Dear members,
Spectrum-Lunch: Conversation with Pro Helvetia
On September 18, the first Spectrum-Lunch took place on Zoom, considering the position and promotion of photography by Pro Helvetia. First, prepared issues and questions by the Spectrum-Board-Members were discussed with Philippe Bischof, Director of Pro Helvetia, and Madeleine Schuppli, Head of the Visual Arts Department. Follow-up questions from participating Spectrum-Members (approximativ 20-25) were given room afterwards.
Here some insights from the discussion:
- Basically, Pro Helvetia's funding policy is embedded in the federal Cultural Message. BAK Cultural Message 2021–2024
- In their future policies, equality/diversity will play an important role, as will artists' fees. Eventually, only projects in which the latter are budgeted will be supported.
- The promotion of artists is a clear priority. Institutions will only be supported indirectly, via the funding of artists.
- Pro Helvetia is conscious about the relatively marginal support given to independent curators so far. The involvement in promotion processes, through residencies and research trips, is provided in the future policies.
- Pro Helvetia supports photography only within the Visual Arts Department. Only ‘artistic photography’ in the sense of artistic creation is supported. Hence, projects such as purely documentary photography are not being upheld. The focus is clearly on contemporary artistic creation. Projects and exhibitions with historical photography are only exceptionally supported if there is a direct link to contemporary art.
- There is no separate budget for photography, which would contradict the trend towards transversal, cross-disciplinary funding. However, the promotion of the transversal offers the possibility that photo books, for example, could also be promoted in digital form in the future.
- The question of how and where federal funds are provided to support historical or documentary, media-theoretical or visual-sociological projects remains unanswered. Pro Helvetia is not and does not feel responsible for this.
- Such one-sided support given to contemporary art runs the risk to lead to a cultural loss of photography’s history. Pro Helvetia, therefore, recommends lobbying for a memo policy, launching events to ‘fight’ against the loss of memory in national cultural policy.
- Simultaneously, Philippe Bischof drew our attention to the need for dialogue on the ‘image’ in schools and society. In the consultation on the Cultural Message 2021–2024, this discussion met sympathetic ears. The topic should be pursued further.
Experts’ Database
Finally, it is ready! We created a tool on the website of Spectrum - Photography in Switzerland, allowing Spectrum-Members to upload their CVs themselves. The goal is to develop a pool of information as comprehensive as possible on the central agents and mediators in the Swiss photography scene - as information internally and externally. Melisa Arslan, Nicole Graf, Melody Gygax, Sophie Junge, Nadine Reding and Urs Stahel already uploaded their CVs as teasers. From now on, the tool is accessible to everyone. Participation is voluntary, yet meaningful as we think. To enter, please proceed as follows:
- Please send us an email confirming your participation. You will then receive an access code, which is valid for two weeks. During this time you should register. After this period, you can request a new code.
- If you click on it, you will see your name already registered. It is then required to 1. enter your city, 2. click on one or more job tags (which apply to you), 3. enter your website, 4. enter a ‘Brief Biography’, 5. present your ‘Current Projects’, and 6. enter a portrait photo.
- By doing so, you introduced yourself briefly and concisely. If you also wish to present your exhibitions, books, awards, projects of the past years, you can click on the button ‘New Section’ at the top. A new title field will open as well as an empty list, sorted by years. You can open as many new fields as you need. Afterwards, you can check how everything looks like by clicking the button ‘View’. If you are pleased, you can put your professional CV online by clicking ‘Set Published’.
- Changes can be made at any time until the code expires. After, you need to request a new code - for security reasons. If you have any difficulties, please contact Melisa Arslan at spectrum@photography-in-switzerland.ch.
What's Next 2021!
What's Next 2021! takes place this year on December 4 at the ECAL in Lausanne. Please make a note and register until November 24! Again, 20 special and exciting projects on photography taking place next year in Switzerland will be presented. We are delighted to organize this event with Milo Keller and his team. You can still submit projects until the end of October.
The hall in which What's Next 2021! takes place holds 350 people. Hence, it is spacious enough to leave two seats between the participants free, following all Corona measurements. And of course, we will all wear masks. If the corona situation should worsen significantly, we plan to hold What's Next 2021! as an online event. We will inform you one week before the event.
The event is public. Registrations via spectrum@photography-in-switzerland.ch are required.
ECAL - Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne
Spectrum-GV
For members of Spectrum, the General Assembly will take place on the morning of December 4, also at ECAL in Lausanne. A guided tour through ECAL and a common lunch will follow the assembly. For this too, registration via spectrum@photography-in-switzerland.ch is required.
Central agenda item: Urs Stahel resigns after seven years as President of Spectrum - Photography in Switzerland.
Biel/Bienne: The Spectrum board of directors proposes Danaé Panchaud, director of Photoforum Pasquart in Biel/Bienne, as the new president.
Expert’s Essay #7
We are very pleased with the work report by Nora Mathys, the curator in charge of the collection at Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne. In her essay, she familiarizes us with the complex problems of a photographic collection today, the real collection and also its digital mirror image (and the mixtures of the two). Also, she tells us how the collection is being prepared for the big move to the new building. Many thanks Nora for this exciting insight!
We wish you all a protective, yet livable and enjoyable autumn!
On behalf of the entire Spectrum-Board
Urs Stahel
President of Spectrum – Photography in Switzerland