This symposium is organized as part of the EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the Institut Français in China, the Danish Art Institute, and the Cervantes Institute in China. It is part of EUNIC activities in China to foster professional exchanges in the field of creative industries between European and Chinese specialists.

At a time in China when culture is viewed positively because of its increasing social, commercial, and educational value, it is useful to discuss public policy’s role in supporting contemporary creation, in particular the visual arts. How can public policy best help artists, institutions, and contemporary creators? In Europe, years of experience have resulted in original public policies for culture. Experts from France, Spain, and Denmark will present examples of these policies from their home countries. In a stimulating dialogue, Chinese and European experts will discuss different cultural policies, including the specific examples of artists’ workshops, public commissions, and public collections, to advocate culture both locally and internationally.

The EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue aims to promote mutual understanding between the EU and China through cooperative projects supported by the European Commission. Each European participant will present an original example of successful public policy based on practical experience. Chinese participants will take part in the discussion and share their experiences. The objective is to foster dialogue on specific public cultural policies.

Venue: Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) Auditorium

Date: April 24, 2012, 10:00-16:00

Organizers: Caochangdi PhotoSpring-Arles in Bejing, EUNIC in China

SCHEDULE AND PARTICIPANTS

Morning Session: Two European cases of cultural public policy.

Moderator: Ma Chenfeng (China), Vice-chairman of Millenium Art Museum.

9:30-10:00

Registration

10:00-10:15

Introduction by He Qian (China), PhD candidate, Centre for International Studies and Research,

Sciences Po Paris, research on Chinese contemporary art, institutional transformation and cultural policy of China.

10:15-11:45

- Daniel Ramponi (France)

Topic: French cultural policies and decentralization.

The impact of decentralization on cultural institutions’ development. Interest and stakes of territorial authorities in this cultural policy: development creation on an area, diffusion of art for a large audience, communication tool, increase tourism…

- Tine Colstrup (Denmark)

Topic: Principles of funding for visual art in Denmark.

A short presentation of the history of the public funding system for visual art in Denmark and some of the fundamental principles governing this system from the 1960’ies and until today. Presentation of a few examples of recent works and projects that have received public funding.

11:45-12:15

Open Discussion

12:15-13:15

Break and lunch

Afternoon Session: Two European institutions created by a public initiative.

Moderator: He Qian (China), PhD candidate, Centre for International Studies and Research, Sciences Po Paris, research on Chinese contemporary art, institutional transformation and cultural policy of China

13:15-14:00

Laurence Gateau (France)

Topic: The Regional Funds for Contemporary Art (FRAC) thirty years after its creation: a successful example of cooperation between central and local governments, in the decentralization approach, to foster contemporary art.

The FRAC of Pays de la Loire, like the others, is dedicated to contemporary artists by buying their work, by working with “Les Ateliers internationaux”, by exhibits its art collection all over the world thanks to the FRAC’s network “Platform”, and by helping and promoting these artists.

14:00-14:30

Open Discussion

14:30-14:45

Break

14:45-15:30

Enrique Martinez Goikoetxea (Spain)

Topic: A museum in the Basque Country.

Presentation of art in the Basque Spanish country with a focus on ARTIUM’s project, its strategies, networks and cultural practices in the economic crisis context.

15:30-16:00

Open Discussion

16:00

Symposium’s End.

PARTICIPANTS’ RESUME

Daniel Ramponi

He began to work in the electronic field. In 1970, in Annecy, he started working in the cultural field for the Youth and Cultural Center (Maison des jeunes et de la culture) and later for the Cultural Center of the city. From 1981 to 1995, he was co-director of The National Theater of performing arts - Scène nationale - of Annecy and also member of the Syndeac – National Syndicate of Artistic and Cultural Companies). After, he was Director of the Scène nationale of La Roche-sur-Yon from 1996 to 2006. Since 2006, he is member of the green French party (Europe écologie - Les Verts). Since 2010, he was elected as Vice-President of Regional Council of Pays de la Loire, Member of the Culture and Visual Arts Commissions, and also as Member of the board of directors of the FRAC-Regional Fund for Contemporary Art of Pays de la Loire. Since 2012, he is Vice-President of the performing arts higher education center of Bretagne-Pays de la Loire. Born 1941.

Tine Colstrup

Master of Art in Art History from Aarhus University, Denmark. Has since 2009 been employed as senior advisor in the visual arts department at the Danish Agency for Culture working primarily with international relations and exchange. Has prior to this worked as curator on independent projects and several Danish art museums and institutions such as Aarhus Art Museum and Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, and latest at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk as co-curator of the contemporary group show The World is Yours in 2009. Has given talks, conducted interviews and written articles on contemporary art and has functioned as editor on books and for a number of years of the art historical/theoretical journal Passepartout, published by the Art History department at Aarhus University. Born 1975. Lives in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Laurence Gateau

Master degree in Art History from University Paris Panthéon Sorbonne. She worked as Director of the Contemporary Art Center Le Creux de l’enfer in Thiers from 1988 to 1999. In 1996, she was the French curator for the Sao Paulo Biennial Show. In 2000, she became Director of the contemporary Art Center in Nice, Villa Arson. Has since 2005 been Director of Collections of FRAC - Regional Fund for Contemporary Art - of Pays de la Loire. From 1992, she is member of IKT – International association of curators of contemporary art.

Enrique Martínez Goikoetxea

Enrique Martínez Goikoetxea is the curator of the permanent exhibition in the ARTIUM Museum in Álava where he has built his career from its opening ten years ago. Graduated in Fine Arts and having obtained a master in Modern Art Curatorship, he worked in the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao before he joined to ARTIUM. Among other duties, from 2005 to 2009, he has been the curator in charge of the temporal exhibitions, where he has signed projects like Gravity or Agitar antes de usar (Shake before using) to take charge of the collection afterwards. He regularly participates with essays in the museum catalogues and he curates different presentations of the collection.

Ma ChenFeng

He graduated from the Ecole d'Art de Cambrai, with a DNSEP in visual communications. He is Curator, Vice Director of the China Shijitan Contemporary Art Centre. For many years, he has researched culture, managed public and official art institutions, and planned and produced art events.

He Qian

Graduated from Department of French Literature at Peking University, He Qian had gone to Canada for art studies. She had served as social science editor and participated in EU-China cultural exchange activities. Now she is a PhD candidate at Centre for International Studies and Research, Sciences Po Paris. Her research focuses on Chinese contemporary art, Chinese institutional transformation and public diplomacy of China.

He Qian specializes in extreme performance art in China in the late 1990s, and has published several articles in art journals such as Critics and Yearbook of Chinese contemporary art. She has also been a contributor for several books edited by French Association of Sociology and some French scholars on art sociology. Canadian government, French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Ministry of Education have offered scholarship to support her research.

INSTITUTIONS’ WEBSITES

-  Regional Council of Pays de la Loire: http://www.paysdelaloire.eu

-  Danish Agency for Culture: http://www.kulturstyrelsen.dk/om-os/english

- FRAC-Regional Fund for Contemporary Art - of Pays de la Loire: http://www.fracdespaysdelaloire.com

-  ARTIUM Museum in Alva: http://www.artium.org

Courtesy of Caochangdi PhotoSpring-Arles in Bejing, EUNIC in China.