THE INTERNATIONAL STRIKE OF ARTISTS? EXTRACTS

"Would you take part in an International strike of artists? As a protest against art system's unbroken repression of the artist and the alienation from the results of his practice. It would be very important to demonstrate a possibility of coordinating activity independent from art institutions, and organise an international strike of artists. This strike should represent a boycott of art system in a period of several months. Duration, exact date of beginning, and forms of boycott will be worked out on the completion of the list of enrolled artists and propositions. Please give notice of this to the artists you know. The deadline for applications/suggestions is 15/05/79.".

I received about forty replied to this circular letter. Majority of artists expressed their reserve to this idea or doubt to the possibility of its realisation, but there were positive answers too. The idea of the International artists' strike is under present circumstances probably an utopia. However, as the processes of institutionalisation of art activities are being successfully applied even to the most radical art projects there is a possibility that this idea could one day become an actual alternative. I therefore believe that publishing of the replies I received could be of certain interest. Goran Dordevic.
 

Dear Goran Thank you for your letter and apologies for not writing sooner. I have, in fact, been on strike all summer, but it has not changed anything and I am anxious to begin work again, which I shall do very soon. Good luck, Susan Hiller.

Dear Goran Dordevic Thank you for your letter of 22 Feb 79. I think the art system has the same relation to the world system that a seismograph has to an earthquake. You cannot change a phenomenon by means of the instrument that records it. To change the art system one must change the world system. Be well, Carl Andre.
 

Dear Goran Thanks for your letter. Personally I am already on strike of producing any new form in my work since 1965 (i.e. 14 years). I don't see what I could do more - Best Regards (Daniel) Buren.
 

Dear Goran Thank you for your communication on the proposed International Strike for Artists. I did not respond because I do not believe that this proposal is either efficient nor sensible. Museums and commercial galleries will go on functioning very well without the cooperation of the socially concerned artist, and these of course would be the only ones to possibly join such a strike. Rather than withholding socially critical works from the art-system every trick in the book should be employed to inject such works into the mainstream art world, particularly since they are normally not well received there. Sincerely yours, Hans Haacke.
 

The reason Les Levine did not reply is because we receive literally thousands of circulars in the studio each month and it is impossible for Mr. Levine to respond personally to each one of these. We can only deal with personal mail. It's likely Mr. Levine didn't even see your circular. However, Les Levine is not interested in strikes of any sort, artists' or otherwise. Yours sincerely Mulberry Baxter.
 

Dear Goran (_) I am in complete agreement with what you say about institutions although it would be unproductive for me to join a strike. Yours, John (Latham).
 

Dear Goran Dordevic Sorry to take so long, but rather than strike I spend all my energy on striking back at the art system by working around and outside of it and against it and letting it pay for my attempts to subvert it. All best, Lucy R. Lippard.
 

First published in Casopis Studenta Istorije Umetosti 3/4, Yugoslavia 1980 with dual Serbian/English text

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