Page 27 - Studio International - March 1973

(Left) (Below)
Pédagogie Artistique' exhibition, organized The Ballet Sara Pardo, in the
by ARC 1968, Musée d'Art Moderne de la Rauschenberg exhibition held in
Ville de Paris the Musée d'Art Moderne de la
Photo : Isabelle Arnstam Ville de Paris, 1968
Photo: Cecile Halle
(Below left)
The group 'Pop' Dagon in the (Right)
Warhol exhibition held in the Merce Cunningham and her ballet
Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville group in the 'Horspaces' exhibition
de Paris, January 1971 in Paris, May 1970
Photo: Cecile Halle Photo: Cecile Halle

Finally the radicalization of a small group of
artists was to involve just claims over the right of
artists to handle their own affairs, a desire to
take over the running of an institution which
accepted the argument and a demagogic
demand for rejection of all selection.
Other criticisms were raised. Some were over
a certain confusion in the events, a danger of
'catch-all' eclecticism and a style of operating
that resembled patronage; others, more
debatable, saw in the rejection of all publicity
(particularly the paying kind) an élitist position
which amounted to a sort of ghetto of
contemporary art with no attempt to reach the
public at large (in fact, the thorough work done
in the provinces, which was subsequently to schools, youth and cultural centres, and art with a specific and limited public seemed to be
have the advantage of a national or European history students. (This last tie, made with the having more impact in the long term than
audience (Adami, Cremonini, Dewasne, University of Nanterre, had given rise to prestige exhibitions commanding sizeable
Monory, Soto, etc.); the conquest of an original experiments where small groups of budgets and all the publicity resources).
attentive and enthusiastic public (the artistic students worked together with artists in the In the end ARC, which had managed quite
micro-society, students, young intellectuals); studios, to produce papers on the works miraculously to keep going, with some degree of
the competitive use of other venues in the same presented and analyses of their approach, texts ambiguity, was finally caught in the
way for contemporary art, which steadily which were then cyclostyled and put in the 'restoration of social order' of the general post
increased after that time and of which CNAC, rooms for everybody to read and discuss). 1968 situation; suspected of extremism and
founded in 1967 shortly after ARC, was the The difficulties and setbacks arose at first leftist tendencies by one section of politics,
most active. from a chronic lack of funds (a working budget suspected of compromise and abuse of power
But above all 'museum space', despite its of 10,000 NF per year until 1972), staff by an active minority of artists, the situation
totally inadequate amenities, was able to become shortages, which resulted in a permanent developed into a progressive hair-splitting of
to some extent a lively and vocal forum, 'making do' and frequent appeals for the contradictions. After five years of trial and error
permitting an increased freedom of attitude voluntary services of artists, collectors, critics, and taking into account the responsibilities
among the public, making attendants and galleries, etc. The political context played no shouldered on both the national and
technical staff less authoritarian in their less important a part; the disturbances of May international plane, it was time to pause and
behaviour and more able to participate. Even for 1968 accentuated a certain ideological find new momentum, to rethink a more daring
those who did not share their options, ARC was orientation in the ARC events, attracted a new and resourceful formula. Otherwise the
felt to be a lively, friendly place where one felt at young public, but made it a suspect enterprise experiment would fall prey to stagnation and
one's ease and happy to meet other people. for certain political milieux on which it was repetition. Bearing in mind these facts, the
Because of a staff shortage it was not possible to more or less dependent. An arbitrary act of decision to close down was taken, not without
put into action a new objective which evolved censure in the autumn of 1971 by the difficulty and not without regret at the void thus
in the course of the experiment — that of making Préfet de Paris aggravated the feeling of unrest created in the Parisian art scene; but in the hope
it a place not only for promoting responsiveness despite the support of the artistic community, of that an ARC 2 would one day attempt a new
to contemporary art but for instructing and followers, of the majority of the press, of the beginning. ...
developing the contacts established with Ministry of Culture and of some administrators. P. GAUDIBERT
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