Artist Organizations International (AOI) brought together over twenty representatives of organizations founded by artists whose work confronts contemporary political, economic, educational, humanitarian, and ecological crises. The AOI explored a shift of artists working in the form of temporary projects to building long-term organizational structures that can be understood both as artworks and as social-political organizations at the same time.
Departing from the observation that (1) artist organizations are founded by artists, (2) artist organizations choose the form of the organization, (3) artist organizations seek for structural engagement, and (4) artist organizations propose social/political agendas, the AOI sought to explore the artistic value, political potential, and performative characteristics of the artist-organization, as well as the possibility for transnational collaborations and alliances between them.
This fundamental turn in artistic practice was mirrored spatially in the HAU Theater, transforming the stage into the seating section of the audience, and vice versa. The modular neo-constructivist lecterns were repositioned for each session, displaying an ongoing composition – an ongoing construction – parallel to the attempts of allying the different artist organizations participating to the AOI.
www.artistorganisationsinternational.org
Moderators: Ekaterina Degot, Charles Esche, Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, Maria Hlavajova, Matteo Lucchetti, Margarita Tsomou. Respondents: Ulf Aminde, Libia Castro, Galit Eilat, Christoph Gurk, Alex Karschnia, Urok Shirhan.
Curators: Florian Malzacher, Jonas Staal, Joanna Warsza / Producer: Younes Bouadi / Project coordinator: Renée In der Maur / Communication: Suzie Hermán, Henry Procter, Imara Limon / Architect: Paul Kuipers / Construction: Kasper Oostergetel / Graphic designer: Remco van Bladel / Photographer: Lidia Rossner / Website developer: Charlie Berendsen
Commissioned by HAU Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin. Supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin
