I pass on this message from curator and critic Robert Fleck. Ina Blom >>Subject: Fwd: Do no longer exhibit in Austria! >> >>Nantes, 2.2.2000 >>Dear friends, >>As you know, Austria got today the first federal government since the >>end of >>World War Second with a big participation of nazis. >>I am born in this country, have lived there for 24 years, now writing >>for >>almost twenty years in austrian newspapers, studied political history >>(history of democracy...) in this country. Also through my familly, I >>know in >>detail the inside stories of the FPOe - a party founded in 1948, after >>the >>amnesty for the big nazi rulers, to be a legal cover for their >activity. >>In >>1986, Joerg Haider took over the party by a putsch with the aim to >>re-establish these origins, and to rehabilitate the nazi period in >>Austria, >>and if possible in Central Europe. >>The actual danger is much beyond Austria: in five years or, let's say, >>after >>the death of Vaclav Havel, whole Central Europe can burn in the same >way >>like >>Austria now. The Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, etc. are ready to >>follow >>this political choice. >>Regarding Austria, I am convinced since 1983, when Bruno Kreisky >>retired, the >>first jewish chancelor in Central Europe since the birth of mankind, >>that >>this spectacular comeback of the nazis must occure. >> >>For contemporary arts, I see only one possible choice: >> >>1. NO LONGER EXHIBIT OR COOPERATE WITH AUSTRIA >>It has now become absolutely impossible, in moral terms, for any >artist, >> >>galerist, museum curator or collector, to exhibit any longer in >Austria, >>or >>to cooperate with any Austrian institution. There is only one question >>to >>ask: would you have exhibited in Nazi-Germany? Only with a complete >>boycott >>of the local artlife, we can help the Austrian artists to survive. The >>new >>government wants to show that "everything is as before", regarding >>individual >>liberty. Since 1995, all international known Austrian artists are under > >>pressure by the party of Joerg Haider; anonymous phone calls, >Nazi-signs >>on >>their cars, menaces to take their children - since five years, many >>internationally known artists in Vienna are only moving with their >>familly in >>the city inside of closed cars. As far as I know, most of the jewish >>community is also behaving like this, because they were constantly >>aggressed >>in the street. During the "100 Years" exhibition in 1998, the Vienna >>Secession had constantly nazi-signs, painted during the night, on the >>building; the Austrian federal police refused to consider these facts, >>saying >>that "this is normal". The next years will be very hard for Austrian >>artists. >>They all talked to me in the last years or months about leaving the >>country. >>Even half of the actual students at the Vienna Academy were thinking >>about >>leaving the country. For a writer, an intellectual, this is relatively >>easy. >>For an artist, to change the country is very complicated. The only way >>to >>help them, is to boycott the country itself. If you show to the >Austrian >> >>population that the new government is outlaw, then - but ONLY then - >the >> >>woters may consider during the next elections in 2003 that this may >have >>been >>a bad choice for their country. >> >>2. HELP THE AUSTRIAN ARTISTS AS INDIVIDUALS >>There can not be any preference for Austrian artists, but for you, >>international collegues, it is just about passing them a phone call or >a >>mail >>from time to time, taking care of them in some sense, just hearing if >>they >>are ok and able to work and to exhibit. You all have very many contacts > >>with >>Austrian artists. Staying in contact with people ouside can be very >>important >>for each of them. >> >>I was born in this country, and as one of very few still active >>international >>critics in this country, I have a heavy responsability. With the >>nomination >>of the new government, I announced publically to stop my collaboration >>for >>the big exhibition about the young art scene in Vienna (other curators: > >>Paolo >>Herkenhoff, Maaretta Jaukkuri, Rosa Martinez) scheduled for Oct. >>2000-April >>2001 at Kunsthalle Vienna; to stop any collaboration with Austrian >>institutions; no longer going to Austria before the end of the >>nazi-participation in the government; trying to change citizenship. But > >>I >>will stay as much as possible in contact with the Austrian artists, >>through >>the fact that I have a very close relationship with all artists >>generations >>there, from the generation of the pioneers of an independend art life >>(Maria >>Lassnig, Arnulf Rainer), to the young students. >> >>Best Wishes, >>Robert Fleck >> >> >>Robert Fleck >>post adress: >>ERBAN-Ecole Regionale des Beaux-Arts de Nantes >>Place Dulcie September >>F-44000 Nantes >>Tel +33 (0) 2 40 41 58 00 >>Fax +33 (0) 2 40 41 90 58 >>e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>(please change my post adress from F-22240 La Bouillie or F-75001 >Paris >
