Tag: #FAQ

WHO IS BEHIND KVADRENNALEN ?

KVADRENNALEN is an idea. An idea to come together as an art community to show society at large that the art community is already UNITED in their belief in ART.
The idea came from a Belgian/Swedish visual artist called Thierry Mortier, but that’s not important, what IS important is that ALL the names in the Swedish art world are represented, across all the disciplines.

Which is also the answer to ‘who is behind KVADRENNALEN’: you are! All the artists, art workers, art curators, art spaces, art institutions, … that are making KVADRENNALEN a reality.

No, KVADRENNALEN is not an organisation. It is not commercial, it is not non-profit, it is not public, it is not private. It is the art community coming together and showing that we are united in ART! We don’t need an organisation for that, we need a movement, a willingness to show the world that we, the art community, stand together when what we believe in, ART, is under threat!

IS KVADRENNALEN POLITICAL ?

NO. KVADRENNALEN is set up to change two misconceptions that exist in society: 1) art is not essential and 2) the art world is divided. KVADRENNALEN’s aim is to change those two misconceptions and show that the art world is united in their belief in ART and to show that art is essential.
It is NOT the aim of KVADRENNALEN to change the outcome of an election, that would be a political campaign: KVADRENNALEN is an ART CELEBRATION.

KVADRENNALEN has no direct or indirect link with party politics.

WHAT CAN I DO ?

The short answer: whatever you can imagine! You can make ART, show ART, volunteer to help out, spread the word! You don’t need anybody to tell you what you can do, you know that best, KVADRENNALEN is about DECENTRALISED OWNERSHIP: you decide what KVADRENNALEN is going to be. It’s your responsibility, which means it will also be your success if KVADRENNALEN reaches its goal.

Check out the JOIN page: it lists a couple of ideas depending if you’re an artist, art worker, curator, art space, art institution.

IS THERE MONEY TO WORK WITH ?

NO, there is no money (yet). Up until now, everything you’ve seen from KVADRENNALEN has been self-financed, which means everyone that has already worked to bring this idea in front of you has put in their time and money. KVADRENNALEN is artist-run in every sense of the word. It’s an ideological choice to stand up for ART, not a paid assignment – BUT if KVADRENNALEN finds money, then we’ll happily share it, because KVADRENNALEN is NOT set up to make money.

IS KVADRENNALEN LOOKING FOR MONEY? YES. And, so should you: decentralised ownership, KVADRENNALEN belongs to you, you run it with whatever possibilities you have… and there are many! As someone active in the art field, this is business as usual: we try to find money wherever we can, and if we don’t we do it anyway!

HOW WILL KVADRENNALEN SUCCEED ?

By showing that we are united.

HOW DO YOU SHOW THAT WE ARE UNITED?
By setting up the biggest, longest, group show, art festival, art program under one umbrella KVADRENNALEN. We flood the internet, the streets, the art spaces, the newspapers with KVADRENNALEN. Remember we are changing perceptions here. All of us are going to make art, show art, talk art, individually anyway,… and if we do that then we only show ‘individual’ initiatives. If we bring all those initiatives, across the whole nation, across all the disciplines under one single art quadrennial KVADRENNALEN then all the individual initiatives remain, but they are PERCEIVED as ONE single, UNITED and COLLECTIVE initiative (because they will be just that!). And, that… is POWER, that is STRENGTH, that is the art world flexing its muscles and showing that the art world is a FORCE that cannot be ignored.

AND PRACTICALLY?

When you join you’ll get a KVADRENNALEN KIT, with the manifesto and the logo, etc. to put on your site, in your email footer, … The KVADRENNALEN website will feature your logo and a link to your site. And, when the time comes the site will feature a nationwide, 9 month calendar, of all the events, shows, performances, etc. that we are going to run TOGETHER. And you can tell everyone that’s willing to listen that you are doing this!