Or the artistic sellout. When sponsors restrict creative freedom.
Once again, the same mistakes are made over and over again.
There are moments when the connection between art and commerce turns into a questionable coexistence. A recent example is a street art festival here in Cambodia, where a beer company is the main sponsor. Doesn’t sound problematic at first, does it? But here’s the problem: The artists are a kind of forced to use this particular brand of beer in their works or at least the brand colors. An act that blurs the lines between artistic freedom and advertising. So is it art or advertising? “Sold” to visitors as art.
“Art Attack”
Public space is a place for democracy!
Dictates of a sponsor
Sure, festivals and artistic events need sponsors. But shouldn’t we also consider how such partnerships can affect the integrity of art? Street art is rooted in rebellion and creative freedom. It offers artists the opportunity to raise their voices in a visual language and draw attention to issues they care about.
The idea that artists are forced to incorporate a specific product into their work raises important questions. Doesn’t this affect the artists’ intention and expression? Shouldn’t artistic freedom come first and not the dictates of a sponsor?
And then there’s also a beer producer. Cambodia, like many other countries, is struggling with the negative effects of alcohol consumption. The association between art and a particular brand of beer, especially at a festival, can contribute to the consumption of alcohol being seen as something normal and harmless. Worse, art and alcohol suddenly somehow belong together.
Art has a great impact on a society and therefore it is essential and, in my opinion, even negligent to use such a partner for such a festival.
How nice that I met at least one artist who refused to do so. He conceded the color choice, but included beer bottles in his work he found irresponsible. His work is right on a wall next to a school.
Art Festival Battambang
We are in Battambang and are happy that exactly in this time there is an art festival. Besides a program full of workshops, lectures and exhibitions streetart artists are asked to show their skills.
It is once again a real highlite. People from all over the country line the streets. The first day, the walls are still empty and we watch them become more colorful day by day. The works more complete and begin to tell stories.
Yes, an artist must make art to be happy. Only unfortunately… happiness alone is not enough to live. The artists are allowed to paint here. They are offered honor and fame as payment. On the day they get money for food and if necessary accommodation and the material is provided. Their work is not paid.
“It is not enough just to say that we love art”
Street art has evolved from illegal graffiti tags to a recognized art form that enriches cityscapes around the world. But while street art is gaining recognition, artists still face many challenges.
Street art artists often struggle to be recognized as serious artists. Because street art is often considered an illegal activity, their work is not always respected as a legitimate art form. This can lead to a lack of financial support, limited exhibition opportunities, and low visibility.
The unwillingness of many people to pay adequately for the work of street art artists is frustrating. Because street art often takes place in public spaces and is freely accessible, artistic output is often taken for granted. Artists are expected to provide their work for free without receiving adequate financial compensation.
The bars, the restaurants, the small stores, the galleries, the cafes, the whole place, all benefit from the artists’ works. But none of them is willing to pay for this art. It is important that society recognizes the work of street art artists as valuable creative contributions and is willing to pay for their art.
They see themselves as artists and want to be paid for it
How can it be that we all enjoy art, are inspired by it, and yet at the same time ignore those who create it? It is time for society to wake up and stop tolerating the abuses. Art is not a breadless commodity, but a source of inspiration and an expression of our humanity. The world would be infinitely poorer without it. And if we don’t want to experience street art exclusively as a marketing tool in the future, then we urgently need to rethink. Especially by the organizers of such festivals.
Frederic
We would need more stories like the one about Frederick, a field mouse who lives with his family in an old stone wall. Field mice need to build up supplies for the winter when autumn comes. They work day and night and slowly the stores fill up with corn, straw and nuts. Everyone is incredibly industrious. Only Frederick is not. He sits around and does nothing. At least that’s how it seems. And all the other mice are angry. But Frederick doesn’t do nothing, he collects the light, the bright colors and words and then when the dark and gray winter has set in, he turns them into poems full of warmth. A different kind of food, just as important as the corn, the nuts and the straw.
By the way, this is not Frederick, but when you see artists working on the walls in the streets, you can see how they make the kind of “poems” Frederick does..
We need art
Without it the world would be a lot poorer and especially in times when life is dark and gray, it brings joy into our lives. A form of support can be to ask an artist / street artist to make a tour on the subject of art, in his country, his city or even just in his studio.
In the time of the internet it is not difficult to find someone and make contact. If he doesn’t have an idea for a price, offer him a fair price. If you see a street art artist, then maybe bring him a cold drink and after tours do not forget to give a possible tip. ANY artist will be happy to receive it. Be creative and don’t take art for granted.
Art Walking Tour
Here in Battambang we found Chhunly through a newspaper article. He wants to do more tours like this and give art a space in his city for the other artists. Chhunly doesn’t want to be seen as a poor Cambodian, he wants to be seen as an artist. He is not interested in donations, but in making money from art. You can think about where the difference is.
He has a new website that may help get more people interested in art from Cambodia, Battambang.
And Frederick has certainly thought about this: how can I make money with art?
Here are some approaches that Chhunly and his wife Rose are also taking. Maybe one of them will suit you by supporting artists.
1. selling artwork: selling artwork, either directly to collectors, through galleries, or online on art platforms.
2. exhibitions and events: organize exhibitions or participate in art fairs and events to present artworks to a wider audience and attract potential buyers.
3. art education and workshops and walking tours: share knowledge and their skills in the form of art courses, workshops or individual lessons. This allows them to generate income while sharing their passion for art.
The street art artists from ArtFestival 2023.
FONKI – Cambodian-France-Canada
This artist devotes his work both in the colors and with the motif entirely to the beer advertising. Therefore, I will not show his work here. Even if he is a great craft artist, this is for me advertising and not art.
Street art should not become advertising
Something has changed.
While it was still difficult to find such artists in 2017, a large visible art scene is now emerging here in Battambang.
Some are thinking about their history and especially that of their parents under Khmer Rouge rule. Others are concerned about our earth and a mood of the end of the world shows up. Still others describe interpersonal relationships and even the problems to politics are thematized here and there. Some bring tradition and new media, laptops and mobiles, into an open discourse.
Galleries have opened and some are already closed again, but the artists continue.
Galleries are often more about commerce, artists are about their statement.
And so now, in June 2023, there is a festival that is about art education with lots of workshops, but also about street art.
Artists were asked, among other things, to design walls, to create so-called murals.
S’Art Urban Art Festival 2023
Of course, there is always plenty to complain about. Besides this problem the S’Art Urban Art Festival 2023 (S’Art a wordplay on the Khmer phrase ‘saat’, that stands for beautiful) had a lot more to offer. Workshops for children and adults, exhibitions, hiphop dancing school and so on. Of course this festival also helps to bring Battambang back to its glory as a city of art.
