In December 2010 we were invited to present Interflugs as a part of the symposium “KAKO MISLITI AVTONOMNE STRUKTURE ZNOTRAJ UNIVERZE?” organized by the initiative BOKS in Ljubiljana.
The topic of the symposium was “How to think autonomous structures within educational systems of formal education and within art system”. We were asked about our relationship to the Academy of arts, how we define the term “autonomy” regarding to our practices, organization,… and what kind of effect can (based on our experience) an autonomous structure have on the society- on the educational system (as knowledge production) and art (as knowledge production)? Also in our panel was Sophie from Department 21, who presented what they achieved with their selforganized project at the Royal Academy of the Arts, London.
http://www.workerspunkartschool.blogspot.com
The full list of speakers/topics were
10.30-12.30 DPU, on University, Society and Labour market
The first panel will discuss the autonomy and position of students within the university, the problems on the university regarding current policies to introduce tuition fees for PHD students with thesis on “inapplicable sciences”. Here we have invited members of the Workers Punks University(DPU) and other individuals that play important roles in the reflection of the current situation.
link to the video of the first panel
13.00-14.30 About Autonomy and BOKS – Discussion by participants of BOKS, galerists and the Academy of the Arts Slovenia
The second panel would focus on our project, its development and current situation in which it has found itself with guests from the University of Ljubljana, art institutions and others who have followed and supported the initiative.
link to the video of the 2nd panel
14.45-16.00 Interflugs and Department 21
The third panel would present and discuss similar (sucessful?) projects, their relationship to educational system and their role in society.
link to the video of the third panel
Some background Information about BOKS:
1- BOKS is a student platform striving to work towards the establishment of critical dialogue and reflection of academic study, the art system and society in general. It should fill the lack of content (theoretical, practical, workshops, and social initiatives) in all these three areas. By bringing students of various fields in to the programme management process project, BOKS will focus on connecting students of art with students from other faculties. It aims to prepare art students for the system in which they will enter after they finish their education and to open artistic practice to other social fields. BOKS wants to create an exchange point for critical and creative youth that can potentially provide new answers to social questions. BOKS is interested in those activities that encourage the search and the establishment of missing links between art and society.
2- BOKS is an object – a space for the realization of a programme.*
3- BOKS is an association that manages the object and realizes this programme.
* 30m2, 3m high, interior is a white cube, exterior is a black box with interactive facade. We are planning to rearrange the park in front of the academy-around the project space. The idea is to turn it into some kind of open air auditorium and also an outside platform for meetings and projects. It would be great if we could turn it also into gathering point for artist and other enthusiastic people. Now the park is almost completely unused.
So far we participate with BOKS at U3 (triennial of contemporary Slovene art)- link to our presentation: http://modernagalerija.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/predstavitev-projekta-boks/
Update on BOKS: The meeting with the Academy was unsuccessful. We decided, that it is best for the initiative BOK to distance ourselves from the academy and start with the program elsewhere. Obviously there are some obstacles that prevented us to develop and realise our project as we wanted and we think that it is important, to discuss them publicly.
We are organizing an international symposium on December the 18th in Ljubljana at which we will discuss the position of students within the university, the autonomy of students, our project and similar projects that exist or have happened. We invite you and Interflugs to participate in this event.