BLANC, Tiphanie; TEGEGNE Ramaya (eds.)
Wages For Wages Against – Volume 3. How Are Artists Chosen? Exclusivity, Precarious Work and Asymmetries in Art Competitions

In 2022, the collective Wages for Wages Against applied for the Swiss Art Awards with the ambition of questioning the very model of the prize and its impact on artists. Art competitions are presented as real opportunities for artists, and arise throughout their careers, starting with school—entrance selection procedure, juried evaluations, diplomas and honors distinctions—, all the way to professional recognition—Meret Oppenheim Prize, Marcel Duchamp Prize, Turner Prize, etc. Only a handful of artists are selected for merit-based reward. However, this logic of sorting and validation upholds an entire system that reproduces inequalities and that perpetuates precarity in a milieu that is exclusive, and thus excludes. The institutional practices of communication and selection, as well as the validation of unpaid labor, favor certain artists at the expense of others. In this context, we surveyed the artists who participated, are considering participating, or are not participating in the Swiss Art Awards competition, in the interest of understanding their experiences and sharing their demands. In a broader sense, we wish to rethink the founding principles of artists' support policies and work to build a less competitive art world.

This is the thrid volume of a series of publications by Wages For Wages Against collective, acting for better work conditions in the visual arts and against all forms of discrimination. [publishers’ note]

Contributions by / de Nathalie Stirnimann & Stefan Stojanovic and Amandine Gay.

Le 3e volume de de la série de publications du collectif Wages For Wages Against, qui agit pour de meilleures conditions de travail dans les arts visuels et contre toutes formes de discrimination, s’intéresse aux logiques de compétition et de sélection, et aux logiques de carrière normalisées dans l’art contemporain, notamment par les systèmes de prix. Une analyse qui s’appuie sur une étude réalisée en 2022 sur les Swiss Art Awards.

Published by L’Amazone / Privilege, 2024
Design by Marouchka Payen & Clara Sambot
Periodicals / Politics / Institutional Critique / Economy