Preview start: 23 November 2020
Sales: 6 – 8 December 2020
Like in numerous other sectors, many artists are strongly affected by the pandemic. Even before the crisis, their living and working conditions were often precarious. Now it is worse and it is time to ease the financial emergency and support solidarity and common action among artists. Therefore, Thyra Schmidt and Juergen Staack initiated, in cooperation with TAIFUN Project e.V., the project “Benefit for Artists”.
As a first step, the two in Düsseldorf based artists, have chosen 15 colleagues to supply each one artwork to be sold on the project’s website. Moreover, each artist nominated one additional creative, so that the number of presented artworks grew to 30. The special point in this project is that all participators will profit of the collaboration, also the ones whose oeuvre might not be sold. 50 % of the proceeds is reserved for the creator of a piece. After an allowance of 10 % for administrative expenses, the rest will be split between all attendees. Besides the financial advantage, the venture permits presence for merited but unjustly unnoted creatives and as well for the renowned. A win-win situation for all.
Since the 23rd of November, the platform is already online for preview. From 6 to 8 December it is possible to buy the artworks. The offered oeuvres come from various horizons of artistic creation and approach. Besides drawing, painting and photography, there are three-dimensional objects. Every piece is presented by the usual specifications, a small text about the oeuvre and biographical information about the artist. This permits the public to discover or rediscover fresh talents.
“Benefit for Artists” stands in a certain tradition of artist self-organisation. Already in the 18th century artists joint in groups to promote their art. It was an effort to become more independent of the established art market, not only in the monetary sense, but also in the artistic approach. In this spirit and besides the current urgent necessity, the initiators want to support the creatives to develop an autonomous oeuvre in the long term. For easing the current emergency and the long term ambition, we wish “Benefit for Artists” much success for this first action and prosperous continuation of the project.
Participating artists:
Laurenz Berges, Benjamin Bohnsack, Hans Brändli, Maria Anna Dewes, Peter Ewig, Angela Fette, Julio Ernesto Herrera Flores, Christian Forsen, Pia Fries, Gabriele Horndasch, Birgit Jensen, Ae Ran Kim, Martina Klein, Detlef Klepsch, Hanna Koch, Ariane Kollár, Silke Leverkühne, Stefan Löffelhardt, Haure Madjid, Ulrike Möschel, Marie Ogoshi, Lorenzo Pompa, Stefanie Pürschler, Judith Samen, Martina Sauter, Felix Schramm, Nicola Schrudde, Helmut Schweizer, René Spitzer, Birgit Werres