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Sandra Sajovic
Cultural Tourism
Within the frame of the course for curators of contemporary art (the final
result of which is the exhibition) study trips are also organised. This
year we visited Vienna and Belgrade. The purpose of the study trips is
getting to know the international art scene, visit cultural and art institutions
and getting an insight into the mechanisms of operation of the entire
cultural industry.
Because of the specifics of the cultural tradition and the current cultural-political
and economic situation of the visited countries we were witnesses to two
completely different town atmospheres and local artistic scenes.
On one hand Vienna, a historically important centre of cultural and artistic
manifestations, rich with museums and galleries, which reach from mega
institutions of high culture to small sale galleries, from multinational
businesses exhibition pavilions to squatter's temples of art, from the
diversified centres to narrowly specialised exhibitions. Due to the busy
schedule there was little time for in depth discussions with the heads
of the artistic programs and curators. On most occasions we managed to
obtain merely the basic information as regards the proliferation of the
gallery, the manner of operation, the budget, etc. The surplus of the
visit itself was the round table at which the artists and the leading
cultural workers of individual underground movements (which were the driving
force of the resistance movement against the conservative policy of the
leading party headed by Jörg Haider) co-operated. The theme was of great
importance for us, for at the time we have already roughly limited our
subject of investigation, i.e. the phenomenon of activism as a way (cultural
and political) of committed operation within the artistic system. In fact,
the round table provided the only true opportunity to obtain a deeper
insight into the actual work of the local scene during those few days
of cultural tourism, for from the visits of numerous exhibition venues
all we were left with were merely calling cards. However, the visit to
Belgrade had a completely different concept. The running from one gallery
to another was substituted by a whole day's visits to the Center for Contemporary
Arts - Belgrade, during which the organisers tried to encourage discussions
on the theme politics and art through lectures by theoreticians, presentations
of some artists, art groups and galleries as well as a round table. The
overview of the artistic production of the last decade on the Yugoslav
soil and the visits of those few active institutions gave us a clear picture
of the conditions in which the artists still create and live and the galleries,
museums and centres operate. Maybe the entire scenario lacked time for
socialising, therefore it happened that instead of attending a lecture
one preferred to visit a local artist, where one could also get to learn
about the local gossip. The latter is not usually a part of the regular
study programme, but may sometimes give you a better insight into the
events.
Undoubtedly the study trips and exchanges are an important and necessary
segment at expanding the knowledge and friendships as well as at the training
of the new curators of contemporary art, at which the most important is
the personal commitment of the individual, for even the best programme
does not offer any benefit to the passive external observer.
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