Artist's Menu is a nomadic, procedural research practice that tests hypotheses of dominant collaborative making, skill sharing, knowledge exchange, shared resources in art and other environments. It seeks to escape and somewhat hack institutional and other dominating methods of working and thinking in today’s culture.
How Artist's Menu came to be is a story that happened one winter night in remote village Lukićevo, At the end of 2018 artist and dear friend Joanna Quiroga was on a residency at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. She came to continue her exploration in bread making "that subtly thematizes the relationship between life and its environment, and problematizes the political dimension of that relationship".
I invited Joana to come and share her work with art students I was working with at the Chair of New Media Art.
Joana doing research
We started talking about our common and shared ideas, view points but also how what we are doing there is a major work, enabling opportunities to each other, putting in a lot of unpaid labor, care and love to create and make what we believe in. Continuing on the discussion Mojle Rikanović, another friend and a supporter of all that happens in Lukićevo with Artist's Menu, joined and voiced out how important all that is. She reminded us, with her own efforts and cultural projects she is implementing that these are no small things and that we can continue. We realized we are not thinking of starting something, we are already doing it. Artist's Menu is happening.
Now we where thinking what can be next, what other ways are to do this? So we started talking of bringing Fred to Serbia to implement his work and help the local community renew their cultural building. Fredone Fone is a street artist and muralist doing, at the time in partnership with Joana as Pendulo, community art projects. So it made so much sense to try and find a way to bring him to Serbia to do share his magic as Joana did.
And it happened !
We talked and put on the table what we have, what we are capable of, what we want, and started thinking how and what can be done. We wanted to make space to do and work with things we care about but at the same time to find some sort of compensation for it. Working without being paid was becoming impossible but at the same time in order to make the paid work as an artist you need to build reference and we mostly do it mostly through unpaid work. Because well everyone expects artist to just ho and do stuff, exhibit produce but all on their own without support, Like we make money out of thin air. So how do we find time for this in our struggling situation but with the desire to collaborate?
Sunčica research notes, Zen monastery, Espiritu Santo, Brazil. 2022
We had to make it so that we find some meaningful exchange that will not cost us but rewards us. We didn't want to go on spending precious time on writing projects and seeking grant money that was almost non existent. We didn't have time for that unpaid labor since we had to spend it on other projects that could bare some fruit. That is how Artist's Menu started to think about the resources needed to create and make things. We all realized we are having some tactics and strategies handling this harsh art territory. So Artist's Menu was born from our efforts and deep will for true collaboration that makes almost impossible possible, gives hope and place to move forward, all without the burden of institutional thinking and working models.
Now this joint initiation continues, Artist's Menu still exist in collaborative efforts with those willing to share and join forces, experiment and enter the unknown.
Now in the 2022 after the pandemic we are continuing, moving forward and meeting again in a new territory, on the coast of Brazil, Espirito Santo state where Joana and Fred are located. During a month long residency supported by these amazing two artist, Artist's Menu is going to continue to straighten this collaboration and efforts putt so far, explore the (un)known, listen, observe, soak in that is far beyond what is familiar and bring forth new ideas and projects.
The research trip will be divided between two cities Vitoria and Serra. Working with Joana Quiroga and Fredone Fone in their respected environments and projects we will continue to listen, exchange our working methodologies, ideas and vision for the future.
First part will be done in collaboration with Joana, partnering up with the Associação de Artesanato Lagoa do Juara. The second will be implemented with Fred and LaTinta project. AALJ is a organization led by and amazing lady Francina Coelho de Oliveira and Joana is working with her for many years now helping them grow.