Q / A J A N R I T S E M A

Isthereawayoutofselfexploitation?

Inthelastdecades,theartisticsectorproliferatedferociouslyinthewesternworld.While
therewere800artistsinNewYorkinthe1950s,nowthereare80,000.Manycountries
nowadayshavemoreartiststhansoldiers.Thearmyofartistsisaccompaniedbyanarmy
ofartistrelatedadministrators,organisers,programmers,curators,andcritics.
Betweenthetwowars,everymiddleclassCatholicfamilylockedonefamilymemberinto
thepovertyofamonasterysothattheotherscouldbesavednowtheysavetheirsouls
withonefamilymemberlockedintotheprecarityofthearts.Mysonisachoreographer
hesdancinginBucharesttonight,or:Mydaughterisafilmmakershesbeeninvitedto
thevideofestivalinAthens.Fantasiesofbelongingtothefrontlineofcapital.

Afterhavingservedcapitalasagentsforgentrificationinallbigcities,artistsservecapital
asagentsandexplorersforcolonisingtherestoftheworld.Artistsaretheexpressionand
incarnationofwesternvalueslikefreeindividualism.Theycarrythesevaluesinherently,
transportingandtransferringthemalmostinnocently.Theyaremissionariesofcapital
oftendisguisedasitsopponents.Inthissense,theyarerepresentativesofcapitals
perversity.

Thetimesofbigartistsareover.Oneisfamousnowadaysforamaximumofthreetofive
yearsandthenreplacedbyothertalent.Beinganartistnowadaysislessaprofession
thanalifestyle.Theartistismasteroverhisowntimeandspace.Thismightlooklike
paradise,yetartistsoccupythemselvescontinuously:seeminglyfree,barelypaid,
desperatelywritingapplicationsfreeandprecarious.Theartistmanageshisactivities
permanently,24/7.Hepreferstobemobileandvaluesagoodqualityoflifeoverhighor
stableearnings.WhatIdescribehereiswhatneoliberalsemiocapitalisticeconomies
foreseefortheirfutureworkforce:everybodypermanentlyonholidaybutmanagingtheir
work24/7.Allbythemselves,butnotwithoutcapitalholdingpowerovertheprofits.
Insteadofslavingforsomebodyelse,manymorepeoplewillbecometheirownslaves.
Artistsseemtobetheexplorers,guineapigs,andteasersforthisneweconomy.

Artistsarealsodecentralizedfactoriesthatproducescarcity.Unique,raremodels.Scarcity
isthemotorbehindcapital.Itcreatesthedesiretohaverarethings.Scarcityalso
promotesuniqueness.Youarespecialwhenyouhavesurroundedyourselfwithrare
objects.Moreover,scarcityproducestherich.Capitalneedsinequality,itneedsto
celebratetherich.Theyarepresentedasheroesthemostsuccessfulones.Notasthe
thievesorcriminalsthattheyare.Therichinvestinart.Theyprofitonitsscarcity.

Fiftyyearsfromnow,ourgrandchildrenmaylookattheseconditionsofemploymentwith
thesamedisbeliefwithwhichwelookuponslaveryandserfdom.Thetimesthatgaverise
toSartresinfamousformulalenfercestlesautres[hellisotherpeople]arealmostover.
Peoplearesharingmoretime,space,knowledge,andinformation.Somekindofrational
altruismisslowlytakingover:thebeliefthatthewelfareandwellbeingofothersbenefits
yourwelfareandwellbeingthatyourhealthisbetterwhenothersarehealthytoothat
youreducationcanbemoreproductivewhenothersarealsowelleducatedthatyour
computerbecomesmorevaluablewhenothersalsohaveoneandthatyoureconomy
runsbetterwhenotherscanenteryourmarketaswell.Butthissharingeconomyreduces
thefearoftheotheronlybywayoftheknowledgethatsheorheistraceableandcomes
recommended.

Thegoodnewsisthatneoliberalcapitalismisnottheonlyeconomywecanoperate
within.Therearemore,oneofwhichisevenbigger:themoneyfreeeconomy.Wedoalot
forfree,withoutthinkingaboutitorvalorizingit.Wedoitjustbecausewedoitandwe
thinkitisokay.Intermsofquantitiesofexchangeandtime,thismoneyfreeeconomyis
muchlargerthanthemoneyeconomy.

Thinkoftwopeople:youandme.Wearealreadyenoughtostartwith.Weshareasmuch
aswefeellikesharing.Therearenoobligationsandthereisnoneedtoshareequally.
Graduallywesharemore,eitherbyincreasingtheintensityofshareduseorbyadding
moregoodsandservices,moretimeandspace.Graduallyweallowmorepeopletotake
part.Webecome101001,00010,000andsoforth.

Togetherwehavemorethanwedidalone.Wewillnotbeatimebank:myhourworkingin
yourgardenisyourhourworkingonmydinner.No,nocompensationscheme.That
belongstotheoldworld,theonewearecurrentlylivingin.Justshare.Itdoesnotmatter.
Nocalculations,nonegotiations:onlyunmitigatedsharing.

JanRitsema(*1945)isaDutchtheatredirector,choreographer,andperformer.In2006
hefoundedtheartistrunresidencyprogramPerformingArtsForuminSt.Erme,France,
whichhostsmorethan500artistsfromdifferentdisciplinesayear.