behind closed doors
May 2015
Early 2015, I witnessed an open call for artists living in Utrecht with the request to participate in the group show: Under Control. Location for this exhibition was the former prison at the Wolvenplein in Utrecht. When I understood that an artist fee was missing, in combination with the theme of control, I decided to write a proposal. An art expert jury selected my proposed performative action.
After the selection this was my response:
Dear civil society, as artist and founder of #theorganisation (2011) I would like to meet you behind closed doors.
The infrastructure for our meeting is supplied by UtrechtDownUnder 2015 in the form of a prison cell. I look forward to share with you the necessity and discuss the possibilities for visual opposition in today's society of control.
I would like to explain the end of art as we know it and why a shift to the operative notion of the commons is necessary. When we activate and unite individual expertise, alternative visualizations can be realized to influence the narratives that dominate us.
By making an appointment you confirm that the information we share Behind closed doors is strictly confidential.
I offered the opportunity to make an online appointment inside this former prison. A week before the opening I was told by the organizers that visitors had to pay a ticket of 6 euro to enter the exhibition. This limited my possibilities to meet people freely and for several times in this prison cell. It increased the urge to talk about the unpaid artistic labour in the exhibition context of control.
While having conversations in the prison I found out that the organizers: Kunstliefde, had to pay a tremendous amount of rent and the costs for security in this empty prison. Kunstliefde didn't knew this beforehand and even needed a special guarantee from the municipality of Utrecht and therefore they took a big financial risk.
While this prison was waiting for a new owner the Central Government Real Estate Agency (owner of the building at that time) served their economic interest by giving it a temporary cultural destination. They did not only earn money by exploiting the artists to work for free but they were renting out the exhibition space, temporary studios etc. By doing so they kept unwanted visitors out of the building by the anti squatting principle.
In an open letter to minister Bussemaker: Open space for culture and in an opinion article in Volkskrant: Commerciele terreur smoort het vrije beeld I tried to ask attention for this distressing artistic position.
Behind closed doors followed the concept of #theorganisation
Best regards, Edwin Stolk.
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