The Convention of Europe’s visual artists held in Paris on the 15 and 16 of December, 2008, took place against a backdrop of catastrophe in the world of finance, which also amounted to an ethical and moral crisis.
It was a particularly symbolic meeting, because it occurred at a time when we were all acutely aware of the disintegration of the mechanisms and deceitful practices that sought to redefine the international art market on the basis of purely commercial values.
When we were preparing the Convention, no one expected that the global economy would be reeling in shock at the very moment when we sat down to discuss practical details of the living and working conditions experienced by visual artists in the exercise of their professions. Much of our discussion at the convention focused on special social security protection and social security schemes for the arts.
These have a profound impact on living conditions for artists, and on their freedom to pursue creative endeavour. As such, they should constitute a major priority in our societies, where compulsive consumerism focused on virtual media may well induce a cultural crisis every bit as severe as the current catastrophe in the world’s banking system.
In these troubled times, we should work to bring about a change in attitudes.
It is now that we should speak out against the indecent collusion of money and the absurd, which inevitably obscures a reality of neglect.
Now is the time when we should come together to calmly redefine the meaning and the nature of art. We must assert, in no uncertain terms, that art cannot exist without professional disciplines; and all artistic disciplines, from the most ancient to the most experimental, should have their place in society. For every discipline has a grammar and vocabulary, which enable us to question what it is to be human, and to reflect on the responsibility of humanity on this planet.
Now more than ever, vitality in the arts is an indicator of a society that seeks to safeguard its sustainability, and as artists, we have a duty to ensure that the original media, which express that vitality, are cultivated in appropriate conditions.
This is not only crucial to our survival as creative artists, but also a question of social good. It is a mission that we should approach with truthfulness both to ourselves and to others; and it is a mission that requires us to set high standards for ourselves, and to maintain a spirit of collective tolerance, which such high standards necessarily imply.
In December, we came together within the context of the EU, to turn another page in the history of Europe. Europe’s history has been profoundly marked by artists of concept and form who throughout the centuries have borne witness to its peoples, its cultures, its passions, and the inevitable course of societal change.
When he spoke of our artistic heritage in his poem The Beacons, Charles Baudelaire described art as a “cry passed on by a thousand sentinels,” which is “the most sublime proof of our worth and value.”
In this critical period for the peoples of the world, we have a duty to ensure that the voices of European artists continue to be heard, and that they will never be silenced.
As artists, we need to refocus on real artistic values, and the essential role of art in society. In so doing, we must relentlessly reaffirm the importance of all of the diverse forms of artistic expression, because we believe that this diversity constitutes a truly sustainable wealth.
At the same time, we are asking public authorities to accept this diversity, to ensure that it is not undermined by unfair legislation or excessive speculation, and to make a fitting contribution to enable artists to live and prosper.
Living conditions for artists are the foundation of the renaissance to which we aspire, and we believe that the tangible paths that we have identified together will be an avenue to true progress.
Our project presents an inventory of the differences and similarities in artists’ working conditions in countries across the EU, and a common manifesto, which we have developed in consultation with artists in all the member states.
The goal is to provide artists with a model for future legislation that they will promote in their home countries in the hope that their governments will advance our common cause.
As responsible citizens in mature democracies, we believe that artists themselves are best placed to discuss the realities of their professions, so in gathering data for this white paper, we opted not to consult with experts, specialists, or technical officers, preferring to devote the entirety of our project to the direct experience of artists and their legitimate and elected representatives. The questionnaires we collected from each of the EU member states highlighted many convergences in social security status and working conditions, and they also revealed significant disparities. It also goes without saying that many of these contributions were marked by a tone of protest.
The common project for the artists of Europe naturally emerged from a shared to desire to anticipate and exercise control over political and administrative decisions that affect the collective destiny of artistic professionals.
It is our belief that a uniquely technocratic approach to the development of cohesion between European institutions is not sufficient to guarantee the future of the visual arts.
To safeguard its cultural tradition, Europe must actively seek to create a positive environment for professional artists, notably through the provision of appropriate social security and working conditions.
The Convention held at the Pompidou Centre marked the first stage in ambitious process, which we sincerely hope will lead to a new consciousness among all of the citizens and all the cultures of the Union of the need for a Europe that is committed to a greater level of solidarity with the arts.
The EU must officially recognize the value of artists’ rights that have been acquired in individual member states, and act to extend those rights to all the countries of the Union.
It is not our purpose to lobby for an “artists’ Europe” with special social privileges for our particular professions, however, without collective action to defend them, social security provisions for artists will be gradually eroded, and in some cases may even die off completely.
Now that our project has been established, the way ahead is clear.
If we remain united in spite of our differences, we will succeed in building a Europe of the arts that has the potential to establish a foundation for solidarity with all the artists of the world.
