...From here to there

SEASON 1 EP 01

Episode Transcript:

Hi, it's me Isotta. Welcome to Episode 1 of Art Is… a seven-part podcast for artists. I recommend tuning into Art Is… Explained, a short trailer that goes through the format of the show, and then starting here at the beginning, and listening to the episodes in consecutive order.

For this first episode, I'll be taking you on a little journey and introducing you to the premise of the podcast. But before we do that, I wanted to mention the Art Is... Bookshop, created through bookshop.org– an online platform built to financially support local, independent bookstores.

It's important to me that this podcast is a resource for you, so I've carefully curated a selection of books for your continued professional and personal development. You can find links for both US and UK bookshops in the episode description and on the Art Is... Instagram and Twitter (@artispodcast).

By purchasing books through these links, you will be supporting independent bookstores and this art podcast. Let’s talk art!

This is Art Is... The podcast where we visualise the future of the art world. But before we begin, let's go back and sync stories because, like the aptly titled book by Marshall Goldsmith claims, “What got you here? Won't get you there.”

It has now been over a year since I left my studio for the last time at Edinburgh College of Art, where I was an MA Fine Art student in the sculpture department.

I, along with my peers, had been preparing for the degree show, the final exhibition that showcases the work of all graduates. This is a big deal as it is the culmination of many years of work. And the anticipation built around this event is huge. Especially since you know it's coming for years, you build it up in your head, the big finale. And the university or college you go to really sells it as an opportunity to present yourself as a professional introducing your work to the art world. And it's spectacular and exhausting in all senses because you put a lot of pressure on yourself. At the end of the day, you're one student in a crowd, so you need to grab people's attention. Make something that represents your potential, but also demonstrates the skill and intellectual depth of your art practice.

You need this moment to shine, and it's a hard sell on everyone's part because collectors, curators, and other art world people come to these events. They're prizes and project opportunities and other exhibitions that come out of them, so it's a big deal. But because of the pandemic, my degree show, along with every other art school in the UK and around the world, was canceled. Some were replaced with an online version and we'll get into that at a later point in the series, but let's get back to our story.  

So now with degree shows cancelled, what do you do? Where do you put all that energy, excitement, anxiety, creativity,  and all the other emotions you have so closely wrapped up in this one exhibition that's really become an extension of your identity and sense of self-worth? And now it's gone, and with it, the career path you would envision for yourself, your future, the opportunities that might have lined up perfectly in order to open the door to gallery representation. Or that coveted spot on that blog of emerging talent in 2020. And I know it sounds dramatic, but remember that this was such a moment of uncertainty, and I think I just got a bit ahead of myself and projected a lot of that negativity onto this unfortunate, but ultimately inevitable event…the cancellation of the degree show–the most important exhibition in our careers to date.
So this was a tough moment for everyone graduating with a creative degree. And it took some time to really process. The exhibition I had created was not portable, a large-scale installation of cement and resin columns paired with old decommissioned industrial machine parts was just abandoned. And the other work-in-progress pieces I was developing for that show were just locked away in the Edinburgh College of Art. I felt so deflated because what was the point of making all that work? And trying so hard? I felt like I was leaving university, and the UK for that matter, without having accomplished what I set out to do. 

Now that I look back a year later, I can see that it wasn't, or never would have been, a make or break exhibition I had built up in my head. And the lack of control I felt around the future of my career has now subsided. Mostly because I redirected that energy and passion to making this podcast, but the whole experience made me reevaluate my expectations and goals on a major scale. And what I really took away from the experience was a recognition of the broad, systemic challenges embedded into all traditional art institutions.

Our art schools and universities tell us that physical degree shows mean everything. To our quote-unquote “success.” Meanwhile, at art fairs, patrons, galleries, and collectors need to travel around the world to some plastic tent or convention centre, and local museums and galleries design their exhibitions to be solely in-person events that can be enjoyed by people not physically present or able to attend.

2020 has shown us that just isn't the case anymore and the key takeaway was the rigidity imbued in all these systems. I kept waiting for my university to solve problems that it was fundamentally not prepared to face or designed to confront because art institutions, exhibitions, and academic structures thrive off of a legacy of repetition–not innovation. 

For decades they preserve, and ever so slightly tweak, these in-person events. With each iteration, art institutions build more credibility and add to their reputation of exclusivity and endurance. Is this true for all things in the art world? Just think about the Venice Biennial or White Cube Exhibition Design. These models have been endlessly recast internationally, and they never changed because they didn't need to. Everyone was content with how the system worked apparently–up until last year.  The thing is though, that artists, especially early career creatives and emerging artists, have the imagination and capacity to innovate, solve problems and create meaningful lasting change.

Because we are not fundamentally entrenched in the art world system as deeply as other players are. We are, by nature, less invested in the status quo of how things work because we don't really have much to lose. If we collaborate and use our creative skills and knowledge practices, we can learn how to do things differently.

So let's go for it! It's time to change and build a better art world, but we need to stop waiting and expecting that this newfound innovation and opportunity will come from old school institutions who are the traditional gatekeepers of this industry, and really don't need it to change. This change should and must come from the ground up, not the top down. And on that note, let's just forget about the hierarchy for a bit. The whole “us versus them,” “top versus bottom,” “blue chip,” “craft vs fine art,” “insider and outsider.”

It's just not that important and all of this labelling gets us stuck at the start, so we lose sight of the actual mission at hand, which is a huge undertaking. And that brings us to Art Is... this podcast, which seeks to visualise this future art world- and it does that by starting with the end in mind. 

Here, we will create a vision of this future art world. Then, just like we do when making art,  we'll get to work iterating and critiquing. And this will take time, collaboration, kindness, and determination, but we will succeed because there's a vacuum in the art world. The need for thought leadership and industry change is real and we should fill that space.

So this podcast aims to get the ball rolling. It's for early-career creatives, recent grads, emerging artists, students, and anyone interested in exploring the future of the arts. Here, we will map out ideas and begin visualising the future art world. I, by no means, have all the answers or solutions to these large systemic problems imbued in this industry for decades, nor am I attempting to solve them alone.

What I do want to do though, is throw out some ideas, explore some themes, investigate emerging technologies, alternative business models, mindsets, and innovative approaches to thinking about empowering and expanding the role of artists in the art world, so that we can garner strength, leadership, and confidence in the industry and beyond.

As a whole, this podcast will be an exploration of future possibilities. Some of which are just ideas or frameworks to consider while others are technologies, habits, and principles I believe we should take into consideration now. Honestly, I just want to make artwork and be an artist, but I want to work in an art world that's creative and exciting and inclusive and supportive, but that does not yet exist. So we have a lot of work to do. 

Instead of looking to that hierarchy, we're so used to that the industry is built around, I think it's time we begin looking forward instead of up. To dream, to explore, to engineer, and to accept that we have power and ability and that our skills and voices should be heard.

Peer-to-peer learning and support in the art industry will drive change and move us past the struggles of the pandemic to new, brighter, and more creative futures. I made this podcast because as a student, recent graduate, and early career artist, this is what I was looking for, but I couldn't find it. A place for ideas that seek to transform and push the boundaries of the art industry.

But more than anything, I'm doing this to meet you. Other like-minded creatives, looking to challenge the norms and change the system, explore alternatives, and usher in a new era of open communication, empathy, and empowerment for all creatives. 

To learn more about the structure of the show, tune in to Art Is…Explained, a trailer that explains the format of Season 1 and Season 2. And please DM us on Instagram (@artispodcast) if you have ideas to share or just want to introduce yourself. Also, if you like the show, please leave a five-star rating and review in Apple Podcasts, it helps others find us. Thanks and see you soon!