Art isn't by hobby, it is my job!

Video

Art isn't by hobby, it is my job! from Fideelia-Signe Roots on Vimeo.

 

The idea for this action came from the fact that many Estonian freelancer artists live like poor tramps.

Click here to look also my similar project in Finland, Turku.

Estonian country claims, that culture is its national pride. At the same time the state doesn't value culture makers. The state puts pressure on freelancers, that they should become some kind of "creative enterprisers". They must register themselves as single enterprisers and pay taxes. What state has not understood is that all artists doesn't want to make business and artistic activity is not even remotely like business. It doesn't work that way. As a result, many artists are unemployed: some are officially unemployed and some are simply not working elsewhere but only on her/his art, which is of course right thing to do, only if social security would apply for them. Members of Artist Association can apply for artist support, which means that one receives a minimum salary each month during a year. Artist must pay taxes from that money but each time when she/he does that, no money is left. Well, at least they have got social security: health insuration and pension fond in that case.

Artists don't get salary for arranging or participating in exhibitions. That is why many artists work elsewhere, not as artists but as teachers, shop assistents, cleaners etc. I think it is wrong. Why professional artists should make living with something else than art? What for she/he studied all these years?! I have studied art for 10 years and graduated from Estonian Academy of Art cum laude with MA degree. I still didn't have health insurance for two years and I worked for low salary (smaller than minimum wage) as a teacher at art academy. At the moment I get artist support and own social security, but it lasts just one year and accordingly to the law, after that I must wait for two years until I can apply for support again. Some artists enter Doctoral studies in order to get health insurance and if they are very lucky, then scholarship. I think that something else, not elementary human right for insurance, should motivate person to continue studies.

Culture Capital Tallinn 2011 organized an installation: a glass box in the Freedom square, where the culture makers are showing themselves, each person one hour. It is called "Object 2011". Sitting inside the box is voluntary work of course. Culture makers doesn't get paid for being there. The idea is to show everybody that look, Estonia has so many great culture people! Other peole would watch, shoot photos and wave like in the zoo. The box contains webcam which shows the event in real time. Organizers invited several culture makers but not me. :) I saw here great potential to say what I needed to and offered myself. Organizers agreed and so I did it. I made 10 posters and many A4 texts, telling about hardships of artists. Most people have no clue how horrible can be freelancer artists' life in our country. Most people don't imagine life without health insurance, let alone without normal home, new clothes, healthy diet, maybe even a car (!) and many other things which belong naturally into normal person's life.

I spent my hour in the glass box, showing the posters in front of the webcam. The texts were taped on the walls, so the audience was able to read them. Many people looked sad and surprised while reading texts.

A4 texts in English: artists' current situation in Estonia

Artists' job is to create art and show it in galleries, museums, public space and so on.

Artist doesn't get paid for her/his job!

Artist often doesn't have got health insurance and pension.

Some artists are forced to be officially unemployed: it gives more free time for making art.

Some artists are forced to become single enterprisers in order to get health insurance.

Artist doesn't have to be an enterpriser, if she/he doesn't want to!

In spite of that artist should be eligible for social security in the state which citizen she/he is!

 

Years studied art: 10

Working time: 24/7

Wage: 0

Health insurance: 0

Pension: 0

 

Typical job offers for an artist (from my personal life):

I can offer you to paint our village's boiler house's chimney, but you must finance it by yourself.

Would you film my concert for free?

Can you draw a birthday card? I will get you a cake back home.

Would you design a DVD for my band? I can't pay you, because it is a zero budget project where nobody gets any money.

Help me with your feminine intuition!

Can you design a website for me? I am sorry but I can't pay you much...

Please help me with the animation! Topic is Egypt mysteriums. Money? Not sure yet. Are you married?

Would you come and make presentation about your art at my school? No money is involved.

You can give as many lectures at Art Academy as you want to, but the wage doesn't cover your health insurance.

Prison and mental hospital are waiting for volunteer art teachers in ongoing basis!

Please come to Haapsalu (small town far away in Western Estonia) to pose nude for me! My studio is there. Cool, if you could make a splits, too! I can't pay you, because I don't make money with my photos, I am an amateur.

Let's make together an album of erotical nude photos! No, I haven't applied for financies.

 

Posters

 

Artist - extincting species

 

Artist - free labour in layoff

 

Artist - layoff, free labour (meaning that no matter if artist works or rests, she/he still doesn't get any money)

 

Art isn't my hobby, it is my job! (Many people think of art as pleasant hobby and work as something unpleasant, other than art, made just for money. Maybe that's why I get so many free job offers).

 

Artistic talent is worth of gold. Artist doesn't see the gold.

 

I get constantly job offers - for free!

 

Greetings for everybody, who think, that artist should get paid for her/his job!

 

Years studied art: 10

Working time: 24/7

Wage: 0

Health insurance: 0

Pension: 0

 

Artist doesn't rest! (the idea that culture makers should rest inside the glass box)

 

I am working for free now! (idea that I was not resting but working for free during my time inside the glass object)

 

Action photos

Picture credits: Indrek Mänd, Elo-Maria Roots and Vahur Aabrams

 

Webcam screenshots:

 

Photos from outside of the object

 

Glass object from the distance. Inside is +25 C, flowers, grass and trees, like in the summer. Idea is that artists are resting there. Outdoors temperature is typically below 0 C. The object is up and running until 20th of March 2011.

 

 

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