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Compostition IV: Voyage l'art
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Composition IV is an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange organised by House of Culture. The project as focused upon the concept and relevance of art in our current societies. Forty youngsters, from eight different countries, gather in The Hague to exchange experiences, perspectives, ideas and knowledge. The host organisation, House of Culture, is an informal group of enthusiastic students from the Netherlands, which is based both in the Netherlands and in South-Sweden. Their aim is to encourage and inspire youth all across Europe to be involved and to be engaged in art, culture, design, museums and architecture.
Articles:
An insight into the concept of ART:
Presenting the outcomes of the youth exchange ' Composition IV'
From 27th of June until 7th of July 40 young people, from 8 different countries gathered in The Hague (Netherlands) to discuss the concept of art and its relevance. Through creative workshops, a street-art tour, museum visits, an art academy visit, art discussions, photo challenges, cultural evenings and especially personal conversations, participants explored their own meaning of the word ART.
The document you can find below contains written proof of their journeys. Every participant had the task to write a short essay on art, thereby choosing their own specific topic, basing it on previous experiences, knowledge derived from their educational background or books, the Erasmus+ youth exchange itself, etc. Topics are extremely diverse, showing the rich diversity of the project’s participants.
The organisation behind the project, House of Culture, would like to thank hereby its participants, its partners and the programme of Erasmus+. Without them the project would not be the same, and instead they turned it into a great and wonderful experience. To our readers, we would like to wish you an amazing time reading this rich document.
All the best,
The members of House of Culture
‘How Art Became Irrelevant’ - Reflection upon an essay by Michael J. Lewis (2015)
Julianne Lindner
In his essay ‘How Art Became Irrelevant: A chronological survey of the demise of art’ (July, 2015), Michael J. Lewis warns his readers that art has become irrelevant within our current societies. He bases his argument on the fact that people in the West perceive art with a kind of indifference. This indifference is fatal for the world of fine arts, as according to him art can survive a public that is hostile or even ignorant, however not an indifferent public. Within this short article, I will try to summarise his main line of argumentation and thereby aim to trigger a discussion for the reader at home. Thereby focusing on the question ‘Is art currently irrelevant or is it just taking on another role within societies?’
(‘A Butterfly’s Dream’ by Kasper Sonne, 2014)
To fully understand his claim, we have to start from the beginning. Within his essay M. Lewis starts explaining his idea by giving the example of his students’ reaction after seeing the video of an endurance performance. In this performance, artist Chris Burden stood against a wall and asked a friend to shoot him through the arm with a .22 rifle shoot. This happened in 1971 in the California Art Gallery.
(The video can be watched via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26R9KFdt5aY).
M. Lewis writes that his students did not seem to be shocked or even touched by the performance at all. Rather than judging it, the students seemed to place the performance within a historical context and tried to explain it. He states that this refusal to judge could be described as tolerance and broadmindedness, but that this is very close to indifference.
(Sleeping People at Louvre Museum, http://www.magnumphotos.com)
He admits that nowadays paintings sell for record-high prices and museums experience an increase in the number of visitors. But he claims that this has nothing to do with relevance and importance of current art. Concerning the record-high prices, they are described to be more related to the fiscal health of art instead of their cultural health. Further museums are treated currently more as entertainment and as places for sensation and spectacles taking the role of e.g. circuses a century ago. The public, as it is described in his essay, has disengaged itself collectively from the art world and do not even seem to criticise it any longer. Thereby making art irrelevant.
How did this happen?!
According to M. Lewis, the fine arts and the performing arts do not matter in the Western culture as they do not “longer shape meaningful ways our image of ourselves or define our collective values”. Looking back at the role of art centuries ago, art was perceived in the past as direct expressions of societies that made them. Art changed together with societies. This is, however, not the case anymore. Or as he puts it “Whatever art had to offer—minimalism, conceptualism, photorealism—was a zany precinct where anything might happen, a source of entertainment, a zone that might be safely regarded with benign neglect”. Instead institutions of mass media, commerce and advertising have taken the place and function of art.
Based on his argumentation, you could argue that art is no longer relevant as it lost its connection to the current Western society, its identities and its values. However, could you make such a general statement and thereby generalising all the art existing today? Has art perhaps not taken another role within our societies? Or is art not after all a reflection of our current society and thereby reflecting indifference itself too?
Thereby, we have come to the end of this short article. Its aim was to make you part of a discussion into the relevance of art in today’s societies. That is why I would love to know what do you think? Do you agree that art is currently irrelevant?
To read his full essay, click on the following link:
Mauritshuis
The famous museum Mauritshuis in The Hague is organizing an exhibition of a contemporary artist called Vik Muniz. This exhibition will take place from the ninth of June till the fourth of September 2016. Vik Muniz is a Brazillian artist who works in New York and Rio de Janeiro. Muniz makes artworks in which he uses materials such as sugar, diamonds and garbage.
He was also featured in a documentary film called 'Waste Land' which contained Muniz's work on one of the world's largest garbage dumps in Rio de Janeiro.
Muniz is best known for recreating famous images from art history and pop culture with unexpected, everyday objects. He also takes photographs of these pieces. He sees photography as having ''freed painting from its responsibility to depict the world as fact''.
If this information about Vik Muniz made you curious you should check out his exhibition at Mauritshuis. It might also be included in our exchange if it is compatible with our planned activities.
Greetings,
Sylvie
February: The Hague
As you know by now, the exchange will take place in The Hague. The Hague is one of the most beautiful and important cities of the Netherlands. It is most famous for being the political center of the Netherlands. Everything involving national politics is set in The Hague.
However, there is of course much more to find than politics alone. The Hague is also famous for its culture. From music to dance to theater, and most important for us, museums. A few examples of museums are the 'Gemeentemuseum', 'Haags Historisch Museum', 'Mauritshuis' and a photo museum called 'Fotomuseum Den Haag'. The 'Gemeentemuseum' is famous for its collection of artworks by Piet Mondriaan and 'Haags Historisch Museum' has collections that show the rich history of the city. A very famous painting called 'The girl with the pearl earring' by Vermeer is to be seen in the 'Mauritshuis'.
The Hague is also famous for its wonderful inner city. It was called out to be the best inner city of the Netherlands of the years 2013-2015.
From my own experience I can tell you that one day isn't enough if you want to see all of this city. If you are planning to go on a city trip, The Hague would be an excellent choice. However, you could also consider taking part in our exchange and then we can guarantee you will have a great time in this city.
The Hague is also famous for its beach; Scheveningen. It is the most famous beach in the Netherlands. In the summer it is hard to get a spot, because it is filled with people. Scheveningen is also the place where we will be staying during the exchange. Another great reason to take part in our exchange.
Greetings,
Sylvie
October:
Composition IV: Voyage de L'Art
Last February, Brenda and I started to discuss the idea to create a new project together. Previously we already had the opportunity to organise youth exchanges on the important topics of sustainability & environmentalism. However, both having a background in arts & culture, we found it important to also organise a project or more projects on a topic which comes closest to our hearts: ART. That's how this project, 'Composition IV:Voyage de L'Art' started.
The setting up of the objectives and the programme followed soon after. It was also not long before we were accompanied by our three wonderful colleagues: Annelotte, Manon and Sylvie. They have since played a great and crucial part in creating the project. Currently we are applying for an Erasmus + youth exchange subsidy via our Dutch national agency. Keeping our *fingers crossed* after October 1st!
We will keep you up to date about the progress of our project via our website! Of course you can also join our Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467872596840916/?fref=ts) to discuss topics around art and culture with other youngsters.
Au Revoir,
Julianne
February: New Year, Updates and lots of Enthusiasm
Just recently it turned 2016, and slowly we are already getting very excited about our project ‘Composition IV Voyage L’Art’, which will take place next June/July in The Hague. Due to our enthusiasm, we therefore can’t help ourselves to give you the latest updates around our project. So let’s begin!
Last month the Dutch national agency send a most wonderful e-mail informing us that our project has received positive remarks. This means that it is very likely that the project will be approved and that we will receive a contract later this month. We can’t wait! :)
Currently we are recruiting Dutch participants, and therefore our creative director Annelotte has designed our new recruitment poster, which you can see below. Do you like it too?
So if you are Dutch or living in the Netherlands, interested in art and also enthusiastic to engage in an international project, don’t hesitate and send your cv and motivation to our email-address info.houseofculture@gmail.com or apply via our website. We will be waiting for you!
Further we have developed our programme, and are now working on the introduction games. Such as our Quartet game, in which you have to gather all four cards of each quartet. Below you can see two of our example cards. The aim is to gather the four cards in group 4 to complete a Quartet.
Soon more updates will follow and we will keep you up to date via our website. And don’t forget to join our facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1467872596840916/?fref=ts) to discuss topics around art and culture with other youngsters.
Wishing you a very lovely New Year and all the best for 2016,
Julianne
On Behalf of House of Culture
