Page 53 - Studio International - February 1972

combination of bureaucratic
ignorance and ideological caprice
that characterizes the State's
The society holds to its mistaken,
handling of art matters a policy—and
middle-class view that the arts
prosper best when left to themselves.
Yet it would be wrong to cast the
German art for the so-called 'art world' itself has
first stone at politicians and public,
so far shown itself incapable of
co-ordinating its political aims.
The meaninglessness of art to the
general public stems largely from the
scene inability of artists, critics, dealers
and curators between them to create
themselves a public. The character
of the German art scene is
determined by the bickering of
mutually exclusive in-groups. For a
start there is the Deutscher
Museumsrat (German Museums
Robert Kudielka is Assistant Art policy and Council), to which the Foreign
Editor of Das Kunstwerk . . . Office delegates the arrangement of
Christian Herchenröder is politics in exhibitions abroad, and which is
Features Editor of the Dusseldorf West Germany composed entirely of urbane
Börsenblatt .. Wieland Schmied museum officials, most of whose
Director of the Kestner gesellschaft, It was some time in the autumn of services to present-day art consist in
Hanover ...Dieter Honisch is 1967 that I was listening to the BBC a distant toleration of its
curator of the Folkwang Museum, news and suddenly heard the developments. No artists, critics or
Essen and organized the Bauhaus announcement that Richard Smith administrators actually concerned
Exhibition and 'Strategy Get Arts' had won the Grand Prix at the Sao with modern art are represented on
in Edinburgh last year... Klaus Paulo Biennale. I still remember my this body. No wonder, therefore,
Reinke is a freelance writer and art surprise—an announcement from that such an exclusive oligarchy is
critic ...Klaus Honnef is director of the art world in the middle of the constantly under attack from the
the Westfalian Kunstverein, Münster daily news ! That would be Deutsche Kunstlerbund (Federation of
...Heinz Ohff author of Revolution inconceivable in West Germany. German Artists), the chairman of
ohne Programm, is a Berlin critic and When the sculptor Erich Hauser which, Professor Georg
writer ...Frank Zeitz is an expert won the same award two years later, Meistermann, is one of the most
on naive art and writes crime stories no report of it was to be found even in hardened campaigners for a
under a pseudonym. the German daily papers. As far as the meaningful arts policy. Nevertheless
public is concerned events on the fine the Künstlerbund is itself an in-group,
arts front generally just aren't news. where the formulation of any
To the foreign observer, who sees concerted political objectives are
only the boom in the art trade and nipped in the bud by nepotism,
the splendid organization of the corporate solidarity and personal
exhibition business, that may seem self-esteem—as a result it contents
absurd. Where else but Germany has itself largely with an annual
the art business involved so many initiation rite in which artists get
sections of the population ? The together with other artists to pick
Kunstmarkt in Cologne and out those to whom they accord the
Düsseldorf have spread like status of artists. The most striking
wildfire, and towns as yet beyond the symptom of the neurotic state of
periphery of the art scene, like German artistic life, however, is the
Gottingen and Kiel, are beginning Berufsverband Bildender Künstler
to emulate their bigger brothers. (Artists' Association). Since the
The market in graphic art has left-winger Scharfmacher took over
reached inflationary heights. The its leadership, this body, marching
latest trends are being disseminated shoulder to shoulder with the
by over forty 'professional' galleries working class, has behaved like an
in the major centres, not to mention incipient trade union—so that
the innumerable 'amateur' galleries anyone who thinks he is an artist can
in the provinces, and in addition the become a member (which frightens
country is covered by a close-meshed off those who actually are).
network of public institutions —over The problems of contemporary
a hundred Kunstvereine (art art can only come to effect any
societies), Kunsthallen (exhibition political purchase if all those
galleries) and public collections— concerned with them work together;
which ensure that contemporary art in a democratic system this means
is available to everyone. In short, that a temporary alliance is needed in
where information and commercial which the artist's involvement, the
activity is concerned, Germany critic's understanding, commercial
seems to be the Fine Arts' experience and administrative
promised land. expertise all combine to further the
This appearance of activity, ends of art. The lack of such a
however, all too easily conceals the consensus, to date, has left the
fact that in the public estimation art government without a partner
comes nowhere. There is as yet no whenever it takes any steps towards
policy for art in the Federal an arts policy, and has resulted in
Republic—unless you call the such steps getting implemented
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