MANAGEMENT,
COMMUNICATIONS
AND
OUR
MUS ING ON CUL TURE RELATIONSHIP
WITH
PEOPLE
MARIA VLACHOU FOREWORDS BY JORGE SILVA MELO AND MICHAEL M. KAISER
MUSING ON CULTURE MANAGEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE
MARIA VLACHOU
BYPASSEDITIONS
Title: Musing on Culture: Management, Communications and Our Relationship with People Author: Maria Vlachou Design: Flatland Design Proofreading: Maria Vlachou and BYPASS BYPASS Editions Álvaro Seiça + Gaëlle Marques Lisbon and Malmö www.bypass.pt info@bypass.pt Print run: 500 copies Printing: Textype Artes Gráficas, Portugal Legal Deposit: 356 138/13 ISBN 978-989-97189-3-7 © 2013 Maria Vlachou © 2013 Bypass Editions All rights reserved
CONTENTS FOREWORDS
8 9 12
Jorge Silva Melo Michael M. Kaiser INTRODUCTION
THE PLACE OF CULTURE
17 21 25 29 33
Places of Encounter I Think of Luis Soriano Ministry of Culture: Which Culture? Whose Culture? The Stories We Tell Ourselves Clash of Cultures ON MANAGEMENT
39 41 45 49 53 59 65 69 73
Is It Only the Term That Bothers? Building Trust Leaders Are Needed Crise Oblige? (I) Some Questions Crise Oblige? (II) Programming Challenges Crise Oblige? (III) Management Challenges The Burden We Insist on Carrying Who ‘Deserves’ to Be Funded (II) Some Conclusions Building a Family: Lesson from the Social Sector ON PEOPLE – COMMUNICATIONS – ACCESS
79 83 87 91 95 99 103 107
Invitation to the Party Talking About ‘New’ Audiences The Difference Between ‘More’ and ‘Diverse’ Changes: Are We Paying Enough Attention? Faces We Are for People. Or... Are We? To Be or Not to Be (Free on Sundays)? That Is Not the Question Says Who?
ON MARKETING
113 117 121 125 129
Let's Get Rid of the Logo Dictatorship Judging by the Cover What Can Make the Difference? On Social Media, One... Socializes Naked Men, Sex, Condoms, Orgasms. Interested? ON MUSEUMS
135 139 143 147 149
Museums: New Churches? Free to Visit An Art Museum Silent and Apolitical? The Long Distance Between California and Jerusalem What or Who Is the Barrier?
154
INDEX OF LINKS
FORE WORDS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
These, and a host of other important challenges, lead any thoughtful arts manager to address important questions: How do we find new sources of revenue? How do we ensure equitable access to culture despite funding constraints? How can technology be used as an ally? How do we make our work visible to the entire society? In fact, what is the role of the arts and arts institutions in the 21st century? These are just some of the crucial questions raised and addressed in this volume. There are, of course, no easy answers to these questions and Maria, wisely, does not pretend to hold all of the answers. She knows that what works in the United States may or may not also work in Portugal, in Europe. But she also knows that there is much we can learn from each other and that assuming that differing arts ecologies have no points of intersection is a dangerous, and limiting, point of departure. This volume raises issues and begins conversations that must continue for years, perhaps for decades, to come. It will not be my generation of arts leaders who reshape the arts to address the realities of a new world of arts funding, technology, demographics or economics. We are too embedded in old concepts and approaches. Rather, it will be people like Maria and her peers to do so. I, for one, cannot wait to see what they create!
10
INTRO DUCTION
ACCESS ACCOUNTABILITY
ARTS
THE PLACE OF CULTURE
AUDIENCES
CRISIS CULTURAL POLICIES CULTURE DEMOCRACY
DIALOGUE DIVERSITY
EDUCATION
HUMAN RIGHTS IMMIGRATION
INTERPRETATION
MEMORY
MUSEUMS
POLITICS
THEATRES TOLERANCE
PLACES OF ENCOUNTER Last Saturday I saw Pororoca, Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues's latest work, presented at Culturgest, in Lisbon. Lia Rodrigues Companhia de Danças was formed 20 years ago. In 2007 the company started a new project, Centro de Artes da Maré, at the Maré favela (slum area) in Rio de Janeiro, a place deprived of cultural institutions. That is where Pororoca was created – an Indian word for a natural phenomenon caused by the meeting of river and sea water, known in English as ‘bore’ – and that is where the programme ‘Dance for All’ takes place, offering free lessons of corporal expression and contemporary dance. The company carries out its activity in partnership with an NGO that aims to prepare the favela youth for university and to promote art and education projects. Those living in Rio de Janeiro can book by email and a minivan picks them up and takes them to the favela, where they attend, for free, the company's shows, together with the local population. And, thus, ‘pororoca’ takes place... “We are not here thinking that we are solving any problems or making a better future for all... What we aim is to build ‘places between,’ where one can meet, get to know and socialize with the ‘other’ (…),” explained Lia Rodrigues during the conversation that followed the show. The choreographer's statement reminded me of another, by Daniel Barenboim, co-founder, together with Edward W. Said, of the WestEastern Divan Orchestra, a project that involves Israeli and Palestinian musicians, as well as musicians from other Arab countries and Iran (although not an Arab country, but one in conflict with Israel). So, Barenboim said: “The Divan is not a love story and it is not a peace story. It has very flatteringly been described as a project for peace. It isn't. It's not going to bring peace, whether you play well or not so well. The Divan was conceived as a project against ignorance. A project against the fact that it is absolutely essential for people to get to know the other, to understand what the other thinks and feels, without necessarily agreeing with it.” One of the highlights of this orchestra, created in 1999, was the concert in Ramallah, on August 21, 2005.
17
Posted on April 19, 2010
CULTURE
DIALOGUE
HUMAN RIGHTS
MUSEUMS
THEATRES
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
helps interrogate and look for answers, it entertains, it brings relief. It introduces us to the ‘other,’ it is able to bring closer people who come from different backgrounds, who even speak different languages. It is something that can be shared. The times we live in and those that are approaching are difficult, critical times. They are times that are able to kill hope, to finish with many people's world – the way they knew it, the way they liked it and wanted to preserve it. They are times of great changes, times that feed the fear of what is different, that turn diversity into a threat. In times like these, it is even more urgent and relevant to be paying attention to the changes, to create conditions for a greater cultural development and involvement of the people themselves, to invest more on ‘culture per capita’ – an expression of the Greek thinker Christos Yannaras –, to defend diversity. I am thus thinking a lot of the responsibilities this reality brings for culture professionals. I am thinking more and more of the children and young people whose families have not got the possibility to give them access to that extremely rich world that surrounds them, to those extremely diverse cultures. And I am thinking more and more of the decisive role the school, a teacher, can play in the lives of those people, the future adults. I think of Luis Soriano. Video: Biblioburro – The donkey library http://youtu.be/wuTswmx9TQU
24
ACCESS
ARTS AUDIENCES
MINISTRY OF CULTURE: WHICH CULTURE? WHOSE CULTURE? The protection of human rights, in a cultural society, requires the observance of cultural rights, these being universally accepted rights. There are no human
CULTURAL POLICIES
rights, much less democracy, without cultural justice, without cultural diversity
CULTURE
and pluralism and, much less, without guaranteeing the right to exist, the right to visibility, the right to difference and cultural dignity. Flávia Piovesan, “Construindo a Democracia: Prática Cultural, Direitos Sociais e Cidadania,” 2002 [‘Building Democracy: Cultural Practice, Social Rights and Citizenship.’ Trans. by the author]
An 11-year-old boy told me the other day that only when he is on holiday in Algarve, Portugal, he can go to the cinema, because in Évora, where he lives, there is no cinema. My first reaction was disbelief; then shock; then shame; in the end, anger. Évora, a district capital, a university town, has not got a movie theatre in 2012. This made me think again of António Gomes de Pinho's interview in the TV programme Câmara Clara3 (February 26, 2012), on the Portuguese channel RTP2, where he said that maintaining a Ministry of Culture that had been losing its political weight was an exaggerated expense, an autophagic consumption; this is why António Gomes de Pinho – former president of the Serralves Foundation board, in Oporto – had been defending the extinction of the Ministry, the reduction in services and the investment of the available resources in the creators, who are the ones who make culture. Despite agreeing with the first part of this argument, I cannot agree with the solution proposed. The existence of a Ministry of Culture is not justified, in the first place, for supporting creators and its extinction does not affect (in the sense of benefiting or harming), in the first place, creation. A Ministry of Culture exists so that the young boy from Évora (and many more boys and girls, men and women, all over the country) 3
25
Available at http://camaraclara.rtp.pt/#/arquivo/244.
Posted on April 2, 2012
THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES When I was 11 years old and our car broke down during a visit to Constantinople, I was very surprised that a number of people came to assist us and they neither gave up nor did they attack us when they found out we were Greeks (we were supposed to be hating each other). At the age of 12, I was shocked to hear, in a foreign documentary, that Alexander the Great was an imperialist and a people's murderer (everybody was supposed to admire and acknowledge his greatness). At 19, again in Turkey, in Smyrna, I felt puzzled when an old fisherman started crying when he found out we were Greeks and said he was from Crete (was he not supposed to speak Greek, then?). During that same trip, arriving at Afyonkarahisar, I felt disturbed when I saw in the central square a statue representing a battle between a Turk and a Greek, the latter being on the ground (the Greeks were supposed to be always on their feet). At 23, while visiting a history museum in the town of Halifax (UK), I felt outraged when I saw photos of fighters of the Cypriot resistance against British rule being identified as ‘terrorists’ (they were supposed to be honored by everyone as heroes). These are some of the moments when ‘my story’ was challenged. The clash was considerable in all of them. Useful, as well. Because, as the surprise, the shock, the puzzlement or the outrage subsided – and also, the more I travelled, the more people I got to know – I was becoming more and more conscious of the existence of more stories, apart from mine, but related to me, too; they came to complement my own, at times contradicting it. There have been more moments like these, but now they are somehow ‘expected,’ they are welcome, they bring the pleasure of discovery and knowledge, they provide an approach, a different understanding, without necessarily resulting in an agreement. In one way or the other, museums, of all kinds, tell stories, make inter pretations. Almost 20 years ago, I was starting my studies in museology. In my first readings, preparing my first courseworks, I often came across
29
Posted on April 16, 2012
CULTURAL POLICIES CULTURE
DIALOGUE DIVERSITY
HUMAN RIGHTS IMMIGRATION
INTERPRETATION
MEMORY
MUSEUMS
POLITICS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
references regarding the fact that people acknowledged the ‘authority’ of museums, were looking for the ‘truth’ in them, trusted them and recognized their importance; even those who did not visit. At that time, it seemed to me as if that was the only possibility and I recognized the enormous responsibility this trust brought upon museum professionals when interpreting collections, an interpretation that should be ‘objective.’ Almost 20 years later, the museums I like the best are those which do not consider themselves to be an ‘authority,’ do not aim to be ‘objective,’ accept the plurality of narratives (also coming from nonspecialists) and are not afraid to provide space for them to be expressed and shared. The museums I like the most are those which question themselves and question me, question ‘my story.’ A recent first visit to the Musée du Quai Branly, in Paris, made me think again about these issues. I remembered all the controversy that surrounded the creation of this museum, which brought together the collections of the ethnology laboratory of the Musée de l'Homme and of the Musée National des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie. Ironically, in the words of President Jacques Chirac at the inauguration,5 this museum represents the rejection of ethnocentrism, of this unreasonable and unacceptable pretension of the West to hold within itself the destiny of humanity. It represents the rejection of the false evolutionism that claims that some peoples remain in a previous stage of human evolution and that their so-called ‘primitive’ cultures are merely worth serving as objects of study for the anthropologist or, at best, as an inspiration for the Western artist. In the period that preceded the opening of the museum, a survey was carried out with the aim to find out what was the public's point of view regarding its creation. The results, presented in the article “Du MAAO au Musée du Quai-Branly: Le Point de Vue des Publics sur Une Mutation Culturelle” (2005), by Wilfried Rault and Mélanie Roustan, allow us to conclude that the citizens' worries and expectations concentrated on 5
Allocution de M. Jacques Chirac, Président de la République, on the museum's website at http://www.quaibranly.fr.
30
two issues: should Quai Branly be an art or an ethnology museum; and should it be a museum about colonialism or rather a kind of full stop in an uncomfortable and painful story – and a new starting point. These same issues were the object of reflection and criticism on behalf of the specialists too. In Quai Branly's permanent exhibition, I found an art museum – a museum that invited me to simply contemplate and appreciate beautiful objects. This was not what I was looking for and I do not think that through this kind of approach one manages to “reject ethnocentrism” and elevate the cultures of other peoples to the status they ‘deserve.’ The permanent exhibition does not actually tell any story, much less that of the creation of this collection. Nevertheless, Quai Branly offers much more: temporary exhibitions (those, yes, inquisitive, perplexing, surprising, such as the current one, Exhibitions: L’Invention du Sauvage), conferences, guided tours, workshops, cinema, theatre, dance, music – a very rich parallel programme that aims to complement the permanent exhibition, explore it, scrutinize it, to actually bring cultures into dialogue (the museum motto is Là où dialoguent les cultures). Even though, I felt that there might still exist a ‘but.’ I felt that the dialogue might just be between ‘our’ culture and ‘theirs’ (and maybe even a kind of apology, ‘ours’ towards ‘them’). In the article “The Opening of the Musée du Quai Branly: Valuing/Displaying the ‘Other‘ in Post-Colonial France” (2006), by Agnès Blasselle and Anna Guarneri, one can read that the museum was conceived and built without getting in touch with the minorities, except in the week of inauguration – a marketing manoeuvre, according to an interviewee –, in order to guarantee a positive response. On the other hand, in “The Public Sphere as Wilderness: Le Musée du Quai Branly” (2009), by Anthony Alan Shelton – a very interesting account of the museum's first years of existence, with an extensive list of references in the end –, one can see that, at the time, just one third of the museum visitors were tourists
31
Posted on April 16, 2012
CULTURAL POLICIES CULTURE
DIALOGUE DIVERSITY
HUMAN RIGHTS IMMIGRATION
INTERPRETATION
MEMORY
MUSEUMS
POLITICS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
(meaning ‘foreign tourists’), while among the rest, 60% were frequent museum goers and 40% a new museum-going public, attracted by the links the museum provided between them and their cultures of origin. These are the statistics. In a very entertaining session with an African storyteller on a Sunday morning, I just saw white families. In the photos that illustrate the brochure of the March-May programme one also just sees white audiences. Could this be a coincidence? Although the challenge of shared ‘authority’ is common to all museums, I always felt that the task was somehow more complex in what concerned history or ethnology museums – museums which deal with life stories, with political events, with traumas, conflicts, hatred, with ‘us’ and ‘the others,’ with people. I always visit them with an enormous curiosity to find out if they accepted the challenge and how they dealt with it. By coincidence, a few weeks before visiting Quai Branly, I watched this video with Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie about “The stories Europe tells itself about its colonial history.” To know the ‘other’ is to hear his voice, in the first person. And in order for this to happen, an encounter must be provided. This is what good museums know how to do: create spaces of encounter. Of dialogue, as well. Video: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie “The stories Europe tells itself about its colonial history” http://youtu.be/-YEWg1vIOyw Also on the blog: Freedom of Speech (October 11, 2010) We, Cultural Hybrids (January 24, 2011)
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ACCOUNTABILITY
CLASH OF CULTURES I have been thinking about fear and the way it imprisons us, it restricts us, it makes us constantly accept compromises, it stops us from dreaming, it keeps us where we are, turning us into mediocre and ‘small’ human beings; the way and the reasons it is being cultivated – the culture of fear. I have recently read the book Freedom from Fear, a collection of texts and public speeches by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese activist, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, who spent 15 years under house arrest, but who has recently become a member of the Burmese parliament. This meant a lot to me. The first petition I ever signed, I was 19-20 years old, was one promoted by Amnesty International in order to liberate Suu. One of the speeches I now read in the book starts like this: “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.” With this sentence, my thoughts flew once again from Burma to the countries of the Arab Spring. I confess that, since the uprisings started, I never looked at the Arab countries as if they were ‘finally’ joining us – the ‘countries-guardians of democracy,’ the ‘free’ West. On the contrary, following the developments of the Arab Spring, I felt that we should be paying a lot of attention, because there are a number of lessons here for us. What I saw in this revolution were people who joined forces to overcome the fear, who acted as one for the common good, who fought for democracy – for the rights it grants, but taking on the obligations as well. I have read articles in newspapers, texts in blogs, I have talked to some people who come from those countries and what I have encountered are citizens who feel responsible for maintaining the ideals which guided this action, who are perfectly conscious that the struggle is not over and that they must be on constant alert in order not to go back. Knowing the course we took, is it a total utopia to wish that they may remain like this? That this actually works? Because I do
33
Posted on September 3, 2012
CRISIS
CULTURE DEMOCRACY
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
To expect those whom we trust with an executive power to be accountable and to take on – all of us, as citizens – the right and obligation to demand this? Especially because, as the SEC reminded us, Portugal (as others countries) is going through a terrible crisis, one that is not just financial. And this is also a question of Culture. Also on the blog: Comfort and Disturbance (July 9, 2012) Comfort and Disturbance, Part II (July 23, 2012)
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ACCESS
ARTS
ON MANAGE MENT
AUDIENCES
COMMUNICATIONS CRISIS
CULTURE
ECONOMICS
ENTRANCE FEES EVALUATION
FUNDING FUNDRAISING
IMPACT
LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT MARKETING
MICHAEL BODER MICHAEL M. KAISER MISSION
PRICING POLICIES
STRATEGY SUSTAINABILITY
VISION VISITOR STUDIES
IS IT ONLY THE TERM THAT BOTHERS? When 17 years ago I started my MA in Museum Studies and I discovered the world of cultural marketing, that is, the world of marketing for not-for-profit institutions, there was an intense controversy going on regarding this subject. For the big majority of museum professionals, marketing was incompatible with the mission and objectives of these institutions. There were warnings regarding the danger of ‘museolo gical prostitution’ or the creation of ‘cultural supermarkets.’ In 2002, I wrote an article for the Portuguese Museum Network bulletin entitled “Museum Marketing: After All, Is It Only the Term That Bothers Us?”9 I read it again now, eight years later, and, although today I would have probably constructed my arguments in a slightly different way, there are certain points I still defend: the need and interest of museums in using marketing as a means that allows for a consistent and efficient communication and that contributes in fulfilling their mission; the awareness that museums were already developing various marketing initiatives – but in an isolated, unarticulated way, that was not part of strategic planning –, which could lead to the conclusion that it was mostly the term that bothered and not the use of those techniques; the need for the profession (of museologist) to qualify its own specialists in marketing – people that would be sensitive towards the sector's specifications, able to help in fulfilling the mission, knowing at the same time how to respect it. The conference “Economics and Theatre: Challenges in Times of Crisis,” that took place last Thursday at the National Theatre of D. Maria II, in Lisbon, made me think again about all this. I could not go to the conference, so I just read a partial report about what was said in an article in the newspaper Público, entitled “Managing a Theatre Is Not Like Managing a Company,”10 quoting Miguel Lobo Antunes, one of the speakers of the panel “What should theatre directors know about economics?” 9
The article was originally published in Portuguese: “Marketing de Museus: Será que Afinal é Só o Termo que Incomoda?” 10 Title of the original: “Gerir um Teatro não é Como Gerir uma Empresa” (November 26, 2010).
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Posted on November 29, 2010
CULTURE
ECONOMICS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
The economics debate, that at times seems to be dominating everything and everyone, is a common concern to many cultural agents, probably the majority, especially when economic indicators become the main performance indicators for our institutions. Nevertheless, when reading the article I felt that there were many analogies to the way a few years ago we were discussing marketing for the not-for-profit institutions. Cultural activity is also an economic activity. And, just as I argued in the case of marketing, the sector can only benefit from the inclusion of professionals specialized in that area, that is, people who, apart from their knowledge in economics, understand the sector's specificities and may contribute in fulfilling its mission. The starting point for achieving this specialization is either the studies in economics with further specialization in cultural management or the studies in social and human sciences, or the arts, with further specialization in the economics of culture. In Portugal, there are people qualified in this field and I do not consider them a ‘threat.’ On the contrary, those of us working in marketing and cultural communication recognize in them someone who speaks the same language. This issue, though, takes us to another, which I do not know whether it was discussed during the conference at the National Theatre of D. Maria II. Who is, or should be, the director of a theatre? The artistic director? A manager? A general director from the performing arts field with knowledge of economics or a general director from the economics field with knowledge of the performing arts? Or, maybe, a bicephalous management? Also on the blog: So, What's the Plan? (June 11, 2012) Let's Talk Business (May 3, 2010)
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BUILDING TRUST Last summer, in one of the sessions of the fellowship at the Kennedy Center, we did a very interesting exercise. We participated in a sort of brainstorming regarding certain projects the DeVos Institute of Arts Management should get involved in. The criterion was not the interest of the projects themselves – they were all interesting, but not all of them fitted in with the Institute's mission, which is to train, support, and empower arts managers and their boards locally, nationally and internationally. Just that. “Clear, concise and complete” – quoting Michael M. Kaiser – as all mission statements should be. A concrete mission statement is the basis of every strategic plan. In the manual Strategic Planning in the Arts: A Practical Guide, written by Kaiser, the author identifies six elements that should be considered when defining an institution's mission. I consider three of them to be basic, applicable to all cases: the product/service, the audience and the geographic scope. Kaiser also mentions repertory and education, but I do not think they are applicable to all cultural institutions and, anyway, they are part of the broader product/service definition. He also refers to quality, in the sense of the level of performance desired, but I believe that this issue is mainly related to our capacity (and obligation) to be realistic when defining our mission's three basic elements. It was very interesting to read András Szántó's article “Sixty Museums in Search of a Purpose” (December 1, 2011), in The Art Newspaper, where he analyzes the mission statements of 60 American art museums. Apart from a semiological analysis, he raises questions like: “Should a mission describe what a museum is doing, or what it should be doing? Is it about tangible goals to which institutions are held accountable, or Platonic ideals to which they merely aspire? Should a museum's mission offer an inventory of assets and activities, or will it work best as a crystallization of core principles? How will it reflect a museum's take on cultural progress, audience demographics, funding sources and technological opportunity?”
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Posted on February 6, 2012
LEADERSHIP
MISSION
STRATEGY
AUDIENCES
CRISE OBLIGE? (I) SOME QUESTIONS In times of crisis, financial or other, many people find in the arts, and culture in general, a shelter. A book, a film, a theatre play, a song, dance, painting, writing, as well as other forms of art, open windows, show us the way, help us find a sense, bring beauty, serenity, inspiration, enthusiasm, motivation. In countries like Argentina or Greece, theatre attendance significantly rose during the times of crisis. Not only because people looked for that ‘shelter,’ but also because theatres and theatre companies were able to address that new reality ‘repositioning’ themselves, adapting to their socio-economic environment. Yorgos Loukos, artistic director of the Athens Festival, when interviewed by The New York Times,12 together with directors of other festivals, referred to an extra 35,000 tickets sale (a 24% rise compared to the year before – the performance of Richard III with Kevin Spacey sold out at the Epidaurus theatre, with a 10,000 seat capacity) and to the Greek government's commitment to support the festival again in 2012. During summer 2011, other festivals also registered high attendances, but their directors are conscious of the impact the financial crisis will have on culture and the need to face it. A year ago, after the first announcement of cuts, many of us were saying that the crisis could (and should) be an opportunity. Twelve months have passed and we are probably at the same point: reacting to the cuts, asking the state for more and better, but not discussing, at the same time, alternatives to a model which, just as it is, has not been functioning for a long time. The hope expressed by some people responsible for running Portuguese cultural institutions that the cuts will affect ‘just’ the programming, makes us think: What kind of relationship can these institutions maintain with the audiences, with society, should they abdicate, in the first place, from their main activity, from their true mission, from their raison d’être? And what are the alternatives?
CRISIS
CULTURE
ECONOMICS
ENTRANCE FEES
FUNDING FUNDRAISING
MANAGEMENT
MICHAEL M. KAISER
PRICING POLICIES
In these difficult, confusing times, that bring about a certain disorientation, that force us to adapt in order to survive, it is good to go back and read 12
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“Europe Braces for a Shift in the Arts” (August 25, 2011) by Roslyn Sulcas.
Posted on November 28, 2011
STRATEGY SUSTAINABILITY
ARTS
THE BURDEN WE INSIST ON CARRYING Following the announcement of cuts in the area of culture by the British government, The Guardian published an article by playwright Mark Ravenhill,24 whose plays have also been presented in Portugal. Ravenhill's proposal is to cut in marketing and development, so that artistic production is not affected. According to the author, marketing and development have not been able to demonstrate any results in the last years, although they receive a considerable part of the budget of cultural institutions. Ravenhill goes on to consider the costs of outreach work a burden for the arts, since Labour government pressed the arts to prove their social worth.
CULTURE
Ravenhill's proposal is frightening, not so much because he uses arguments that are not very precise regarding the results demonstrated by marketing and development departments in his country,25 but because it shows, once more, that marketing and communications in general are still considered by many artists dispensable accessories, a burden, an evil imposed. What I see in Ravenhill's statements is an artist centered in himself and his art. And that is how it should be. But I also see an artist who counts with the state's support in order to be able to develop his work with better conditions, but who would feel offended should the state asked first: “And why should we support you with the tax payers' money?” I also see an artist who wishes to communicate through his art and who, although he is delighted – are they not all? – with sold out performances, he is unable to value the work of those who aim to make his art more accessible for more people: because what he does is good and important; because what he does speaks for itself and everybody 24 25
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“Let's Cut the Arts Budget” (July 25, 2010) in The Guardian. On this point, Colin Tweedy, of Arts and Business, answered Ravenhill's claims in his article “Arts Organisations Cannot Do Without Marketing and Fundraising” (July 30, 2010), in The Guardian.
Posted on September 6, 2010
MARKETING
ARTS
WHO ‘DESERVES’ TO BE FUNDED (II) SOME CONCLUSIONS The relationship of many people with the cultural sector, perhaps of the majority, is the one described by John Holden in Capturing Cultural Value (2004) as “non-use values” (p. 32). That is, they appreciate the fact that it exists (“existence value”), regardless of using it or not; they keep open the possibility of using it in the future, although they do not use it in the present (“option value”); they think it is important to bequeath something to future generations (“bequest value”). Thus, while I was reading a series of texts on the value of culture and its funding,26 I kept asking myself: Does it make sense to continue focusing the debate on how to prove the value of culture? Is this what we need to convince people of – audiences and non-audiences, politicians, sponsors – the ‘value of culture?’ Who is questioning it?
CULTURE
EVALUATION
FUNDING
Culture has an intrinsic value, largely intangible, unmeasurable. Culture touches us, marvels us, make us grow as people, help us become more tolerant and demanding, less ignorant and arrogant. It makes us think about ourselves and the world. Each one of us lives this relationship in a very personal way; and each one of us can speak for themselves. These testimonies, many times recorded, are not exactly a ‘proof,’ but they help us understand, and show others, how the cultural offer is received, understood and felt. When discussing cultural funding, rarely do we use this kind of arguments, because they are not easy to ‘prove’ and because they do not seem to be sufficient. They are not the expected indicators. In the meantime, in our ‘apology,’ we often refer to the results of culture's ‘collateral effects,’ that is the ones related to economy, urban regeneration, social and health problems, etc. These exist and have already been proved in various reports.
26
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For references, look at “Who ‘Deserves’ to Be Funded (I) Readings” (September 27, 2010), on the ‘Musing on Culture’ blog.
Posted on October 4, 2010
ACCESS
ARTS
ON PEOPLE – – COMMUNI CATIONS – – ACCESS
AUDIENCES
COMMUNICATIONS
CULTURE
EDUCATION
EXHIBITIONS
LEADERSHIP
MISSION MUSEUMS
PRICING POLICIES
STRATEGY SUSTAINABILITY THEATRES
VISITOR STUDIES
AUDIENCES
INVITATION TO THE PARTY Suppose you hear about a party being held every week, but you are not invited. Judging by the buzz around town, this party is the hip place to be, so even though you are not given a formal invitation, you decide to go. When you get there, although it is exciting, you feel awkward, selfconscious. You wonder whether the hosts are whispering about why you are there. You wonder if other guests know you weren't invited. No one speaks to you or acknowledges your presence. Finally, you get the hint. You leave. You decide you'll never go back. Eventually you lose interest in the party, and then finally you don't even remember that the weekly party is going on. This is one of my favorite passages from Donna Walker-Kuhne's book Invitation to the Party (2005). The author has vast experience in audience development and most eloquently describes here the way people who are not used to visiting museums, theatres, etc., must feel when among the ‘initiated’ and those hosts who do not assume as their responsibility inviting new people to the ‘party’ and making them feel welcome. Regarding the ‘invitation,’ I recall two very distinct actions, carried out by different organizations, with different objectives and different means. The first was the campaign of the Royal Opera House in London, in 2008, that offered tickets for the premiere of the season's first show, Don Giovanni, at very low prices (attention, they were not invitations…), through the populist newspaper The Sun. The Sun's campaign was very big and included editorial coverage, with very suggestive photos and titles.28 The public's response was huge and, among the people who attended the premiere, there were many who were going to the opera and the Royal Opera House for the first time. Charlotte Higgins, culture journalist of The Guardian, talked to those responsible for the campaign
28
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“Sex, Death, Booze, Bribery, Revenge, Ghosts... Who Said Opera Is Boring?” (July 30, 2008) by Derek Brown, in The Sun.
Posted on April 12, 2010
MUSEUMS
THEATRES
AUDIENCES
TALKING ABOUT ‘NEW’ AUDIENCES Very frequently, we hear those responsible for cultural institutions talking about ‘new audiences,’ their ‘creation’ (in the English-speaking world it is called ‘development’), about ‘doors open to all.’ I have been thinking about what this means in practice: ‘new,’ meaning young, or ‘new’ because they might be coming for the first time? Are they ‘created’ because they did not exist before? Do we open the doors and wait for them to come? I feel that in many cases ‘new’ mainly means ‘more’ – more of the same; an effort to bring more people to our exhibitions, shows and activities, people whose socio-demographic profile, though, is not far from the usual; because if we wanted it to be different, our work would have to be something more than simply reinforcing the promotion and publicity of our offer; it would have to be a joint effort on various fronts. Cultural participation, let us call it like this, takes various forms and develops at different levels of involvement: 1st Level: Through the media, such as TV, radio, DVDs, CDs, books, the Internet. 2nd Level: Attending live events, such as theatre or opera plays, concerts, visiting exhibitions and participating in activities that complement these activities, such as conferences, debates, educational programmes, etc. 3rd Level: Through greater personal involvement in what concerns cultural/artistic practice, as it happens with amateur artists, volunteers in cultural institutions, board members, etc. Having said that, we may conclude that the big majority of people do participate, one way or another, in cultural experiences. Therefore, they are not exactly non-audiences. At the same time, the big majority prefers to – or is obliged to – participate from a distance. One of the challenges for culture professionals is to manage to convince more and more people to consider ‘changing levels’ and to have the chance to
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Posted on February 14, 2011
VISITOR STUDIES
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
the means and tools that would allow to demystify the experience; they would create social networks in which new participants would feel integrated and comfortable; they would know the community in which they are inserted and they would seek to propose a culturally relevant programme; they would be concerned with their impact on people's lives and seek to achieve both excellence and equity; and they would permanently pay attention to the changes that take place around them. “To attract and retain new audiences, arts organizations may need to stop selling excellence and start brokering relationships between people and art(ists),� states Ragsdale's bold subtitle. More food for thought for our thinking on cultural enjoyment and new audiences, which we do not exhaust here. Also on the blog: The Power and Magic of the Real Thing (March 14, 2011) The Industry of the Vast Minorities (November 26, 2012)
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FACES The 2010-2011 season booklet and leaflet of the São Luiz Municipal Theatre in Lisbon includes photos of some of my colleagues, from various departments (communications, technical, production). Some mix with the public, that sometimes knows them personally, others do not. But they are all people, together with many others, who work so that the final product gets to our audiences.
COMMUNICATIONS
The photos were accompanied by our colleagues' suggestions concerning the season programme and also a few words on what they like best about their work in São Luiz. One can also find them in big posters at the theatre façade. Thus, our institution got a face, or rather many faces. At least, that was our intention: to take the first step into making the abstract, concrete; the unknown, known; the impersonal, personal; that is, the institutional, human. We looked for a way to present to the public another dimension of what is involved in the presentation of a performance, the one we talk about the least. The only indicator we have got in order to evaluate this idea are the positive comments of friends and acquaintances, but, most of all, those of members of the audience who, when getting at the box office to buy their tickets, recognized our colleague whose photo was in the booklet. (When I get to this point, I always think that we should have organized a focus group and tried to get qualitative feedback from some members of the public. But it seems there are always other priorities. Audience studies should be one of them.) The fact is that cultural institutions in general aim to communicate the object (the exhibition or the performance) and the artists that created or interpret it. In the meantime, there is another side, that of the people who work in the theatre or the museum or the cultural institution, which, in my opinion, should be more ‘explored’ in the relationship with the public. Because it is through them, and thanks to them, that we manage to create a permanent, lasting relationship. And it is important that this relationship has got a face, becomes personal and concrete.
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Posted on May 23, 2011
STRATEGY
ACCESS
ARTS AUDIENCES
WE ARE FOR PEOPLE. OR... ARE WE? I was in two meetings with museum professionals lately and another one is starting tomorrow in Lisbon (the European Museum Advisors Conference 2012). I thought about what makes me feel so good in their company. I reached the conclusion that it is the fact that these are people who give, whose work makes sense to them because they are eager to share it; they want it to be useful and meaningful to others. There was not even one award or special commendation in the recent European Museum of the Year Award ceremony in Penafiel, Portugal, that did not mention the special relationship or involvement those museums have established with their communities. Museums are moving, even if still slowly, from collection-oriented to people-oriented institutions. It might sound strange that I say ‘slowly.’ But let us consider this: it was in 1909 that John Cotton Dana, the visionary director of the Newark Museum in the US, expressed the following view on the role of museums: “A good museum attracts, entertains, arouses curiosity, leads to questioning – and thus promotes learning. (...) The Museum can help people only if they use it; they will use it only if they know about it and only if attention is given to the interpretation of its possessions in terms they, the people, will understand.”39 And it was in 1917 that he wrote: “Today, museums of art are built to keep objects of art, and objects of art are bought to be kept in museums. As the objects seem to do their work if they are safely kept, and as museums seem to serve their purpose if they safely keep the objects, the whole thing is as useful in the splendid isolation of a distant park as in the center of the life of the community which possesses it. Tomorrow, objects of art will be bought to give pleasure, to make manners seem more important, to promote skill, to exalt handwork, and to increase the zest of life by adding to it new interests.”
COMMUNICATIONS
CULTURE
LEADERSHIP
MISSION MUSEUMS
Are we, a century later, the ‘tomorrow’ John Cotton Dana was talking 39
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Alexander, Edward P. Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions of Museums. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1979.
Posted on May 28, 2012
SUSTAINABILITY
AUDIENCES
TO BE OR NOT TO BE (FREE ON SUNDAYS)? THAT IS NOT THE QUESTION Once again, I could not agree more with the Portuguese Secretary of State for Culture. “Free entry is not a good principle,” said Francisco José Viegas when announcing the end of free entry to museums on Sundays. But, once again, his arguments in defense of this position seem to be extremely fragile. The Secretary of State actually explained that the percentage of paid entries to museums is currently 36% and that the ideal level for these institutions' sustainability would be 80%. He also said that paid entries are necessary in order to preserve museums and they would allow for the generation of more income in order to fund longer opening hours. I have not got any concrete data at the moment, but would it not be true that the biggest part of the 64% of free entries to museums refers to school groups (probably the most significant visitor group in Portuguese museums) and not to those people visiting on Sunday mornings? Because one should not forget that entry to museums is free on Sundays until 2 p.m. Can we really believe that putting an end to half a day of free entry per week will solve the problem of funding necessary for preserving museums? And, as a matter of fact, why to consider longer opening hours if the big majority of the Portuguese do not visit them during the actual opening times? Was there a study that indicated that people do not visit because opening hours are not convenient? Neither the income from Sunday morning visits will make museums sustainable nor is there a need, for now, to consider longer opening hours. The big priority, and a long-term objective, is to create a relation ship with the Portuguese society that will become strong and lasting, and could be the base of museum sustainability in general, and their financial sustainability, in particular. Museums that are irrelevant and incomprehensible for the majority of citizens, that continue to work with and for the same people, that are not sufficiently promoted, have
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Posted on October 10, 2011
MUSEUMS
PRICING POLICIES
SUSTAINABILITY
ACCESS
AUDIENCES
SAYS WHO? ’uCurate‘ is an initiative by Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, USA. It is a digital application that allows people to design imaginary exhibitions made up with objects from the museum collection. The proposals enter a competition and the winner gets to set up a real exhibition with the museum's help. In this first edition, and after evaluating almost 1,000 proposals, the winner was an 11-year-old girl, Giselle Ciulla, who is inviting us now to visit Giselle's Remix.40 It is so good to see Giselle's happy face and we can almost feel how proud she is of her exhibition. This is also the role of museums in society, a role that allows for involvement, active participation, which recognizes that there is more than one version of the ‘truth’ and creates a place for them to be shared, even if this is about 11-year-old children. Giselle herself wrote the objects' labels. They convey simplicity and freshness; they demonstrate sensitivity. A few years ago, I had seen labels written by visitors at the Tate Britain and I had also enjoyed them a lot. For me, they were as interesting as the others, the ‘official’ ones. At the time (2004), Maev Kennedy of The Guardian had found the initiative dubious. On the other hand, Tate Britain's director at the time, Stephen Deuchar, was saying that he would be particularly interested in the contributions of visitors who might know much more on a painting than the museum experts or the artists themselves.41 On November 12 to 14, I was at the conference “In the Name of the Arts or In the Name of the Audiences,” organized by Culturgest in col laboration with the programme ‘Descobrir’ of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. One of the main concerns of those present seemed to be the issue of ‘authority’ regarding the interpretation of a work of art. When I did my Master's, we were ‘warned’ that people acknowledged 40
More in “Kid Stuff at the Clark Art Institute” (November 22, 2012) by Terry Teachout, in The Wall Street Journal. 41 More in “Chance for Visitors to Tell the Tate What That Splodgy Picture Means” (September 7, 2004), in The Guardian.
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Posted on December 3, 2012
COMMUNICATIONS
EDUCATION
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUMS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
authority in museums; they considered the information they found in them as a ‘validated truth.’ But even at that time, and it has been almost 20 years, we were questioning ourselves regarding the possibility (and the obligation) to create the space for more than one story to be told. Video: Opening up the Museum: Nina Simon @ TEDxSantaCruz http://youtu.be/aIcwIH1vZ9w
Well, there is still a concern and lots of thinking about it. The concept of participatory museum (so well substantiated in theory and in practice by Nina Simon)42 is being widely accepted. An interesting case, among others, discussed at the above mentioned conference was that of the dTOURS, at the contemporary art exhibition dOCUMENTA. These were (paid) guided tours given by people of various ages and backgrounds, the majority residing in Kassel, the city that hosts the exhibition. The dTOURS had taken place for the first time in the previous edition, dOCUMENTA 12, and they had resulted in a number of complaints from the audience. Although the organizers had informed that the tours would be given by non-specialists, participants still felt ‘cheated,’ their expectations had been different. Nevertheless, and despite the not so positive evaluation, dOCUMENTA 13 repeated the tours. A number of issues are raised here: Why repeat an initiative, in exactly the same way, if it was not positively evaluated? Are we ignoring – in the name of experimentation, of exploration, of a wish to do more and better – people's basic needs, such as listen to what a specialist has to say on a specific subject, such as a ‘normal’ guided tour, such as a ‘normal’ label? Are we walking towards the opposite extreme, where ‘visitors know best’ (even “more than the artists themselves,” to quote again the Tate Britain's former director)? Clay Shirky's book Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consum42
Nina's blog ‘Museum 2.0’ may be found at http://museumtwo.blogspot.pt/.
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ers into Collaborators (2010) tells us about the ‘pro-am’ (professionalamateur) movement and how new technologies allow us today to use people's enormous cognitive surplus. People are eager to contribute with their knowledge (without being paid for it, just because it makes them feel good, useful and involved) towards all sorts of projects, social causes, etc. Wikipedia is such an example. Ian David Moss argued in his blog ‘Createquity’ that the model of Wikipedia may be applied to culture, in programming or in distributing funds.43 People continue looking for information in museums. In an article by Stephen Weil entitled “The Museum and the Public” (2007) – included in the book Museums and Their Communities, edited by Sheila Watson – I read that, after the era of ‘celebratory’ and assertive museums, there was a new trend, that of admitting that what is being said is not a closed issue, it could be open to different interpretations or the subject of ongoing research. It is worth mentioning that it was a natural history museum (the American Museum of Natural History) one of the first to present labels which said “what we know so far,” “but we might be wrong, it has happened before, there is an ongoing research,” etc. Maybe because scientists are more at ease than other specialists with testing and error and with admitting that they had been wrong. Specialists do not know everything, but they know a lot, more than we do in their specific areas. We may find them in and out of museums, they may be professionals or amateurs, and together they may contribute in the development of our knowledge. I, as a visitor, still look for their opinion, for their ‘version,’ not because I wish to accept it as if it was the Bible, but because with it I can build my own opinion, my own knowledge. At the same time, going beyond information – and considering that a museum visit is also feelings, surprises, emotions, sharing, previous knowledge, experiences, and memories – the specialist (when also a good mediator or facilitator, or...) will know how to create that space where everyone can contribute with their ideas, their experi 43
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“Audiences at the Gate: Reinventing Arts Philanthropy Through Guided Crowdsourcing” (February 22, 2011), on the ‘Createquity’ blog.
Posted on December 3, 2012
COMMUNICATIONS
EDUCATION
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUMS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
ences, their interpretations, their reactions. That space where there are no specialists and non-specialists, right or wrong. Thus, the participatory museum for me is not the museum that, in the name of cultural democracy, passes the responsibility for one of its main functions over to the visitor. The participatory museum is that which gives ‘Giselle’ (each one of us) the tools to build and take on without fear her tastes, opinions, sensitivities, and which creates the space for them to be hosted and shared with everyone.
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ACCESS
ARTS
ON MARKE TING
AUDIENCES BRANDING CENSORSHIP COMMUNICATIONS
CULTURE
DEVON SMITH
FUNDING
MARKETING
SOCIAL MEDIA
LET'S GET RID OF THE LOGO DICTATORSHIP
BRANDING
The inclusion of the sponsor's logo in all promotional materials is what cultural institutions usually give in return when looking for support for the production and promotion of their projects. The inclusion of their logo in all promotional materials is what institutions interested in sponsoring cultural projects usually expect in return. The cultural institution aims to give recognition to the importance of the sponsorship. The sponsoring institution aims to guarantee visibility for its brand among consumers. The logo is a brand's visual extension. A brand represents an identity; it aims to transmit a set of values. Organizations interested in sponso ring our projects are not aiming to take on the role of a charity. They are not supporting us because they feel sorry for us for not having enough money. They are doing it because the association to a specific event reinforces the value of their brand in the eyes of the consumers. Many cultural projects rely on sponsorship and different kinds of sup port, both for production and promotion. Nevertheless, this support is rarely hierarchized in terms of its ‘value,’ monetary or other, but which should be somehow quantified. Thus, instead of this hierarchization, that would aim to give in return something proportional to the ‘value’ of each partner's contribution, what we usually see is an egalitarian treatment, limited to the inclusion of the partners' logo in all promotional materials. Thus, radio station X, which supports the promotion of a cultural event at 100% (producing and transmitting a publicity spot, interviewing those involved and making other references), receives in return the same thing radio station Y gets for offering a substantial discount for a publicity campaign, but getting, nevertheless, paid for it. To give another exam ple, transport company X, that supports producing and putting up in its vehicles/carriages/boats posters of the event gets in return the same as transport company Y, that puts up posters produced by the promoter of the event, many times in smaller quantities. Why would then the Xs be interested in continuing to fully support if they would be able to get the same in return with a smaller contribution, similar to the one of the Ys?
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Posted on October 18, 2010
FUNDING
MARKETING
JUDGING BY THE COVER
BRANDING
One of the greatest pleasures in life is to be in a bookshop for no special reason, that is, not with the intention to buy a specific book, but with the desire to look at titles, names and covers, read summaries, discover, be tempted, not resist, buy, leave with a number of them, anxious to start. Last May I had read an article in The Guardian about the different covers the same book might have in different countries.44 “Why don't publishers (…) replicate covers that have been a success abroad?,” asked Tom Lamont, the author of the article. There are designers and publishers who think that readers in different countries do not need different covers. Other professionals in these fields believe that one should start from zero and – when working on the cover of a book that has already been published – should even avoid looking at the existing covers. The reasons invoked by designers for creating distinct covers are cultural (“It's a cultural thing, as taste-driven as different countries eating different things for breakfast,” says designer Julian Humphries); relate to marketing, according to Lamont (“literary fiction is an easier sell in mainland Europe than in the UK or the US, so publishers there can be less overt in their attempts to grab the attention of customers”) and according to designer Nathan Burton (“The UK book market is more competitive, all the covers in shops shouting: ‘Buy me!’”); or might even be a question of pride. I thought about the factors that determine my choices when I am off to ‘an expedition to the unknown.’ I will not deny that it is the combination of title and cover that makes me pick up the book of an author I do not know. It is important that the cover is elegant and attractive, for my taste (many times these covers have no image, just letters and excellent design). Then I read the summary. And, then, the decision is made.
44
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“Design: Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover, Particularly in France” (May 9, 2010) in The Guardian.
Posted on January 17, 2011
MARKETING
ACCESS
AUDIENCES
WHAT CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE? War Horse is a production of the National Theatre in London, which premiered in October 2007. In 2009 it moved to the West End. In 2011 it crossed the Atlantic to be presented in Broadway. In 2012 it will tour the US. It is a multi-award-winning production, adored by the public and theatre critics alike, and a huge commercial success. The annual profit of 3 million pounds from the West End presentations made the cuts in the Arts Council England's grant insignificant for the National Theatre.45 In the article “Theatre Trailers: Missing An Opportunity” (May 10, 2010),46 posted by Nosheen Iqbal on Lyn Gardner's The Guardian ‘Theatre Blog,’ the journalist was encouraging theatres to become a bit more ambitious in the promotion of their productions, citing as good examples the National Theatre and Sadler's Wells. It was in that article that I found the link for this trailer: Video: War Horse in the West End – Trailer http://youtu.be/q-bni4QqSv4
It was the first time I had seen a piece of this kind, reminding of film publicity, for the promotion of a theatre play. I remember to have felt delighted: the whole trailer edition (the rhythm, the choice of scenes, the music) made me wish to see the play, to get to know the story, to find out what happens in the end. Could this trailer be War Horse's secret of success? Probably not. The secret – which is not a secret at all – is that those people who had seen the play loved it and told many, many more, people about it. Could this trailer have made the difference in the decision process of those who saw the play in the opening? I do not have concrete data, of course, but it is quite probable that it influenced them, a lot even, given that, among so much competition, 45
“War Horse Covers National Theatre's Lost Arts Council Grants” (October 3, 2011) by Mark Brown in The Guardian. 46 Available at http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/.
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Posted on January 23, 2012
COMMUNICATIONS
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
to take a risk with something new (I am referring here to João Godinho's practice when he was responsible for programming music at the Belém Cultural Center, CCB, in Lisbon). It can be the simple emails more and more artists, museum directors, curators and programming directors send to their, more or less extensive, circle of friends and acquaint ances, personally presenting their work and inviting to attend/visit it, in a much more direct, personal, accessible and enthusiastic way – inevitably turning that same circle of people into messengers. It can be an initiative as simple, funny and involving as ‘It's Time We Met’ of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, now in its fourth edition. It can be a special way of wishing ‘Happy New Year.’48 These are disconnected examples of things I have read and seen. What is common in all of them is the wish to reach people, to extend the invitation, to make a connection, to demonstrate relevance, to create involvement and ‘complicity.’
48
“Open Thread: How Does Your Institution Say Happy New Year?” (December 21, 2011) in the ‘Museum 2.0’ blog.
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ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ONE... SOCIALIZES A common assumption is that all means of communication – all media – serve one single purpose: advertising. And, in particular: advertising a calendar of events. Very often we come across various promotional materials advertising the same event (an exhibition, a concert, a theatre play, a debate), in various formats (outdoors, posters, postcards, leaflets, newspapers, newspaper ads, TV and radio spots), all with the same information (what, when, where). I believe that the use of each promotional material should have a concrete objective. The choice of format, the contents to be introduced, the timings of distribution, they all contribute in the promotion of an event, but, beyond this – and most of all – they contribute in building something larger in terms of communication: the idea, the feeling and the involvement one wishes people to have in relation to the institution or person that promotes it. Social media are still a rather new channel, which has not yet been adequately studied by the majority of us, in terms of purpose, possibilities and impact. I am specifically talking about Facebook, the one I use the most. Following the activity of a number of institutions (both cultural and other), I reach the conclusion that, as a social medium, Facebook is, first of all, just that: a space to socialize. As a friend of mine says, we should look at it as a café, a public space where people chat and share – ideas, opinions, experiences and information. It is a space where we want to be because... everybody else is there, because we want to be part, because we do not want to be left out, because we also want to chat (especially about ourselves...). Based on my experience, organizations that simply chat are the ones I feel more involved with, meaning I give ‘likes,’ I share and I comment (thus contributing for a specific post's larger visibility). In the case of organizations that limit themselves to promoting their calendar events (and which also exaggerate in the number of posts or consecutively post a number of them), I pass over them or even hide them from my news feed, letting my ‘friends’ do the sorting out of what is more relevant and interesting (and then, yes, I do pay attention).
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Posted on October 1, 2012
COMMUNICATIONS
DEVON SMITH
SOCIAL MEDIA
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
This has been my experience with using Facebook at a personal and professional level. In the meantime, and although the majority of us have still not properly explored these means, this area has already got its specialists. In July 2012, I was very fortunate to meet one of them during a seminar at the Kennedy Center. Her name is Devon Smith – she is very young, clearly a specialist – and she holds the position of director of social media at Threespot, an agency that designs digital engagement strategies for not-for-profit organizations. I learned a lot in that seminar, while, at the same time, I saw one of my greatest suspicions being confirmed: Facebook does not sell tickets... This is exactly why we should carefully consider why we are there, which is the best way of guaranteeing our presence and what we expect to get out of it. Among what I learned with Devon Smith – my experience as a user and my ideas on what communication means for a cultural institution – here is what I think: Why are we on Facebook? To talk with our ‘friends,’ people who like us, who like our way of being, who like what we have to say, who like our work. To strengthen our brand, that is, the idea we want people to have about us, about what it is we stand for. To multiply our ‘friends,’ because through the ones we have already got we can make more, helping to spread our word further and further and, thus, broadening our base of supporters. How should we be on Facebook? Before anything else, I should say that I feel it is essential that our voice in this conversation is concrete, recognizable, the one our ‘friends’ are interested in listening to. Some time ago, I wrote a post called “Faces,”49 where I was writing about the importance of humanizing 49
On the ‘Musing on Culture’ blog (May 23, 2011) and this book.
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our institutions, of giving them a face, because it is a way of creating a relationship with people, of involving them. In this case, it is also about the importance of giving them a voice. As Marc Sands, the brilliant director of media and audiences at Tate, puts it, people do not want to listen to him, they wish to ‘listen’ and ‘talk’ to Nicholas Serota, the museum director.50 The impact of a post is totally different when it is a museum director, an artistic director, an orchestra conductor, a director, an artist, talking about the event, inviting us, telling us why we cannot miss it, revealing secrets, sharing their inspirations, emotions and concerns. Afterwards, this is the voice that will be ‘shared’ and taken further and further by our ‘friends’ (those who are ‘friends’ with Jorge Silva Melo on Facebook know what I am talking about).
COMMUNICATIONS
DEVON SMITH
Having said this, I believe there are a few more points we should be paying attention to: To chat means to abandon our dry, institutional language and use a more human, direct, everyday tone, with a sense of humor. The best example among the institutions I follow is Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam – it is worth watching on YouTube the video “Rembrandt's Timeline,” the objective of which was to increase the number of fans of the museum's Facebook page, or to follow on that same page the monthly voting for the ‘Misses’ that will be part of a calendar the museum will produce. To chat means to talk, but also to listen. And answer. Quite often, questions and comments by ‘friends’ and fans (mainly on the pages of celebrities, run by them or by their agents) remain unanswered, putting an end to ‘communication’ (very good examples of Portuguese artists chatting with their fans on personal pages are those of fado singers Mísia and Aldina Duarte). It is equally important to know how to deal with controversial or unpleasant comments. One of the best examples I have recently seen is the way Woolly Mammoth Theatre dealt with the controversy around the restaging of Mike Daisey's monologue 50
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It is worth watching, on YouTube, Marc's video “How to Engage with New Audiences in the Gallery.”
Posted on October 1, 2012
SOCIAL MEDIA
MUSING ON CULTURE MARIA VLACHOU
The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs.51 The theatre answered all comments on Facebook and did not hesitate to post on its page articles that severely criticized the option to restage the play, proving to be totally open to dialogue and encouraging more and more conversation... about itself (those posts are no longer available on the theatre's timeline, but it is worth becoming a fan of Woolly Mammoth, one learns a lot). Finally, I feel some common practices should be revised: It seems to me that it does make sense to consider the number of daily posts, should we really wish to keep our friends' attention (there are institutions that really overdo it, without having anything special to add to the conversation). Although posts containing photos generate more ‘conversation’ (likes, shares and comments), it does not seem to make sense to post photos of a specific event one by one, in consecutive posts, instead of organize them in an album; as it does not make sense to post photos which are out of focus, badly taken, have various shots of the same scene or of the same moment in a conference or debate. Posts with calendar information are not interesting at all, they have little or nothing to do with Facebook's nature; they do not stimulate conversation (much less sell tickets). They actually give you the feeling that a seller is trying to impose something on you, something that... does not sell (with or without a good reason). So, in the end, what do we expect to get out of this? A conversation, a good conversation. Moments of wonder, laughing, surprise, discovery, pleasure and ‘complicity,’ which make our ‘friends’ seek our company more and more, both virtual and... real.
51
More in “Theater Talkback: ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs,’ Take 2” (July 26, 2012) by Charles Isherwood, in The New York Times and also on Mike Daisey's blog (March 25, 2012).
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ARTS
NAKED MEN, SEX, CONDOMS, ORGASMS. INTERESTED? So many ‘keywords’ in just one title... I wonder: Will this post be read by more people than usual precisely because of its title or the photos that illustrate it? It is quite possible, yes.52 Most of us cannot resist titles or images like these and the ‘promise’ behind them. Sex attracts; nudity does too.
CENSORSHIP COMMUNICATIONS
CULTURE
Cultural institutions – well, the people working in them – are equally attracted to these issues and sometimes they are actually willing to work on them, looking for the most imaginative associations. Who would have ever expected to find an exhibition on ‘love and passion on the coast’ at a National Fisheries Museum in a small coastal village in Belgium? It was called Zeerotica and it presented mermaids, mythological sea monsters and their intimate lives, seafood aphrodisiacs and the love life of fishermen, erotic images of more than a century of life at the beach. The curator of Zeerotica said in an interview53 that, despite what people could have expected, this was not an obscene exhibition; it actually was an exhibition for the whole family. There are different ways of handling these subjects, as with all others, as there are different interpretations of what might be obscene or shocking or pornographic. Apart from the curatorial decisions, one must also consider marketing options. And culture marketeers, just like everyone else, cannot resist the temptation of using (or even ‘abusing’) certain subjects in order to attract more or new audiences. Recently, two upcoming cultural events were news. Both will open this week. Both deal with spicy issues. Both have designed provocative marketing campaigns. But, the more I think about it and read people's comments, the more I feel there is a fundamental difference in their approach, which will also probably be reflected on the outcomes. 52
Actually, yes, this has been the most viewed post so far, both on the English and Portuguese versions of the blog. 53 “Sex and the Sea” (July 19, 2011) in Flanders Today.
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Posted on October 15, 2012
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The exhibition Nude Men opens next Friday, October 19, at the Leopold Museum in Vienna. One reads in the museum's website: “Previous exhibitions on the theme of nudity have mostly been limited to female nudes. With the presentation ‘naked men’ in the autumn of 2012 the Leopold Museum will be showing a long overdue exhibition on the diverse and changing depictions of naked men from 1800 to the pres ent.” At the museum entrance, ‘Mr. Big,’ a male nude model by Ilse Haider, attracts attention and publicizes the exhibition. It is not a painting, it is a photo; so it is more ‘real,’ not simply ‘art,’ if you know what I mean... Across the city of Vienna, people may see two different posters: one rather ‘traditional’ – showing Egon Schiele's Prediger (1913) – and the other one, less ‘traditional,’ showcasing the work of French artists Pierre & Gilles, entitled Vive la France (2006), frontally displaying three naked football players. Once again, the medium is a photo... I followed the discussion on the museum's page on Facebook regarding the latter poster. People were able to vote on the version they liked best. The museum was actually forced to present a censured version of the various options (due to Facebook rules that led to the elimination a number of posts), but they were promising their fans that all would be ‘out in the open’ both in the streets and in the actual exhibition. It seems to me there were not any other concerns here, everybody seeming to be in a good mood and looking forward to the exhibition. According to the Leopold Museum Head of PR, Klaus Pokorny, once the posters were out in the streets, people did start complaining, especially parents who did not like to see the poster next to their children's schools. Last Thursday, the museum posted once again the poster on Facebook (the special Facebook version), not just to defend their option, but rather inviting people to talk about it: “Regarding our exhibition, we are showing naked men... Nothing more, nothing less. We are now discussing if we should have covered the sensitive parts, just like here on Facebook. Is the depiction of a penis something absurd for our society?” It did not take long for people to react and, once again, the climate was quite open, good humored, and concentrating on the actual issue, which was: Is it not OK to show something like this in a public space?
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Two days before the opening of Nude Men, on October 17, Don Giovanni premieres at the English National Opera (ENO) in London. I have found out about it after receiving in my news feed, among hundreds of other articles, one entitled “Operas and Orgasms”54 (I could not resist...) And it was not so much about Don Giovanni, as about the poster: an open condom wrapper next to the words ‘Don Giovanni. Coming Soon.’
CENSORSHIP COMMUNICATIONS
CULTURE
According to an ENO spokeswoman who talked to the Evening Standard, “the theatre wanted a smart and catchy ad-campaign for the opera. We came up with this idea which we think is brilliant, funny and captures the idea of Don Giovanni in a witty way.” They do not convince me. I think it is a poor idea, even a lazy one, probably aiming at shocking and nothing more. And this actually seems to be a general line in the way the ENO is trying to approach ‘new’ audiences: they try to necessarily make it sound sexy – an initiative that aims to bring new people in is actually called ‘Undress for the Opera.’55 There is a very passionate video with director Terry Gilliam telling us why opera is fascinating, but was that (deceptive) title really necessary? I think all they actually wanted to say is: “This might interest you. We have some cheap tickets here for you to try it out. By the way, come dressed as you like.” (Actually, a lady commented in a newspaper that for her teenage daughters going to the opera for the first time was an excuse to dress up...) MARKETING
Going back to the Don Giovanni campaign, reactions on Facebook, although not coming from the campaign's target audience – Where is it actually? Do they know about it? Have they seen the video? Do they realize it is for them? –, show that some of the ENO's actual fans also feel that this is just talking and trying to sound forcibly sexy. They even think that people already come to the opera dressed as they please. Other people seem to find it funny. On Facebook, the ENO has answered its 54
“Operas and Orgasms – Did ENO Go Too Far with ‘Don Giovanni’ Ad?” (October 8, 2012) by David Ng, in Los Angeles Times, ‘Culture Monster’ blog. 55 More in “Damon Albarn Kickstarts ENO's ‘Undress for Opera’ Scheme” (October 3, 2012) by Imogen Tilden, in The Guardian.
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critics saying that “Overall we've had a very positive response to the Don Giovanni ad campaign, with most people seeing the funny side and agreeing with us that the ads capture Don Giovanni in a witty manner.” It does sound a bit like an ‘official’ response. In my view, the difference between the two campaigns is that – although both aim to reach larger and maybe even ‘new’ audiences through popular and sexy subjects – the Leopold Museum tries to be rich and creative in its approach, while the ENO makes it look and sound banal and lazy. Furthermore, I believe that this will actually influence the outcome. Maybe not... I am sure that after the openings there will be more discussion, both in the press and on Facebook, hopefully including the views of those who are actually targeted with these campaigns. In case there is no other form of summative evaluation carried out by the promoters, it will certainly be interesting to follow these informal discussions.
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ON MUSEUMS
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INTERPRETATION ISRAEL
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ARTS AUDIENCES
MUSEUMS: NEW CHURCHES? Recently, in his programme A Point of View, on BBC Radio 4, Alain de Botton talked about museums. More specifically, he was asking: “Why are museums so uninspiring?”56 De Botton compares museums to churches and identifies some similarities: they both enjoy an unparalleled status; they are spaces where we would take a group of foreigners to show them what delights us and what we revere; we wander around museum galleries with the same sort of quiet reverence as we manifest in churches. And this is where similarities end for De Botton. He considers that religions give people the orientation they need, not only the tools to develop a critical thinking; and they use religious art as a means to inspire us to faith, to remind us to be healthy-minded, good and godly people. “Christianity,” says De Botton, “never leaves us in any doubt about what art is for. (...) Look at that picture of Mary if you want to remember what tenderness is like. Look at that painting of the cross if you want a quick lesson in courage. Look at that Last Supper and train yourself not to be a coward and a liar.” Contrary to churches, says Alain de Botton, museums are notoriously incapable of establishing a connection between the objects they hold and the needs of our soul. They present them in an academic way that fails to engage with the real potential of art, which is to change us for the better. Instead of neutral labels, they should put beneath each picture a set of commands telling us: “Look at this image and remember to be patient” or “Use this sculpture to mediate on what you too could do to bring about a fairer world.” And he concludes: “Curators should co-opt works of art to the direct task of helping us to live: to achieve self-knowledge, to remember forgiveness and love and to stay sensitive to the pains suffered by our ever troubled species and its urgently imperiled planet. Only then will museums be able to claim that they have properly fulfilled the noble, but still elusive, ambition of becoming our new churches.” 56
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“A Point of View: Why Are Museums so Uninspiring?” (January 28, 2011) at http://www. bbc.co.uk/news/magazine.
Posted on February 21, 2011
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FREE TO VISIT AN ART MUSEUM Various friends forwarded to me last week Timothy Aubry's article “How to Behave in An Art Museum” (2010).57 I felt distressed with this testimony of a person who defines visiting an art museum, although with a sense of humor and some irony, as a neurotic experience; who says that he does not know what he is supposed to think or say or feel; who feels observed, inadequate and hopes to impress other people. How profound it was (and still is) for some people the ‘trauma’ caused by those who John Holden, in Culture and Class, calls ‘the cultural snobs.’ Those who consider themselves to be the gatekeepers of art, who despise those who do not understand or appreciate it the way they do, who have ever so ‘special’ ways of making them feel unwelcome, excluded, not so intelligent. In this case, they are both museum professionals and museum visitors. “We were better off when we were just kids,” says Aubry, “when we knew what we liked effortlessly, when our passions were not learned.” Why should that change? To be accepted? By whom?
CULTURE
Commenting on Timothy Aubry's text, Kyle Chayka asks in the blog ‘Hyperallergic’: “Does the Younger Generation Have a New Attitude Toward Museums?” (March 1, 2011)58 Yes, and I am glad it does so! But here we should recognize the fundamental role museums themselves have played in this change of attitude, in creating a new relationship. This issue is not as recent as one might think. George E. Hein, in his book Learning in the Museum (1998), quotes Professor Edward Forbes who, in 1853, said “that curators ‘may be prodigies of learning and yet unfit for their posts,’ if they do not know anything about pedagogy, if they are not equipped to teach people who know nothing.” And, as I previously cited, in 1909 the visionary John Cotton Dana wrote: “A good museum attracts, entertains, arouses curiosity, leads to ques tioning – and thus promotes learning. (…) The museum can help people 57 58
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In Paper Monument, Issue 3. Available at http://www.papermonument.com. Available at http://www.hyperallergic.com.
Posted on March 7, 2011
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to put this message across? How many of us actively work in order to bring down the psychological/cognitive barriers? I would say that the best examples are found in museum education services. Actually, last week, I read the National Endowment for the Arts most recent report, “Beyond Attendance: A Multi-modal Understanding of Arts Participation.�59 I found the reference that African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians participate more than white people in cultural activities not traditionally presented in cultural institutions, with one exception: visiting art museums. Would this be the result of decades of museum work aiming to make their offer relevant for more diverse audiences? I would like to think so. Also on the blog: Etched in Memory (December 20, 2010) The Power and Magic of the Real Thing (March 14, 2011)
59
Available at http://www.nea.gov/.
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SILENT AND APOLITICAL? One hundred million sunflower seeds handcrafted in porcelain, each one created individually by more than 1600 artisans. Do they look inoffensive? Apolitical? Well, they are not. Actually, it was the progressive discovery of the political meaning in this work by Ai Weiwei that thrilled me when I saw it at the Tate Modern last October. Chinese artist and political activist, Ai Weiwei was detained by the Chinese authorities on April 3, when he was ready to board a plane. Nobody heard of him for weeks. There were no formal accusations, except some rumors about economic crimes. His wife was able to see him more than a month later, in the presence of two guards. He looked physically well, but was visibly nervous. Weiwei's world, artists and museums of contemporary art in many countries, reacted to his detention. Among other initiatives, Tate Modern projected on its façade the phrase ‘Release Ai Weiwei;’ artist Anish Kapoor called on museums and art galleries all over the world to close for one day in protest; Cuban artist Geandy Pavón projected Ai Weiwei's portrait on the Chinese consulate's wall in New York; the Guggenheim Museum started a petition online that has already been signed by more than 140,000 people.60 Last week, Philip Bishop wrote in The Guardian that museums are not doing all they can.61 Signing a petition is not enough, he was saying, museums should make their support for Ai Weiwei more visible, namely through their homepages. In the same newspaper, Hari Kunzru was questioning the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts's silence,62 which is now exhibiting the famous terracotta warriors, and was hoping that this unique opportunity to raise awareness about the Chinese artist's detention would not be lost. 60
More about this and other initiatives in “Should Museums Protest Ai Weiwei's Arrest?” (June 8, 2011) by Kyle Chayka, in ‘Hyperallergic.’ Available at http://www. hyperallergic.com/. 61 “The Art Establishment Needs to Make Its Support for Ai Weiwei Visible” (June 7, 2011) in The Guardian. 62 “What the Montreal Museum Can Do for Ai Weiwei” (June 3, 2011) in The Guardian.
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Posted on June 13, 2011
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THE LONG DISTANCE BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND JERUSALEM MOCHA (Museum of Children's Art) is a museum in Oakland, California. Open since 1989, its mission is to ensure that the arts are a fundamental part of the lives of all children through hands-on art experiences, arts training and curriculum for educators, and advocacy for the arts. On September 12, ‘Hyperallergic’ announced that, under the pressure of Jewish groups, the museum had decided to cancel the exhibition A Child's View from Gaza, which brought together works by Palestinian children created during art therapy sessions.68 The president of the museum's Board of Directors, in an open letter to the community published on the MOCHA website,69 clarified that the museum had made that decision in an attempt to balance the concerns of parents and educators who did not wish for their children to encounter graphically violent and sensitive works during their visit.70 What did the museum expect children who had lived through the 2008 and 2009 Israeli bombardments to draw? Were the scenes of violence a surprise? ‘Hyperallergic’ commented that it would not have been the first time that the museum would exhibit children's works depicting violent scenes. The fact that the decision was made less than two weeks before the exhibition opening also indicates that the reason was not that museum personnel suddenly realized that they had to review their exhibitions policy regarding the representation of violence, but rather another kind of pressure. The Museum on the Seam is a museum in Jerusalem. It is located in the street that separates the Jewish sector in the western part of the city from the Arab neighborhoods in the eastern sector. Founded in 1999, it defines itself as a ‘socio-political contemporary art museum,’ which, in its unique way, presents art as a language with no boundaries in order
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68
“Museum Bows to Pressure From Jewish Groups and Cancels Palestinian Children's Art Show” (September 12, 2011) by Hrag Vartanian. Available at http://hyperallergic.com/. 69 http://mocha.org 70 The children's works (16 images) can still be seen on The Middle East Children's Alliance's Facebook page, as a photo album (“A Child's View From Gaza”). Available at http://www.facebook.com/MECAforPeace/photos_albums.
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Posted on September 19, 2011
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to raise controversial social issues. At the center of its temporary exhibitions stand the national, ethnic and economic seam lines in their local and universal contexts. In its mission statement, the museum also refers that it is committed to examining the social reality within the regional conflict, to advancing dialogue in the face of discord and to encouraging social responsibility that is based on what we all have in common, rather than what keeps us apart. The current exhibition, WESTEND, explores the conflict between Islam and the Western world and it is the result of the museum's intense efforts to convince artists from the Middle East to exhibit in its galleries. Among the 28 Muslim artists involved, 7 come from the Middle East and some from countries that prohibit any kind of contact with Israel. In the past, the museum had presented exhibitions such as The Right to Protest, Bare Life or HomeLessHome, among others. Whatever pressure the museum might be going through (and I guess it must be considerable), it does not seem to be tackling it by canceling exhibitions. I like to think of museums as spaces for the confrontation of ideas, spaces that bring us out of our comfort zone, spaces that bring us face to face with realities that we did not know about, and, also, spaces that raise some controversy. I am not referring to ‘cheap’ controversy, neither to that caused by cowardice, silence or a supposed ‘apoliticism.’ I am referring to the controversy caused, with intelligence and honesty, by expressing one's opinion, by assuming a stance, by the museum's genuine wish to be a place of encounter. Also on the blog: Art, Politics and Boycotts (June 14, 2010)
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WHAT OR WHO IS THE BARRIER? A family arrives at the foot of Mértola Castle, Portugal. They have four children. The mobility of one of them, a 10/11-year-old boy, is quite conditioned. One of his brothers picks up the stroller and runs to the top of the steps that lead to the entrance of the castle. The mother supports her son from the arm and they slowly start going up. Halfway, she suggests they take a rest. The boy prefers to continue. He is making an enormous effort to place his foot on the next step. He is tired and his foot is trembling. I do not want to overtake them. I follow them. I go along with their rhythm. Once at the top of the steps, the boy finally takes a rest. His mother moves on a bit, trying to evaluate the difficulty of the rest of the way. I witnessed this ‘ascend to the castle’ at the end of a week where I attended two meetings on museums and accessibility: the annual seminar of GAM – Group for Access to Museums, entitled “Programming for Di versity,” and the 1st Crossborder Encounter of Museum Professionals in Alcoutim, Portugal. A few days before GAM's seminar, I had met with a Polish colleague who asked me: “What do you expect of these meetings?” Among museum professionals, accessibility is more and more of an issue. And the concept of ‘accessibility’ constantly grows and widens. It is not only about being concerned and also obliged to attend to the needs of people with disabilities (physical and cognitive), but to a wide spectrum of intellectual, social and cultural needs of all citizens. It is also about managing and being able to take advantage of people's growing wish and need to be involved in the process of decision-making, so that they may feel represented in the final products museums propose to their audiences (my presentation on this subject in Alcoutim is available on the right-hand column of the ‘Musing on Culture’ blog, under ‘Conferences’). I am writing this text approximately one week after and I realize that the issues that marked me the most in these two meetings and which
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Posted on October 29, 2012
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EXHIBITIONS
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technical preparation in museum studies courses to future museum professionals, who only in 20-30 years from now will be in a position to make decisions, if in the next 20-30 years they will be encountering the greatest barrier of all inside museums themselves? If these meetings will go on being an opportunity for those already aware to get together and agree between themselves, their impact will also continue being limited, almost inexistent. There is a need to make commitments and not just politically correct statements. There is also an obligation to abide by the law. And it has to be now, not in 20-30 years' time. It does not cost anything. And it does not cost more... Also on the blog: Labels (May 31, 2010)
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INDEX OF LINKS
BYPASS EDITIONS Filipe Rocha da Silva Variações sobre o Maneirismo: Estudo Comparativo entre o Século XVI e o Presente Marta Jecu (ed.) Subtle Construction Luís Santiago Baptista, Dana Bentia, Carlos Bunga, FormlessFinder (Garrett Ricciardi and Julian Rose), Pedro Gadanho, Hironari Kubota, Matias Machado, Manuel Aires Mateus, Cristian Rusu, Sancho Silva, João Silvério, Yukihiro Taguchi, Sinta Werner Álvaro Seiça permafrost: 20+1 zeptopoemas sms
BYPASS BYPASS #1: Architecture 2009-2010 Álvaro Seiça Neves + Gaëlle Silva Marques (eds.) Álvaro Seiça Neves, Amadeo Guadiana, Ana Tecedeiro, Carlos Bunga, Carlos M. Guimarães, César Parreira, Claude Schmitz, Cristina Cavallotti, Daniel Malhão, Duarte Krüger, Duarte Lobo Antunes, e.e., Emanuel Nevado, Gregório Carboni Maestri, Hiroaki Umeda, Julian Mayor, Julieta Cervantes, Lucien Zell, Luís Royal, Manfred Pernice, Mikkel Hermann Sørensen, Nils Wogram, Ozias Filho, Pavel Braila, Pedro Levi Bismarck, Pedro Clarke, Pedro dos Reis, Pedro Jordão, Pedro Ribeiro Dias, Pedro Sena-Lino, Ricardo Tércio, Rui Aristides, Simon Critchley BYPASS #2: The Infinitely Small and The Infinitely Large 2010-2011 Álvaro Seiça Neves + Gaëlle Silva Marques (eds.) Adrian Hornsby, Ana Cardim, André Sier, Bjørn Andreassen, Catarina Alfaro, Edwin Pickstone, Federico Pedrini, Francesco Scavetta, Francisco M Laranjo, Isidro Paiva, Jeffrey Ladd, João Farelo, Nathan Boyer, Neville Mars, Pedro Russo, Rafael Gouveia, Ricardo Cabaça, Rute Cebola, Seth Cluett, Taylor Ho Bynum, Vasco Gato
“Maria Vlachou knows that there is an order to what is being shown to us, where we are able to choose. Maria knows it and thinks about it. She thinks about what a museum does, what theatre may do, what writing may do: to continue, to dissolve, to vanish, to be erased. And, in these syncopated texts, annotations, variations, she writes clearly, she annotates whatever disquiets her, whatever troubles her. Thus, Maria – thinking, annotating – does not wish to ‘stay where we are.’ This is why I like to read her, to think along with her. Don't you?” Jorge Silva Melo, Founder and Artistic Director of Artistas Unidos, Lisbon
“This volume raises issues and begins conversations that must continue for years, perhaps for decades, to come.” Michael M. Kaiser, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.
Maria Vlachou (b. 1970, Greece) works in the area of cultural management and communications. She was Communications Director of São Luiz Municipal Theatre and Head of Communica tions of the Pavilion of Knowledge, in Lisbon. In 2011-2013 she is attending the Summer International Fellowship Program in Arts Management at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the board of ICOM Portugal since 2005, and a founding member of GAM – Group for Access to Museums. She holds an MA in Museum Studies (University College London, 1994), with a thesis on museum marketing. www.bypass.pt