2016,

grüntaler9

2016,

2011

Grüntaler Straße

9

Berlin

13357

gruentaler9.com

Nikhil Chopra & Yuko Kaseki, 9 Performance, 2011, Foto: Teena Lange

The Network is a fundamental organization in the artistic landscape of Berlin. Without the Network, many of the support structures that have been built in recent years simply would not exist. Unionizing has always been problematic in a sector like the art sphere where the construction of the worker has been historically based on the idea of the author, and therefore the ego. In order to achieve change, cooperative models like the Network are a must. The challenge is how to create belonging from difference.In the early years, we were not thinking so much about accessibility to our exhibitions and events in a physical sense of venues without elevators or events without translation, but also in a digital sense. For many years, our online magazine hadn’t been accessible for screen-readers for people with poor vision or the blind, or keyboard navigation for people with mobility issues, for example. Getting there was a journey, and I think we would now start from a more accessible place. I would want local politicians to make their funding applications more accessible, not only in terms of able-ism, but also in terms of all forms of discrimination, e.g. proof of citizenship, applications having to be written in German. I wish that they would give a universal basic income to everyone (not just citizens), open their borders, and make healthcare free, free for everyone.These try-outs should be understood not in abstract terms, but in the light of the current struggles with labor, housing, racism, homophobia, and anti-fascist positions. If politicians can facilitate these processes for us to work, that would be great. We would wish that the situation wouldn’t look as somber but reality is also knocking on the door of the art sphere. Can politicians regulate the price for studios and project spaces? Can they facilitate real financial support for diversity? Can they push a little bit further and understand the complex situation of art practitioners during and after the pandemic, and give some more support?