Letters to the Art System

Evaluation of Thomas Cohn Gallery

Primary Factors to Consider
Search for a balance between:

Cultural Programme If prioritised without
"Eco" in the audience's response
causes the burning of the gallery investment
*How can the "Eco' of the public be measured?

The Finances
If the audience's taste is prioritised
It causes an increase in profits
and
Intellectual Prostitution

It seems to me that the audience is a primary variable in this conflict

CULTURAL PROGRAMME X PROFIT

"The audience" are those who visit the gallery?
A low attendance could cause the closure of the gallery?

"The audience" are those who buy art?
If sales were low could that cause the closure of the gallery?
Even if the attendance was high?

"The audience" are those who buy and/or visit the gallery?
What would happen if sales were high and the attendance low?

TO MAP MEANS MAKING A MAP
How is it possible for your gallery or any other gallery to properly map contemporary Brazilian art?
While "it must consider the market as a factor (even important)?

- Imagine: a publishing company removes the map of the US from its atlas due to a growing anti American feeling among its clients, which could cause its closure.
- Imagine: this publishing company researches the most popular North American areas among its clients. It then decides to publish a map showing only these areas.
- Imagine: the owner of the publishing company decides to publish only the regions of the US that most identify with the objectives of the company.

The best solution would be for the gallery, from now on to state that it is selecting contemporary Brazilian artists that most identify with the gallery programme.

Perhaps you could also state what this programme is.

The reply from Thomas Cohh

(*Translated by Ana Amorim)
São Paulo, 07 de Maio de 2003
Dear Ana Amorim,

Your letter was not replied to for no ideological reason: I have been abroad in the Frankfurt Art Fair, as you can check in the newspapers. Said that, I must tell you that we received 250 portfolios for the the "Open Doors", we haven't managed to interview some of the shortlisted and at the same time do the office routines.

The answer to your question is not as complicated as it could seem. Lets see:

1) A gallery has two primary factors to consider:
a) it's cultural programme
b) the finances that make it possible (the commercial part)

2) You can make the choice puytting the weight on item a) and if it doesn't have an "eco" in the audience response, in a short time the gallery will "burn" the investment made and will close its doors.
The other alternative is worth: if you prioratize exclusively profit, you become hostage of the "public taste" and will not be the interpret of the artist proposition, a kind of intelectual prostitution.
The, the ideal is to find a balance that allows the gallery to deliver its message and at the same time do it in order to finance itself.In contemporary art , this is not an easy project, but it is goal.

To answer your question directly: the alternative of showing an artist that do not wish to participoate in the commercial circuit not only does not sacre us but also is part of our routine, being in the "open doors" or in any moment of our activity. You talk about "an artist that believes that his/her work is relevant within the art scene, etc". Well , for us it is not enough that he or she believe in the relevance of their work: if We believe in this relelvance we show anything, with or without price list. We have recently done it and would do it again without hesitation
About the final questions:
No, we would not try a "compromise". If the artist is risking in a proposasl that does not leave him/her finacial advantages, this is part of the project. You either associate to the project or not. I repepat : if the project interests US we would do it without profit if that's the case.
No, no the idea does not seam stupid. Art is a very special territory.
You have to consider the market as a factor (even important) but you shouldn't submit to it. In art, as in a circus you must be able to walk on the rope.
About the last question: What criteria you gallery uses to map? we had to face that the day we launched the "Open Doors" in 1996.
Do we give the prize(s) to the best? No, because it is the critics job to do determine who is the "best" than who, if such thing exists.
The criteria that we use is to give a prize to the artists that most identify with the gallery's programme. It's up to the critics, audience or whoever decided if our choices are or not correct.
I hope the gallery's position was made clear.

Yours sincerely,
Thomas Cohn

3rd letter to Thomas Cohn gallery - São Paulo - Brazil

Dear Thomas e Myriam,

I am trying for the third time to obtain an answer from your gallery to my conceptual proposition. It was done initially as an introductory letter in the first phase of the selection of Open Doors.

I believe my second email sent on April 28, 2003 did not reach its objective, since I have not heard from you yet.

Perhaps you have not had enough time to structure an answer that states your position in terms of my question.
I haven't forgotten that the gallery is on the second selection phase of Portas Abertas. Also, as the bank holiday was on Thursday, your office might not have had time to process the week's correspondence (28/04). I have also considered the possibility that your gallery might have decided to ignore completely this email as a bunch of nonsense. And finally, after finding out about my art work, that you came to the conclusion that I am a radical lunatic that could cause a lot of problems
The first two possibilities are totally understandable considering that we are all working above our limits. There is also the traffic and violence and so many other things that absorb us and limit our ability to think freely. About the latter, it may confort you to know that some people in the art world accuse me of being radical, others of being excludent and there are still those who think that my ideas could sound a negation of "humanistic" values such as participation, solidarity and tolerance.
However I would like to discuss my third assumption, in which your gallery would have decided to ignore completely this email as a bunch of nonsense.

I will repeat the core of my question and try to clarify its implications in the collective field.

My question is: "what would the analysis and selection criteria be for an artist that does not participate and does not wish to participate in the commercial circuit. But believes that her work is relevant for the Brazilian contemporary art scene. Therefore should be "mapped" and distributed nationally and internationally by those that aim to do so. However, without having to abdicate of any of the structural concepts of her art production."

Following I reproduce " brief history of the Gallery" which I found in your public announcement for Open Doors:

" Thomas Cohn gallery, is a partnership between Thomas e Myriam Cohn, both art dealers. It opened in 1983 in Rio de Janeiro aiming to discover and to work with new artists, contributing to" place" Brazil in the world map of contemporary art. An utopia* at the time, as it was mentioned in a interview for Modulo magazine (Nov. 1982) a couple of months before its opening date."

My question would be nonsense under the perspective where everything is a commodity, has a price and time is money. Now, lets consider the possibility of a growing movement in this country among artists which is criticising this very perspective. Imagine that right now there is an artist's movement that have realised the tenuous line that separates art institutions and the economic interest of a small elite in this country. Also, imagine that these artists have realised the serious consequences in the public sphere, when economic interests take over art institutions.

Lets suppose that your gallery receives a portfolio of an artist member of this group. Lets imagine that this artist has a very important work within the contemporary art production (and I am not talking about myself). I would like to know what would the attitude of a gallery that aims to map contemporary art in Brazil be, when this artist refuses to sell his/her work?
Does this gallery decide to convince this artist to make some kind of compromise that would be reasonable to both? Does it decide to convince this artist of his/her stupidity facing the inevitability of the market? Or simply discards it?
The first two possibilities are quite reasonable considering that this gallery aims to honestly map contemporary artistic thought. However, if this gallery chooses to discard this portfolio, we have a serious ethical problem with irreversible damaging implications in the collective.

My thesis is: your gallery has the power to enter the public esphere, which means open to all, available to all. But it enters the public sphere with private interests. Being the concept of private, as in private property, private gallery, charged with the meaning privilege, with access and participation limited
In utopic terms, "the public sphere is open to all autonomous individuals for their rational discourse whose access is assured". "In practical terms, however, this entry is more or less restricted to individuals predominantly males, whith property who have been educated".
I finish then this letter with a question: which criteria your gallery uses to map contemporary Brazilian art?

Thank you once again
Ana Amorim
Anaamorim@hotmail.com

*Utopia: [fr. Utopia. imaginary island described in Sir Thomas More's Utopia, fr.Gk ou not, no + topos place] 1 often cap : a place of ideal perfection esp. in laws, government, and social conditions 2 : an impractical scheme for social improvement

**Referênce: "Privatising Culture" - Chin-tao Wu (Verso)

2nd letter to Thomas Cohn gallery - São Paulo - Brazil

Dear Thomas e Myriam Cohn,

Following my conceptual registration for the Open Doors Project (Portas Abertas) - São Paulo 2002/2003. I am getting in touch again trying to obtain an answer to the question proposed in my introductory letter. I will include here the most important part of that letter:

"This is to ask you what would the analysis and selection criteria be for an artist that does not participate and does not wish to participate in the commercial circuit. But believes that her work is relevant for the Brazilian contemporary art scene. Therefore should be "mapped" and distributed nationally and internationally by those that aim to do so. However, without having to renounce to any of the concepts that give structure to her art production."

I would like to emphasise that this letter is a conceptual piece which was also sent to curators, theorists and artists. This, somehow, requires the gallery take a stand. Your answer will be sent to all the people involved and this will be the end of the piece

Considering the present international economic situation and its repercussions in all aspects of life. I believe it to be of great importance for organisations and individuals to address this fundamental question: How to operate in a post-capitalist system?

When I refuse to promote corporations, economic groups and/or the media I am backing another way of being an artist. At the same time, when I refuse to claim property for my artistic process, I am abandoning the art market. Right now, it is not possible for this way of being to exist. That's why, I believe this discussion is important.

Everyone involved in the current paradigm of relationship with organisations should be involved. Ultimatelly we are talking about a system that appropriates the actual life of the individuals in society.

I am aware of your responsibilities and duties, but considering the involvement of your gallery with artistic issues, iI expect an answer to this proposition.

Thanking you in advance,

Ana Amorim

1st letter to Thomas Cohn gallery

Thomas Cohn gallery
March 28th, 2003

Dear Myriam and Thomas,

I was informed that your gallery wishes to "map" the Brazilian art production. The gallery's public announcement asks for artists of any age, residents in Sao Paulo state, who have never exhibited in a commercial gallery to apply.

I was happy to hear that because I am a 46 year old artist, resident in S?o Paulo state, I have never exhibited in a commercial gallery and have not even tried to exhibit in one.

I was also quite excited with the possibility of having my work promoted abroad if I was one of the artists selected.

Further on in your announcement, under " brief gallery history", I was informed about your initial utopian goals of "placing Brazil in the world map of contemporary Art, which would help talented artists without a patron to access the international market."

When I read these last two words I felt a profound discomfort because in my process of work, which mixes art and life I have systematically developed studies, analyses and discussions of dissident positions of the social political order programmed by the international market.
This is to ask you what would the analysis and selection criteria be for an artist that does not participate and does not wish to participate in the commercial circuit. But believes that her work is relevant in to the Brazilian contemporary art scene. Therefore should be "mapped" and distributed nationally and internationally by those that aim to do so. However, without having to renounce to any of the concepts that give structure to her art production.
To clarify any questions I am enclosing a copy of the contract that I submit to those that are interested in my work process.

* Find No Logo Statement

I thank you,
Ana Amorim

*No Logo Statement

I need to clarify a few very important points about my art project A characteristic element of my work is the non-credit/signature for the production of the evidence of my being alive. It means that nobody signs the work I produce. That implies that no organization/individual or any of its sponsors can use their corporate logo when any of my concepts and/or images is exhibited, including lectures, since this would be a breach of the concept of the work.

Thus, if any organization/individual /space or any of its sponsors were to use their corporate logo in association with the registers of my being alive, that would imply that this organization/individual/space were the "author" of these registers, receiving credit for its production.

Therefore an organization/individual/space or any of its sponsors can make my data available exclusively for cultural purposes in the media, press providing nobody uses their corporate logo or any of their sponsor's corporate logos to do so, and at the same time the media and press cannot use their corporate logos or any of their sponsor's corporate logos when promoting my work for the reasons stated above. An organization/individual or any of their sponsors can make the details of my biography and curriculum available for catalogues and text information for exhibition pieces, providing that these catalogues and entries do not contain their corporate logo or any of their sponsor's corporate logos. My artistic production can be made available on the Internet for promotion of events and exhibitions, in the press and electronic media providing no corporate logo or any sponsor's corporate logos are used to do so. Finally my work can be exhibited publicly providing the corporate logo of the space or any of their sponsor's corporate logos not be present in the exhibition space, as well as the facade of the space.

Further I would like to emphasize that my work is always distributed freely. I do not sell my registers and evidences of my daily movements and since 1994 I refuse to present the work where fees are charged. The work also cannot be exhibited in spaces that aim towards the commercialisation of the concepts/objects presented.

This work can be freely reproduced, adapted even without mentioning the source providing no profit is earned or corporate image promoted from doing so.