The recent turmoil in the United States is a matter of grave concern for the art scene and its institutions.
What happens to the place of art in society when the very principles and agreements upon which that society is built, are compromised or replaced by a tactic of disruption?
It must be difficult to decide on the best way forward in such a situation. The care of individual lives, the care for the communities around institutions, as well as for the community of the people who work in them, the care of specific projects, the care of institutional practices and space, the care of sustainability of institutional practices and even the survival of institutions themselves all come into play.
While many situations around the world are precarious, it is rare to see an ecosystem of this magnitude, once considered a stable reference, in such a state of uncertainty, threat, and loss, making even a coherent approach difficult.
We are deeply concerned and want to express support for our colleagues and other cultural actors in the United States, not only those who are directly affected or in danger of being so, but also to those who are merely facing the volatility of this disruptive approach to the core of society.
We want to reiterate the importance of the independence of the arts and culture sector. Only if it can start from an independent position may it find the capacity to fulfill its mission, that of a safe and open public space in which one is able to encounter a diversity of positions, perhaps sometimes divergent from one’s own or even inconvenient, yet open to discussion; a discussion that may lead to a non-polarized society of which everyone may feel part.
We want to denounce once more the danger of politicizing cultural organizations. It is not only threatening their independence, non-profit and non-partisan status, but effectively erasing their very potential. Using culture as a form of propaganda equals the abolishment of culture as a force for society, at large and for the future.
In representation of the CIMAM Museum Watch Committee, integrated by:
CIMAM – International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art – is an Affiliated Organization of ICOM.
Main Image: Statue of Liberty, New York
Anna Melnykova, "Palace of Labor (palats praci), architector I. Pretro, 1916", shot with analog Canon camera, 35 mm Fuji film in March 2022.
ArtDependence Magazine is an international magazine covering all spheres of contemporary art, as well as modern and classical art.
ArtDependence features the latest art news, highlighting interviews with today’s most influential artists, galleries, curators, collectors, fair directors and individuals at the axis of the arts.
The magazine also covers series of articles and reviews on critical art events, new publications and other foremost happenings in the art world.
If you would like to submit events or editorial content to ArtDependence Magazine, please feel free to reach the magazine via the contact page.
