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.
»Bei Öffnungen muss die Kultur dabei sein«
»Easings need to include culture«
by Carsten Brosda, Daniel Kaiser (11 Feb 2021)
Original source: NDR Kultur
The politicians' promise to present a step-by-step plan for a way out of the lockdown in mid-February was not fulfilled. Some ministers of culture have submitted a proposal that was not taken into account in the federal and state consultations. The question of how efficient the lockdown and the measures associated with it are is being raised more and more loudly. In an interview with NDR, Hamburg's Senator for Culture calls for a little patience. He hopes that the proposed gradual regulation for the opening of cultural institutions will also be implemented in par allel with retail and restaurants, also because of the excellent hygiene concepts in the institutions, so that culture is not disadvantaged as it was last autumn. In this context, he can hardly understand why the opening of hairdressing salons is currently being given priority. At the same time, he is concerned about the long-term consequences for cultural workers of the extension of the lockdown. At least in Hamburg, he does not see the financing of cultural institutions in jeopardy for the next two years. However, there will be no return to a cultural landscape like before the crisis, if only because the ranks of the players are thinning out.
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tag Lockdown Öffnung Kulturfinanzierung Friseursalons stiller Tod Perspektive All sections Interview
Beendet den kulturellen Notstand! . 100 Tage Kultur im Lockdown
Stop the cultural emergency! . 100 Days of Culture in Lockdown
by René Schlott (08 Feb 2021)
Original source: Deutschlandfunk Kultur
Cultural institutions in Germany have been closed for 100 days. The representatives of the interests of those working in the cultural sector are barely succeeding in making their voices heard. Emergency decisions such as the closure of all Berlin theaters until Easter are hailed as a victory for planning security, rather than a loss of cultural participation. Instead - as historian René Schlott notes with surprise - statements that fuel the closure of the theaters are increasingly heard in the media. For example, the cancellation of the Leipzig Book Fair was greet ed with hope in a Berlin newspaper as a sign that other major events will soon be canceled.Positive examples such as the successful staging of the Salzburg Festival are no longer mentioned. On the last weekend in January, the mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, declared a »cultural state of emergency« as part of the »Théatres Ouverts« initiative. This must also be ended as quickly as possible in our country.
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tag kultureller Notstand Lockdown Theater Museen Planungssicherheit Benoît Payan Théatres Ouverts Berichterstattung All sections Appell
Diese Normalität darf nicht zurückkehren . Am Sinn für tatsächliche Relevanz herrscht im Kulturbetrieb erschreckender Mangel
This normality must not return . There is a frightening lack of a sense of actual relevance in the culture industry
by Peter Grabowski (01 Feb 2021)
Original source: Politik & Kultur
With a persistently high incidence value, Yilmaz Dziewior, the director of the Museum Ludwig, expressed the assumption in a mid-January interview on Deutschlandfunk that the museums will reopen in mid-February. In his commentary, Peter Grabowski takes this statement as an opportunity to reflect on the overconfidence of cultural workers in Germany. Democracy is not in danger just because the public is not allowed into museums and theatres. These are leisure facilities. Central social issues have long since ceased to be negotiated in a leading role in cultural institutions . Social media and the mass media play a much more central role in discourse here. Therefore, Grabowski calls on cultural practitioners to leave their ivory tower, acknowledge the reality of the pandemic and think about how cultural institutions can regain more relevance in society.
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tag Kulturszene Relevanz Selbstüberschätzung Yilmaz Dziewior Quo vadis ars Lockdown All sections Kommentar
»Es wurde zu viel abgesagt« . Kultur während Corona
»Too much has been cancelled« . Culture during Corona
by Axel Zibulski (26 Dec 2020)
Original source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Already after the spring lockdown, it was clear to many concert organisers of smaller events that they would be better off financially foregoing performances. The few places that could be allocated did not allow for cost-covering events. Nevertheless, many of them spared no effort to be able to offer events again, to bring artists on stage. The audience gratefully accepted the offer. The tickets for each concert were quickly sold out.
Karl-Werner Joerg, who is in charge of several subscription series in the Rhine-Main region, criticises the fact that many organ isers have cancelled concerts in anticipatory obedience. Especially with the smaller concerts, hygiene concepts could be taken into account very well, which is why - unlike with a big rock concert - a cancellation did not seem necessary. This also shows the support he has received. Subscribers have largely supported him, some concerts could be made possible with special public payments or private donations.
For a freelance concert organiser who does not have his own venue, the emergency aid and bridging funds were not available during the lockdown. On the one hand, he has few fixed costs, on the other hand, he also had income from subscriptions during the lockdown, which he was, however, not allowed to use to finance the new season until the autumn.
In the current situation, he demands above all that smaller events be allowed to take place again and that the industry show more solidarity. If large spaces were opened up for smaller organisers, this would not only help them and the musicians, but would also send an important signal to the »culture industry«: As in agriculture or retail, it should be about promoting smaller initiatives so that in the end it is not only the big chains that survive.
tag Konzertveranstalter Lockdown Planungssicherheit Solidarität Kulturindustrie Music 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.
Read More Read Lesstag Dezember-Lockdown Kulturveranstaltungen Advent Einsamkeit Trost Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen All sections Kommentar
Mathe im Museum . Corona und die Künste
Mathematics at the museum . Corona and the arts
by Catrin Lorch (11 Nov 2020)
Original source: Süddeutsche Zeitung
With the partial lockdown in November, solidarity in society begins to crumble. Politics is not innocent in this, since many cultural workers cannot understand the reason why cultural institutions in particular have to close, due to the excellent hygiene concepts. Instead of stylizing herself as a victim, the director of the Kunsthalle Bielefeld turns the tables and offers her spacious and well air-conditioned premises to schools as classrooms. Federal Minister of Education Anja Karliczek does not seem to be averse to the proposal to use out-of-school rooms for lessons, since in many places there are not sufficiently large and well air-conditioned classrooms available to give lessons.
The creativity with which the cultural sector is responding to the challenge of the crisis is still lacking in the political arena. This is how Catrin Lorch describes the New Deal, which provided artists and cultural workers in America with commissions during the depression of the 1930s and thus saved them from the crisis. She names artists such as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, who became successful over the course of the century and would not have made it through the economic crisis without this support. Another advantage of government commissions at that time in the United States was that art and culture were received by a broad public and thus contributed to a national identity. Thus, a gesture of solidarity by the art institutions could not only encourage the state to become more sovereign, generous and creative, but at the same time counteract the current distribution struggles. Read More Read Less
The creativity with which the cultural sector is responding to the challenge of the crisis is still lacking in the political arena. This is how Catrin Lorch describes the New Deal, which provided artists and cultural workers in America with commissions during the depression of the 1930s and thus saved them from the crisis. She names artists such as Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock, who became successful over the course of the century and would not have made it through the economic crisis without this support. Another advantage of government commissions at that time in the United States was that art and culture were received by a broad public and thus contributed to a national identity. Thus, a gesture of solidarity by the art institutions could not only encourage the state to become more sovereign, generous and creative, but at the same time counteract the current distribution struggles. Read More Read Less
tag New Deal Schule im Museum Künstlerförderung Solidarität Christina Végh Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen All sections Bericht
»Ich empfinde die Schließung der Theater als reine Willkür«
»I consider the closure of the theatres as purely arbitrary«
by Dieter Hallervorden, Susanne Lenz (09 Nov 2020)
Original source: Berliner Zeitung
Not proportionality, but arbitrariness is a characteristic feature of the current corona resolutions. Based on this view, the German actor and comedian Dieter Hallervorden has enormous doubts as to whether the closure of the theaters this fall is actually legal. Therefore, as the owner of the Schlosspark Theater in Berlin, he has filed an expedited motion with the Administrative Court against the closure of his theater. In an interview with the Berliner Zeitung, he points out that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has called the theaters "safe places". Basi cally, people come closer to each other at a hairdresser than in a playhouse. He therefore does not see the proportionality that is a prerequisite for the restriction of basic rights. In his expedited motion, he refers to the freedom of the arts as laid down in the German constitution, which he sees endangered by the closure of the theaters. Although he himself has had to contribute a great deal of money in recent months to cover the running costs of the Schlosstheater, the financial loss hurts at most his son, whose inheritance is diminished by this. The successful actor does not seem to be in financial straits for a long time yet.
Hallervorden, who characterizes himself as a rebel, is particularly pleased that he has received a great deal of recognition and approval from the audience. Disappointment is read between the lines when he confirms that although many colleagues wished him success in his application, there was very little active solidarity. Read More Read Less
Hallervorden, who characterizes himself as a rebel, is particularly pleased that he has received a great deal of recognition and approval from the audience. Disappointment is read between the lines when he confirms that although many colleagues wished him success in his application, there was very little active solidarity. Read More Read Less
tag Theater November-Lockdown Verhältnismäßigkeit Eilantrag Grundgesetz Kunstfreiheit Schlosspark Theater Performing Arts/ Cinema Interview
Corona zum Weihnachtsgeschäft: Wie es dem Buchhandel in der Krise geht
Corona for the Christmas business: How the book trade is doing in the crisis
by Michael Wurmitzer (09 Nov 2020)
Original source: Der Standard
Actually, the sales figures for the Austrianbook industry in Corona times look good. Following slumps of minus 41 and minus 65 percent in March and April respectively, the figures for the fall were actually slightly higher than the previous year. But if you take a closer look at the figures, like Helmut Zechner from the bookshop Heyn in Klagenfurt and Chairman of the Austrian Booksellers Association, the situation looks different. If you take the online giant Amazon out of the statistics, the bookstores are left with an annual minus of twelve percent. The can cellation of the Buch Wien book fair and the lockdown now give booksellers reason to fear the worst, as the industry in Austria generates a third of its annual sales in November and December. Contemporary literature in particular is now suffering from the lack of attention to new publications. It is difficult to say whether the lack of readings and events is actually the cause of the drop in sales. Small publishing houses in particular are making a living from live events, while the large corporations have currently stepped up their social media activities and are increasingly offering online readings. On the other hand, small publishers in particular have a more loyal core audience. In addition, many publishers have slimmed down their fall program considerably, while large bookstore chains like Thalia are increasingly focusing on hygiene concepts. Thalia even offers pick-up machines in Vienna to provide customer-friendly service during the crisis. The reduction in value-added tax is also currently a great help to the industry - although there are already indications that this will not be extended beyond the turn of the year. So the only thing that remains to be hoped for is a good Christmas business so that the book industry in Austria can get through the crisis well.
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tag Buchhandel Verlage Buchmesse Amazon Umsatz Weihnachtsgeschäft Hygienekonzept Literature/ Text Bericht
Stille mit Vorsatz . Verbale Aufrüstung schlägt nötige Differenzierung: zur Kritik der Kulturbranche am zweiten Shutdown
Silence with intent . Verbal armament beats necessary differentiation: on the culture industry's criticism of the second shutdown
by Hartmut Welscher, Christian Koch (04 Nov 2020)
Original source: VAN Magazin für klassische Musik
The fact that the November lockdown hits art and culture hard, even though excellent hygiene concepts were developed to protect the public, divides the cultural world in Germany. The displeasure was expressed in open letters and articles in newspapers and social media. Only a few balanced voices can be heard at present. Federal and state governments are not innocent of this situation, as they have caused displeasure by failing to provide adequate justification as to which cultural and economic sectors are to be closed and which may remain open. As was already the case in March, many cultural workers feel offended by politics being assigned to professions that are not systemically relevant. So they feel that their function for society is not valued. Many now joined the statement of the trumpeter Tim Brönner, who complained that the cultural industry had no lobby, and tried to make themselves heard. The verbal armament, however, conceals the fact that the pandemic constitutes a twofold threat to artists: in addition to the material threat, many of them increasingly find themselves in a crisis of identity when they are no longer allowed to perform or interact with an audience. And so artists are currently making themselves heard loud and clear, but are still unable to find their way around.This applies not only to culture, but also to politics, which is currently more likely to stumble forward than to steer the processes in a targeted manner. And so the authors feel uncomfortable when Finance Minister Olaf Scholz keeps granting new aid programs. Public funds are limited, and the first municipalities are already making cuts.
For the cultural industry, the question now is where the development is heading. There will hardly be a return to the status quo-especially since it was not a good one before the crisis. At the beginning of the pandemic, many musicians were happy to have escaped the »hamster wheel of global competition and competitive pressure«. Can't quantity leave the field to quality? In this way, the cultural sector could at the same time make its contribution to solving the ecological question. Read More Read Less
For the cultural industry, the question now is where the development is heading. There will hardly be a return to the status quo-especially since it was not a good one before the crisis. At the beginning of the pandemic, many musicians were happy to have escaped the »hamster wheel of global competition and competitive pressure«. Can't quantity leave the field to quality? In this way, the cultural sector could at the same time make its contribution to solving the ecological question. Read More Read Less
tag Klassik Musikbranche November-Lockdown Lagerbildung Lobby Sinnkrise Existenzkrise Quo vadis ars Stille Hamsterrad Music Bericht
»Wir brauchen mehr Klarheit« . Theaterintendant über Lockdown-Folgen
. Theater director about lockdown consequences
by Christian Stückl, Sabine Leucht (02 Nov 2020)
Original source: taz
Ten Bavarian theaters sought dialogue with the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder last week. They did not receive an answer to their letter - whether this was only because the lockdown light was already in prospect remains open. Apart from Munich's Head of Cultural Affairs, nobody has reviewed the hygiene concepts of Munich's Volkstheater, as director Christian Stückl reports in an interview. Stückl sees the problem of the new lockdown on the one hand in the fact that the facilities which are not among the drivers of infection are now being close d. In contrast to the retail trade, culture is probably not loud enough when it comes to defending its interests. On the other hand, politicians seem to be relying on the fact that it is precisely the large institutions that are subsidized by the state and will therefore be less affected by the crisis. The fact that the many solo self-employed and the entire independent scene are in danger is often ignored.
The Munich ensembles have now asked the decision-makers for a debate on the proportionality of the measures. Whether this offer of discussion will be accepted is still open. But Stückl is already thinking aloud about whether otherwise a lawsuit would not be the right way forward.
As yet, the houses are not yet short of visitors, partly because of the reduced quotas. However, Stückl fears a de-familiarization effect if the facilities remain closed for longer. What is much worse, however, are the effects of the crisis on the artists. He reports on a conversation with a dancer who has only a few years to practice his art. If he can't dance in front of an audience now, there's no making up for it. Read More Read Less
The Munich ensembles have now asked the decision-makers for a debate on the proportionality of the measures. Whether this offer of discussion will be accepted is still open. But Stückl is already thinking aloud about whether otherwise a lawsuit would not be the right way forward.
As yet, the houses are not yet short of visitors, partly because of the reduced quotas. However, Stückl fears a de-familiarization effect if the facilities remain closed for longer. What is much worse, however, are the effects of the crisis on the artists. He reports on a conversation with a dancer who has only a few years to practice his art. If he can't dance in front of an audience now, there's no making up for it. Read More Read Less
