-exploitation of artists in this time is no solution for society as a whole. Even if concerts are currently taking place, the musicians usually play without a part of their fee, since they usually give two concerts each in front of a hall that is at most half full. Mutter suggests that one should follow the example from Salzburg, where with the chessboard pattern and consistent testing the festival could be carried out as usual. The gratitude of the audience, which she experienced in autumn, shows her how important music is during a crisis.

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tag Klassik Streaming Schachbrettmuster Salzburger Festspiele Honorar Gleichbehandlung Monika Grütters
Music Interview

The arts sector is already suffering . This year's budget just pours salt on the wound

by Leya Reid (08 Oct 2020)
Original source: The Guardian

It is a simple calculation according to the Australia Institute: Every Australian million dollars invested in the arts creates nine jobs. In construction, that same investment generates just 0.9 to 1.3 jobs. But obviously the Liberal-National Coalition government is ignoring this calculus in its recent fiscal strategy and does not include an increased support for the arts industry as first and worst hit sector by Covid 19. So no “jobs, jobs, jobs” as promised by treasurer Josh Frydenberg – at least not for the creative industries – but permanent i ncome reductions for the high-income earners. Concrete suggestions, such as those articulated in June by the National Association for the Visual Arts in an open letter, remain unheard. 

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tag Australien Wirtschaftsfaktor offener Brief Steuererleichterung
Visual Arts/Design Bericht

Louise Glück wird dem Handel nicht helfen können . Literaturnobelpreis und der Buchmarkt
Louise Glück will not be able to help the trade . Nobel Prize for Literature and the Book Market

by Gerrit Bartels (08 Oct 2020)
Original source: taz

With the announcement of the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Swedish Academy of Sciences heralds the autumn of books. In the week before the opening of the Book Fair, the market gets a first boost from the interest in the prize-winning works. By awarding the 2020 Prize to Louise Glück, the Nobel Commission has set a double signal: on the one hand, it insists on the sovereignty of interpretation in matters of literary merit, and on the other, it sets a political signal - as the few photographs show Louise Glück at the awarding of the National Human ities Medal by Barack Obama in 2016.
This double symbolic act is hitting the book trade hard. This year there is no boost, which is not only shifted by the attention paid to the award-winning author, but also meets authors in their environment. The two volumes of Louise Glück, translated into German, are out of print. No shop window can be decorated with them. No other poetry volumes can be advertised with them. They cannot compensate for the twenty to thirty percent drop in sales that bookstores and publishers have to cope with in the Corona year. The Book Fair as a visitor magnet and marketing instrument is also largely absent this year. So the publishers can only hope for the Christmas business. At a time when books are needed more than ever, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

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tag Buchmarkt Buchmesse Umsatzeinbruch Lyrik Nobelpreis Louise Glück
Literature/ Text Bericht

Ein Lebenszeichen aus der Szene, die am Abgrund tanzt . »Tag der Clubkultur« am 3. Oktober
A sign of life from the scene dancing to the precipice . "Day of Club Culture" on 3 October

by Jakob Bauer (02 Oct 2020)
Original source: rbb24

On October 3, the "Day of Club Culture" is celebrated in Berlin. In times of Corona there is no dancing to live music in a confined space, but the clubs have come up with creative concepts to draw attention to their situation. For example, there are two live concerts for 16 visitors at the Schokoladen. The tickets were raffled off on Facebook, the visitors sit on bar stools at bar tables to control the distances. A dinner with music accompaniment awaits the guests at the Ritter Butzke. At all events, consistent attention is paid to the adherence to hygiene conc epts. In this way, the club committee together with Berlin's Senator for Culture Klaus Lederer wants to set an example: Currently, the impression is often created that the danger of infection is particularly high in clubs - without being able to prove it. Since the clubs also have hygiene concepts in place, the organizers are convinced that the risk of infection is much higher at parties in the park than in their rooms. And so the "Day of Club Culture" is a sign of life for an industry that is one of the big losers of the Corona crisis. In Berlin, Klaus Lederer is fighting for their survival; in other cities, clubs receive less support.

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tag Clubszene Hygienekonzepte Klaus Lederer
Music Bericht

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

»Viele Kollegen von uns mussten Hartz IV beantragen«
»Many of our colleagues had to apply for Hartz IV social security«

by Wiebke Eymess, Jörg Burger (23 Sep 2020)
Original source: Die Zeit

With 80 performances a year, the cabaret duo "Das Geld liegt auf der Fensterbank, Marie", consisting of Wiebke Eymess and Friedolin Müller in the time before Corona, were able to finance themselves well. Together with their two children, the couple lives in the countryside and therefore has very reduced running expenses. Nevertheless the Corona crisis was a shock. As the couple was fully booked for two years in advance, Wiebke Eymess reacted to the cancellations with a panic attack in March. It took time for her to adjust to the new situation. She describe d her feelings and fears in a blog. The fact that the German radio station SWR3 now prints them twice a week as a column helps the family make ends meet. In addition, donations from loyal fans and craftsmanship help them keep their heads above water. The state support they received from the emergency aid programs was minimal. Even if the public has the impression that a lot is being done for culture, hardly anything of it is trickling down to the people affected. Although the ban on employment is being eased somewhat at the moment, and the first theaters and event venues have reopened, one can speak of it more as a hobby than as a job, due to the minimal fees involved. Also the incautiousness of politicians in their choice of language can have devastating consequences. Health Minister Jens Spahn warned of events recently, but actually meant family celebrations. The consequence: ticket sales for cultural events collapsed abruptly.

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tag Kabarett Berufsverbot Kulturförderung Soforthilfe Panikattacke
Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview

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The signet of facing arts joining the faces of STORM.

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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