Submissions have now closed.<\/p>\n
Academics come out fighting<\/strong><\/p>\n They and 16 contributing academics, artists, economists and curators from around the world take as the basis of the book \u201cthe belief that money, power and ethics are critical compass points of our artworld that need constant scrutiny if we are to continue to demystify the myths, and the class and political interests, that shape our art, culture and society\u201d.<\/p>\n An outstanding introductory essay by the editors doesn\u2019t pull any punches. It refers to \u201cthe recent wilful destruction of Sydney College of the Arts\u201d, alleges that \u201cthe artworld\u2019s politico-economic structure has transformed into a huge Ponzi scheme\u201d, and says that with the proliferation of biennales and art fairs dependent on sponsorship \u201cart has been transformed into a vast entertainment-industry complex where the emphasis is on audience numbers, not critical debate\u201d.<\/p>\n I have to confess that I find most academic writing difficult to read these days: the succession of post-modernism, deconstructivism and post-structuralism seems to have left academe with a level of jargon that the reader has to hack through to get at the concepts. Some of the essays here are marked by such language, but all are worth persisting with for the interesting things they have to say. Some draw a provocatively long bow \u2013 Bruce Barber on curators as hedge fund managers, for instance, or Juli Carson on \u201clibidinal economies\u201d, a concept I still don\u2019t get.<\/p>\n The chapters that appealed to me most are those written with clarity \u2013 particularly the introduction, and Adam Geczy\u2019s essay on \u201cThe Task of the Curator\u201d, which draws on the work of one of the 20th<\/sup> century\u2019s great art theorists, Walter Benjamin, to give the discussion an historical context.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a book that deserves to be widely read, and discussed in more depth than I can attempt here.<\/p>\n Summer arts<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a time of year to refresh the brain and the spirit. Favourites in any area of the arts are bound to be highly subjective, but for what it\u2019s worth here are some of my best experiences of recent weeks.<\/p>\n Summer exhibitions:<\/em> In Brisbane, Gerhard Richter at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), an enthralling show. GoMA also has a fascinating free exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and some very good collection hangs. The other exhibition that thrilled me is not in an art gallery at all, but at the National Museum in Canberra: Songlines, <\/em>a brilliant multimedia telling of the seminal Aboriginal story of the Seven Sisters, using video and oral storytelling along with paintings.<\/p>\n Summer reading: <\/em>In a year of great books it\u2019s hard to pick just a couple, but an absolute must is Peter Carey\u2019s A Long Way From Home<\/em>: memories of 1950s Australia and the Redex Trial turn into a searing exploration of Aboriginal suffering and survival. And Kamila Shamsie\u2019s Home Fire, <\/em>a modern re-telling of the classical Antigone story, with a revealing perspective on the lives of young British Muslims. It was long-listed for the Man Booker, but in my view it should have won.<\/p>\n Summer music: <\/em>Any weekday afternoon listening to Christopher Lawrence on Classic FM \u2013 but for how long? And re-playing my Cuban CDs.<\/p>\n Whatever your taste, I hope the coming weeks give you the chance to recharge the batteries. And prepare for the next round of the culture wars.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/cultureheist.com.au\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/9781911450139.jpg\")
It\u2019s refreshing, in these times, to see academics standing up to be counted. Just published last month is a book edited by Brad Buckley and John Conomos under the title Who runs the artworld: money, power and ethics. <\/em>Both editors work at the Victorian College of the Arts, part of the University of Melbourne.<\/p>\n