Zarina Muhammad: Imagine a world when artists run the museums
I enjoyed listening to Zarina Muhammad’s talk at the recent Nicer Tuesday event. As one of co-founders of The White Pube, her presentation was titled Anarchism, Ubers and ghosts: The book on being an artist under capitalism, and she talked about their new book Poor Artists, “a story about making art under capitalism”.
A lot of what Zarina says in this presentation will resonate with anyone who has experienced or witnessed the toxic traits of power and gatekeeping.
These are are some of the lines that stayed with me. I really, really, really want to be in a world where artists run museums. If you work in the arts, I strongly recommend you watch the complete presentation which I’ve included below, it is only 12 mins long.
“We are in a world where it is harder than ever to make a living, and harder than ever to make art let alone make a living from art, and yet art gets made anyway. Poor Artist is about that anyway.”
”Art plays a central role in all of our lives and our relationship to it is mediated by money. Who has it, who doesn't have it, who gives it to you, the caveats it comes with. Money determines who gets the time, space, resources and opportunities to make art in the first place. It is frustrating. It is thankless. It is galling. It is a war of attrition. Our relationship to art is low-key very, very toxic. Artists are poor. The system is exploitative. Heartbreak is inevitable. But art is made anyway.”
“Interview after interview people told us about how the art world broke their heart We asked them why they continued despite that heartbreak and without exception, every single person said in some way some form something like ‘I don't know. I don't get anything back. No fame, no money. Nothing. But I can't stop. Stopping isn't an option It's like a compulsion.’”
“…when France was at war with Prussia, the French government left the people of Paris to starve. So the people rose up against their government and against the Prussians to take control of their city on their own terms to set up the Paris Commune. They abolished the death penalty, military conscription, child labor. They mandated the separation of church and state. They returned rent payments to tenants. The people ran the city for themselves. Workers ran the businesses. There was no government, no bosses, no landlords, no masters.”
”…the commune's federation of artists…was made up of everyone who exhibited in Paris. The artists of Paris organized themselves. Their own exhibitions, their own conferences. They published their own magazines. They abolished awards. They subsidised art schools so students could study for free. The Communist Federation decreed that artists should be equals amongst each other, that art must be free from the influence of intermediaries, that the government, the church or the rich, all of them, get them out the way. The Communist Federation believed that we must entrust to artists alone the management of their own interests.”
“…the Spanish Civil War when the trade unions were fighting back the fascists…Barcelona was run by the anarchists. They hung black and red flags from the buildings. They collectivised their businesses. The barber shops, the cafes, the shoe shine stands, the opera, the ballet, the cabaret, all of it - Barcelona's factories were run by its workers for its workers own interests. And Barcelona's cinemas, theatres and operas, its cabarets were run by its filmmakers, its dancers, its singers, and its artists. Imagine a world when artists run the museums.”
”Anarchism is a political philosophy that seeks to reject and or abolish all forms of authority coercion or hierarchy. It's the idea that no person or entity has any right to tell you what to do. You can do whatever you like as long as it doesn't exploit or harm another person. Maximum freedom, maximum equality. Anarchists look to dismantle the concentration of power in any one area. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and abuse of power comes as no surprise…Instead, anarchists seek to organise society on a voluntary cooperative basis without using force or compulsion. Entrust to artists alone the management of their interests.”
”When you are faced with the destruction caused by a violent system, it is also violent to do nothing, to not intervene. Inaction is not morally neutral. It is arguably worse because it's a violence that believes itself to be innocent.”