I am sending this letter to all our artists in- and outside of Europe to speak about the importance of this exhibition for our network, the political and social importance on a European as well an international level. Moreover I want to share my reasons for which CULTUREINSIDE. is organizing this international call and exhibition.
Gila Paris - Saturday May 8, 2010
CULTUREINSIDE FOUNDER
Some latest news?
We are very proud about the fact that the call and exhibition EUtopia was just honored by the coveted label European Year 2010 (EY 2010) for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
Times are very difficult – for you as well as for us. Do you know that nearly 80 million peoples - or 16 % across the EU – currently live below the poverty threshold?
Since the inauguration of the European Year 2010 a lot of campaigns have been started under the slogan “Stop Poverty Now”. The EY 2010 aims to raise greater awareness of the causes and consequences of poverty in Europe, both among key players such as governments and social partners and among the public at large. It also aims to mobilize partners in the fight against poverty, promote social integration and inclusion and encourage initiatives to tackle poverty and social exclusion.
Why this call to Artists?
We address this call of high actuality to all artists over the world in order to share our visions about poverty and social exclusion in Europe. We want points of views and discussions, comments and critics from inside and outside of Europe. Outside Europe points of views, comparisons, proposal of solutions are very welcome. This means that we want a universal vision as we live in a connected and global world
Could you explain the importance of Art and Artists in this context?
- Artists can shed light on these complex problems and controversy using our tools, style, media, beauty, metaphor and truth.
- Art can be a lens to focus attention, express emotion, and construct ideas.
- Artists can be on the vanguard in this initiative by creating images that represent peoples in poverty and their lack of opportunity.
- Artists in this exhibition can offer utopian visions not tied to ideology or accepted knowledge, thus disrupting the chain that limits our ability to envision and create a brighter future.
- Art depicts dreams, visions, utopias that do not need to be justified.
- EUtopia can exist. Our artistic visions of Europe can show solutions and encourage initiatives.
The importance of this call is to manifest, to appeal, to create and encourage. We can show solutions. We have powerful tools to express and to show points of views, tools governments don’t have, but we master these tools and should use them to do so.
Why asking for a submission fee when we speak of “Fighting Poverty”?
We had to decide to do this call and exhibition or not. We think that it is worth to realize and finance such an event, but need co-financing at the same time. Since the beginning of this year CULTUREINSIDE. is already organizing this call and exhibition. All people working on this call are doing it on a volunteer basis. We are a social network offering our artists a professional platform for free, without receiving any external subventions. Having been honored by a label doesn’t mean getting money to realize it. So if we would not ask this – in our opinion fair - submission fee (reduced fee until May 16: 30 Euros, after this date a regular fee of 50 .- Euros), we could not act and set up this exhibition. The ingoing fees don’t cover the costs of such a big event. But it helps us to attract attention to this exhibition and important theme of high actuality. Such artists organizing large exhibitions know about the costs.
Why artists should participate?
Being a winning artist or not, in any case you contribute to a discussion that will be launched with this event. So you show your solidarity and contribute.
We will open a specific blog for all participating artists in order to write about their visions, interpretations of the theme and to discuss about the European Year 2010, the call and exhibition, the organizers visions and yours… share text with us… your text can be integrated in the book.
Artists whose image are selected by the curatorial committee will exhibit in one of the best exhibition spaces in Luxembourg, the Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumünster in the heart of Luxembourg City.
The exhibition offers a very high visibility in Luxembourg, inside the European institutions (as the show will move) and also in Germany, we are just in negotiation to move the show to Germany in autumn.
We are negotiating better conditions for shipment and accommodation for the winners, we will keep you informed.
I thank you for reading this “call” and hope to enter in a productive event with you.
Thanks
Gila Paris
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