In theory, subsidies for artists work according to a market-correcting principle. Those who cannot enter the art market with innovative and experimental projects can apply for subsidies. In this way, the government invests in avant-garde art that can then be picked up by the market. However, the Flemish arts landscape has become a complex web of organisations and (semi-)public structures in which the artist himself often falls between the cracks. Visual artists in particular have to suffer in the sector. The idea that visual artists can turn to a private market (such as galleries, foundations, etc.) has long ceased to make sense (if it ever did). Moreover, it is an unspoken rule that visual artists are not paid by institutions, as their market value increases with each exhibition. Unfortunately, this is a dead letter for those who are not represented by a gallery. And it so happens that many visual artists are increasingly raising their profile outside the gallery circuit. They make multi- or transdisciplinary work that does not fit into a subsidy box, that works in the (semi-)public space that is not linked to an organisation, etc. On the contrary, they criticise a market system in which they can only sell their work to collectors who see their work mainly as an investment with a resale value.
subTrunk explores the plight of artists who do not have access to, or have difficulty applying for grants. You have to be a good writer, have a lot of time and financial acumen to make a budget; in short, you have to be an entrepreneur to complete a grant file at all. To then hand it over to a group of 'experts' or colleagues who themselves depend on that system.
A few years ago, as an artist, when you submitted a dossier to the Flemish Community, you had 1 chance in 2.5 of getting subsidies, now it is 1 chance in 6. Because the subsidy system has become a lottery, Various Artists wants to approach this 'project pot' in exactly the same way with the project subTrunk, a series of (semi-)absurd subsidy files that stand as a work in their own right. The subTrunk grant applications are - regardless of whether they are honoured - a project in themselves and thus free themselves from the stress of being honoured and (re)gain in their autonomous position their legitimacy as works of art and experimental artistic texts. Because they are works of art in themselves, they have a raison d'être outside the logic of the subsidised world.
i Lorem Ipsum
The form was filled with the standard Latin text lorem ipsum dolor sit amet... until the character limit was reached.
r All of Them
A list of all previous applicants (within the 4,000-character limit) who were awarded funding. We invite them for a coffee and talk about the application process.
z Something Borrowed
Borrowed an application from another artist. Dates and names were changed.
h Campfire Tales
A transcription of a recording of an acid-induced conversation about subsidies (around a campfire).
b his Words not Mine
Our culture minister's "vision text" (1) was cut up and rearranged into an absurd storyline.
DA In Dreams
A dreamed application.
f Win for Life
The total "project pot" will be used to buy a complete set of Win for Life scratch cards. All candidates get a fair share to scratch. One candidate wins 2,000 euros a month for the rest of her/his/their life(s), sort of artist status de luxe.
k mediaRoom!
The project pot will be used to purchase advertisements in all media to encourage the private sector to support the artists.
p KDK
The government is placing orders with the food industry to promote visual art on food packaging. The so-called cookie-cutter art brings a new kind of consumer into contact with artists.
io erosifs
The application will be translated into one of the 120 languages available in Google Translate and back to Dutch. This process is repeated until all languages have been used.
u Predictable
They use the predictive keyboard to be guided by the software when writing this application.
ir All of It
The available "project pot" is requested to finance one single project.
iz countDown
The " request " text is a countdown in prose (2) until the character limit is reached.
ih Elevator Pitch
See definition of Elevator Pitch (3).
ib Tourette
The application is written from the perspective of a person suffering from Tourette's syndrome.
iDe Something Hidden
A grant application with a hidden message.
if Wrongly Connected
Addressed to the wrong government (4).
ik En Frans
The application is written in French.
ip Spiteful
A mean/evil dossier with a desire for petty revenge against colleagues.
ro Canon Vleesch
Written in an outdated Flemish spelling.
ri Fully Paid For
An external person gets the full requested amount (5) to write the file.
rue Open Call
An Open Call will be launched to write an application. The awardee will receive the grant amount and a work by Various Artists.
rz Manifest
A project grant application with the structure of a political manifesto.
rh Student
They ask a student to write the application.
rb X-Rated
Written in pornographic style.
rDA Reversed Ingenered
Written backwards while the text still makes some sense.
rf innumerated (6)
The amount applied for is DAbeheyz,ri (7).
rk Emoticon
Thee Alt + 128221 is Alt + 128394 with Alt + 128713.
rp Gestare
Con gesti italiani.
zo AVI-Start
Written for beginning readers, level AVI-Start.
zi ACRONIEM
Written in Etos and sent ASAP to the bc of the VG.
zr En Jambe
In jambe versvoet geschreven.
zua Straddle
The available cash pot proportionally invested in PUTT options and CALL options on the US Option Market with a maturity of six months.
zua Mirrored
zua Incoherent
Being incoherent will make this a grammatical text.
zahey Outsorced
The file was outsourced to someone in a low-wage country and then translated into Dutch.
zabe Honderdt
With at least a hundred "dt" errors.
zaDA too late
The application was submitted too late.
zaDA Workless
This text no verbs.
zake Plagiarism
Copied from other successful dossiers.
zapae The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones
Fully compiled with song lyrics.
ho BS
A totally made-up project is programmed by the Beurschouwburg, so to speak.
hi Dead Artist (8)
A grant application to organise an art tour featuring 2,000 deceased (9) artists.
heyre Biënale van Vlaanderen
The amount will serve to organise a biennial in Flanders.
heyz exploitative
The application admits that employees, including Various Artists, will work for less than the minimum wage.
huey Lavomatique
They place a washing machine at the highest point in Belgium (Walonia), through a long transparent tube the wastewater is discharged at the lowest point in Belgium (Flanders).
heybe Bureau of Untitled
For organising think tanks to help artists get ideas.
heyDA De Witte Raaf in colour
What would it cost (10) to publish the White Raven (11) in colour?
heyf Siroop
De aanvraag is vleiend voor de beoordelingscommissie.
heyke Q or A
Geschreven op een Qwerty toetsenbord door iemand die gewend is op een Azerty toetsenbord te typen.
heypae Van Daele24
Alle tekst komt uit de dikke Van Dale online woordenboek.
bo Art Market (of Art Fair)
De subsidie dient om “Art market” and “Art fair” als trade mark te registreren.
bi 2016
Een dossier uit 2016 wordt wegens succes verlengd.
bere Sollicitatie
Sollicitaties voor een plaats in de beoordelingscommissie worden via KIOSK ingediend.
baz Product Placement
Dit dossier werd op een Apple computer geschreven aan een desk van Ikea25, koffie drinkende van Corica26.
bah Lord Art Prize27
Er wordt steun gevraagd voor de organisatie van een kunstprijs.
At the time of writing, Jan Jambon was the Flemish culture minister.
This footnote counts exactly eighty-four characters, which includes multiple spaces.
An elevator pitch, elevator speech, or elevator statement is a short description of an idea, product, or company that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time. This description typically explains who the thing is for, what it does, why it is needed, and how it will get done. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch)
Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest.
see footnote (7)
Various Artists has been using innumerat for its classification since 1999, innumerat replaces numbers with letters (1=i, 2=r, 3=z, 4=h, 5=b,
6=DA, 7=f, 8=k, 9=p, 0=o).
Most subTrunk except f, k, p, ir, zua and heyDA go for the amount given as an example in the participation form: €6543.21.
http://various-artists.be/dead-artist
The ashes of deceased artists will be scattered along the route. (Still living artists can participate by proxy).
Inclusive of the amount needed to convince editorial staff.
Edition nr 222, 15/03/2023.