Labour of love
The meeting with Bogdan Bălan will focus on his disparate work experience, in some moments absolutely dissipated. Starting from the case study offered by his multiple career: from babysitting to cultural journalism and art criticism, from the actual position of artist to the multiple meanings that the title of cultural worker covers, the meeting with Bogdan will be a occasion for discussion about the money "made with blood" in art, about the condemnation to inactivity, or about the moments of overwork. About the hunt for opportunities, humiliation, but also about the moments when you get to bathe in relative luxury, when from being spit in your face you wake up with a better payment than you would have asked for.
We will talk about how money is energy and how you shouldn't be ashamed to ask for it, about the times when you need to pay attention to as many directions as possible, not to refuse offers when the Universe offers them to you, being aware that not everyone is our friend and that you have to take into account that you also get it. As a young person in the art world you can notice how maybe others have already taken it before you, how doors open to you as easily as they close, that sometimes you can rely on nepotism, but not always, maybe it's not so much the skills of the individual that matter, but things of a terribly logistical nature.
Labor of love is a retreat, a meeting open to high school students, students or young cultural workers. How would we like to work? What would we like to work on? How do we actually work? What do we think about work? What scares us about what work entails? The discussion doesn't promise to help you get into ideal situations, but hopefully it can clear up some thoughts.
Bogdan Bălan is a cultural worker. With art history studies at the National University of Arts Bucharest and at St. Etienne, in France, collaborated with the Goethe-Institut Bucharest, SAVVY Contemporary (Berlin), the Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the Oberliht Association (Chisinau) and Minitremu Art Camp. He has published in Arta Magazine, Scena9 and Blok Magazine.
“Artă - mă. Reintroduction in art education" proposes a framework for work and collaboration between contemporary artists and educators, as well as between various institutions and independent cultural platforms, on the topic of art education and through art. It brings together an interdisciplinary mix of concerns and experiences, of different voices and visions, in an attempt to lay down the premises of current and relevant pedagogies for our times.
It is a program that initiates a wider research on artistic educational contents, out of the desire to offer the Romanian pedagogical world contemporary landmarks, while promoting solidarity and joint action between artists, educators, pupils and students.
*The title of the project refers to the work of the duo Monotremu "Arta-mă", exhibited in 2012 within the project "Protest in the wind" - Chiosc / Apartment Deschis, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova.
+ Partners: Synopsis Media, Beta - the architecture biennial of Timișoara, P.U.N.C.H., General School Inspectorate of Timiș County, Jean Louis Calderon High School, Școala Genrală No. 1, Identity Education, King Mihai I University of Life Sciences in Timișoara, Jakab Toffler House, ARTeast Foundation / B5 Studio, Magma Contemporary Medium, Art Basics for Children (ABC Brussels), Ujazdowski Castle Center for Contemporary Art, Tranzit.ro, Asociația Contrasens, Aethernativ Cafe, Studio Peisaj (open list)
++ Media partners: Iscoada, Scena 9, Revista Arta, Gen revista, West City Radio (open list)
Co-financed by A.F.C.N. through the multiannual program Artă-ma. Reintroduction to art education