Hello everyone, I'd like to share some thoughts about the "fly for art" topic.
First of all, I haven't taken the pledge because I've actually got a flight booked for next month. But I rarely fly for art, so I don't think it will make much difference anyway. I think the problem is much bigger than just our choice of transport. Artists, critics and curators feel the need to fly for art in order to get to know, and be involved in, the maximum amount of art production possible. Art feeds off itself, so the more you get to know, the better your work will be. This doesn't only happen with art, but the problem with art is you have to be physically in front of it to experience it. You can't just send a painting or an installation by email. So, what effect will this pledge have? Many people can't afford the option of, say, travelling by ship from Europe to the USA because it's too time consuming. The alternative is focusing on our local art scenes. Will this lead to art becoming increasingly provincial? Communication will no doubt continue over the net, so contamination will be inevitable. Would it be possible for the actual artworks to loose importance, and the exchange of ideas to become the main point? What if art museums were to stop organizing international exhibitions? They might have to close down, because the lack of variety in exhibitions would encourage visitors to stay at home. Would a sustainable model arise for running a museum on mainly regional fare? Oh, and what about the financial crisis? The people most affected by it - including young artists, critics and curators who haven't had the chance to accumulate wealth - might have to stop travelling altogether and concentrate on not starving. Some things are already changing. Is there any way of rethinking our artworld in order to make travel unnecessary while maintaining high quality standards for production and exhibition? It would be nice to fully discuss the possible consequences of this pledge. regards, isabel
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