Letter to Mr. Alfons Hug, chief curator of the Sao Paolo Biennial

[anna balint]

[I send this letter to the chief curator of the Sao Paolo Biennial. tx. to Marc Garret&furherfield for edyting the
text. greetings, anna] 

Dear Alfons Hug,

We were informed about what happened to the Croatian artist Sanja Ivekovic
through the Syndicate mailing list. An Internet list where many European
artists, curators, project organisers are subscribed to. A platform that has
pro-actively been forging links with other creative individuals/groups
globally. 

It is very important to many of us in Eastern Europe to insist on
this case for multiple reasons. Not every Eastern European country is
represented at the Sao Paolo Art Biennial, and many of us identify with
artists from Eastern Europe who go there. In many of these countries there
is no curatorial training and no professional forums where such cases can be
regulated. And in many of these countries political and bureaucratic
criteria have and do, influence the selection of those chosen for such
ventures. Thus a misrepresentation occurs, and those who are deserving of
such support are too often pushed aside for political reasons.

It is an everyday and constant struggle for Eastern European artists and
independent curators to overcome the political pressure that is always
imposed unsympathetically on the art scene. Sanja Ivekovic is a respected
and well-known pioneering video artist. Regarding the sudden decision of the
Croatian curator to commission another artist to represent Croatia at the
Biennial. We view this as a political decision, a deliberate act to try and
put the contemporary and critical, Eastern European avant-garde scene in a
position of disempowerment. It is important for you to be aware of the
issues at hand for there are many artists' careers at stake, and the
infringement and success of this type of separatist strategy does not bode
well for those who seek to explore creative projects outside Eastern Europe,
in other cultures.

Not last, we consider Sanja Ivekovic's project as an excellent, innovative
and culturally informed piece. The work itself is deeply rooted in our
social and political environment, and we can hardly accept to see it
cancelled. I also would like to mention that the eyes of the Internet world
are watching. We have support from many different Western Arts organizations
who are interested in the outcome of what happens in reference to this
situation, which is of course very unfortunate.

Below I have attached opinions expressed on this case by Serb
artist-theoretician couple Branimir Stojanovic & Milica Tomic, and of the
Slovenian philosopher and curator Marina Griznic, and also a list of
intellectuals who have signed Marina Griznic's statement as a sign 
of protest and of solidarity with Sanja Ivekovic.

Please consider the case. If there is no representation of Sanja Ivekovic's
work at the Sao Paolo Biennial, we ask you to inform your collegues, artists
and visitors of the exhibition about it.

In the name of the syndicate mailing list
Anna Balint
administrator
Budapest