Quality in the Artistic Industry | Bartek Buczek

QUALITY IN THE ARTISTIC INDUSTRY

Bartek Buczek

As a guest of SACO Biennial I worked with the other invited artists as a technician/art handler, which is actually also my regular job. I’ve been working this way for 12 years, it started simultaneously with my artistic career. As my artistic persona is starting to fade away, my practice as an art handler is coming to the bright light. Instead of doing my own mediocre artworks, I have chosen to contribute to the works of more interesting artists.

I called my project Art Industry Standard since what I’m trying to do is to reach those standards or to develop them in the fields where they are not established yet. It is a long term performative exploration. The art industry doesn’t have many standards, which can bring some anxiety to us, art world participants. For a curious ex-artist/artworker this Terra Incognita is a great opportunity to set some new rules and cheerfully play with them. It’s a very niche game. I’m not going to pretend that it’s a meaningful piece of art or some critically important research project, but this transition from artist to art handler simply gives me more attention and appreciation from the art world than my entire artistic career has ever done. Working on the new international ground was an opportunity for me to verify my methods, tools, skills and beliefs which I had developed so far. It was also a chance to take different points of view on approach to creation and to track how artists deal with stress, artworld dramas and catastrophes. A tender, conscious art handler shall carefully handle his artists.

During SACO1.0 I had the pleasure to work with a diverse group of artists. I was trying to contribute to their artworks the best I could. This included lots of shoveling for Carole Louis to sink a couple of old refrigerators in the dirt, supported by being very talkative to help Carole keep her idea as unbound as possible (then I learnt how open minded an artist can be). Eric Conrad, the most charming person in the whole known art world, needed my two efficient hands and my corner cutting, A-to-B mindset. In return he showed me how his seeming indecisiveness goes very well with his joyfull creativity. Elodie Antoine surprised me by revealing herself as an author of one of my all time favorite artworks. For her I forced myself to beat my vertigo (which I actually share with Elodie) to hang her textile sculptures. Ángelo Álvarez’s paintings blended with the space of Casa Azul Cultural Center. Working on his overwhelming exhibition let me immerse a little in the local environment. Adrien Tirtiaux gave me a hard time with his demanding artwork and persona. He was my great critic but also a great comrade.

For me the magic of art appears in experiences that happen between the artists which I’m taking care of and me as a caretaker. In the worst case scenario –a complete failure of my art project– I could still become the most competent art handler that I could be. In my honest opinion: not bad at all.