Introduction and summary of:
A space for contemporary in the province of Limburg: An
impactstudy on Manifesta, Z-Out and Pitt
Iminds SMIT, 2012
The past few years the province of Limburg strongly worked on
Talent management, city marketing and distinctive projects . Through distinctive
projects with international scope , one seeks the ( art) world to get to Limburg
and display the region as a region of great cultural potential . Limburg does not
only represent itself as an important ( artistic) feeding ground for the cultural
field itself , but also supports culture as a catalyst for other sectors ( eg tourism,
creative economy , socio - cultural sector , education , ICT). A major project in
this respect was the exhibition of the Gallo- Roman Museum ' Sagalassos , City of
Dreams' in 2011 and 2012 . One of the most exciting projects that year was
Manifesta 9 , the only traveling European biennial of contemporary art. This
project, in addition to art center Z33 and Z33 special project ' pit ' around art in
the public space are in the heart of research project.
The present study consists of three research activities:
1 A conceptual - theoretical part : A study of the place and role of (
contemporary) art (initiatives ) in a late modern society ;
2 A public component: A public inquiry into the profile, motivation and
participation and spending patterns of visitors to Limburg contemporary art
initiatives, particularly Manifesta 9, Z33 and pit and the perception and
experience of it ;
3 An impact assessment: An evaluation of the economic, cultural and social
impact of these contemporary art initiatives in the region.
Through this research activities we want to offer an answer to the following
central question: What is the meaning and impact of contemporary art
(initiatives ) - more specifically Manifesta 9, Z33 and PIT - in a late modern
society ?
This central question can be divided into the following four questions:
1 . How to position the Limburg region (with particular attention to the city of
Genk) within the developments in the field of contemporary art in a post modern
society ?
2 . How are these contemporary art projects experienced by visitors?
3 . What are the current strengths and weaknesses of Limburg as a creative
region?
4 . What is the impact of contemporary art projects in the Limburg region in the
economic, cultural and social level?
The initiatives were selected for this study are : the art biennial Manifesta 9 ' , art
centre Z33 (with particular on the exhibition " Mind the System , Find the Gap' ) ,
and the Z33 project ' PIT’ a project on art in the public sphere .
1 . The biennial Manifesta 9
Manifesta, the main itinerant European Biennial for contemporary art . Along
with the Venice Biennale and Documenta in Kassel, Manifesta is one of the
leading contemporary art events in Europe. Manifesta was founded at the
beginning of the 90s in response to political, economic and social changes after
the end of the Cold War and the subsequent steps towards European integration.
Since that time, Manifesta has evolved into a traveling platform for art focused
on the dialogue between art and society in Europe. Manifesta has become a
mobile and flexible structure, which claims to be constantly changing and
reinvent themselves. Manifesta purposely strives bypass dominant art centers of
artistic production and focuses on those that are developing. Manifesta aims to
be a community -based project , ie that the success depends on the cooperation
between international and the local community .
As of June 2012 Manifesta 9 landed in Genk. Manifesta 9 proposed itself as a
unique dialogue between contemporary art and history. Focusing on reflection
with the past of the regaion as a source of inspiration. Some 120 days Limburg
could present itself to the world as a dynamic, creative region. Manifesta 9 aimed
at an intensive collaboration between talented young artists and art
professionals. This biennial would be a catalyst for creative Limburg region.
A strong international art project with a high artistic level put the province in
close involvement with his past and future, while targeting the general public
through parallel local projects and educational activities.
The nerve center of the exhibition was the old mine building in Genk . The venue
is considered to be a example for the reconversion of the entire mine region.
Each mining region in Western Europe is looking for a way to deal, invest, reconcerverse and socially place the gigantic buildings from the past.
The province of Limburg, as such, has chose to preserve. Several architecturally
significant buildings of each mine site where preserved in order to be able to
create on overview on the past, other where demolished. The former min site in
Genk is focusing on innovation and knowledge and thus becoming a catalysator
for the industry in the future.
2 . Z33 Arts Centre and the exhibition " Mind the System , Find the Gap '
Art center Z33 is an initiative of the Province of Limburg. This house for
contemporary art exhibits projects that encourage the visitors to a new,
alternative way to look at art and reality. In 2012, Z33 celebrated its 10th
anniversary. Ever since then he begijnhof site where Z33 is established, is
performing various cultural functions in Hasselt.From 2002 Z33 brings
contemporary art and design together in thematic, multidisciplinary projects.
Z33 aims to bring the world to Limburg and show Limburg to the world. This is
The Z33 projects depart from our everyday life and the way our society deals
with impressions and stimuli, as such Z33 calls himself a " unique laboratory and
meeting place for experimentation and innovation."
From 2 June to 30 September - the period of Manifesta 9 - Z33 presented its
largest exhibition ever "Mind the System , Find the Gap” with more than 30
national and international artists. This exhibition was a comprehensive group
exhibition, spread across the Beguine Site. She was also part of the parallel
events of Manifesta 9. From the Z33 point of view - reflection on everyday life
and society- this exhibition was questioning the social (economic, political,
environmental, legal) structures and systems that organize and steer life and
holes. The artists in "Mind the System , Find the Gap" looked at these gapes and
tried to circumvent or criticize them. The artists were Agency , Atelier Van
Lieshout , Heath Bunting , Jordi Colomer , Minerva Cuevas , Jaime Davidovich ,
Dora García , Simon Gush , Anne Holtrop , Matthieu Laurette , Jill Magid , Gordon
Matta - Clark , Karl Philips , Julien Prévieux , Esther Stocker , Sebastian Stumpf ,
Pilvi Takala , Pablo Valbuena , Stijn Van Dorpe , Benjamin Verdonck , Vermeir ,
The Yes Men , Carey Young, etc.
3 Art in the public space :
" PIT " in the Borgloon Heers - region project
In 2006 Limburg approved a new, ambitious project of Z33 dealing which art in
public space called Z-OUT. The first project, which was named the 'PIT ' project,
is in the surrounding of Borgloon, an area know for its appel and pear fields.
Locally embedded This project deals with art in public space but is anchored in
the Limburg culture debate dealing with different policy areas (including culture,
architecture , tourism , nature ) . The Z33 project about art in public space
became as such one of the most notable art projects Flanders or by extend
Belgium.
With this project, art center Z33 breaks outside the private, secure walls of the
museum and and presents contemporary art and design in an open space and
with a wide audience . The project creates an opportunity to place works of high
level in Limburg while presenting the province in it’s present state. The project
will be developed in several phases and organic clusters in specific environments
of the Province. Each cluster has a unique context. They each bring their own
story, which reflects the different sights, views and moods of the province. The
artworks invite the visitors to look different at the Limburg landscape and
discover the stories that are not always immediately visible. The artworks gives
artistic expression to the landscape and a (new) meaning to a place. In order to
integrate them even more the works are placed along existing bike and walking
trails in the region.
In several stages over several years, a series of fascinating, temporary and
permanent works by international artistic level are being developed. To grow
from a social environment and to encourage the involvement of the community
projects multiple stakeholders such as residents , local businesses , governments,
socio - cultural organizations, schools, etc. are asked to participate in the
selection, settlement and exploration of the artworks..
The PIT project was officially launched in 2011 as the first selected cluster. Here
three substantive lines are constructed: the (cultural ) landscape , the cultural religious heritage and the agro-economic - tourist situation. This research will
focus on this particular cluster of the Z-OUT project.
In four subsequent chapters, we will analyze, the meaning and impact of this
contemporary art initiatives within Limburg society and evaluate .
1 . During the first conceptual - theoretical approach, we focus on the scientific
literature dealing with the transitions that traditional art institutions such as art
museums went through from early modernity of the 18th and the 19th century
to the present. We also have focus on the alternative art organizations and
initiatives within the context of modernity and especially late modernity which
developed as biennials, art centers and “art in the public domain". It is important
that we create an overall context based on literature in order to raise critical
questions for our central problem: the meaning and impact of contemporary art
initiatives within a late modern society. We introduce trends that will return
within this study.
2 . The second chapter covers the development of an analytical framework for
the analysis and evaluation of the impact of arts initiatives. This chapter is a first
step towards the economic, cultural and social impact study of culture.
Measurable by concrete indicators we need to know how can we make the social
value of cultural initiatives visible and how they can materialize into indicators.
For the elaboration of the indicators we rely on insights from various studies on
the economic, cultural and social impact or value of culture. These findings
provide an important basis for the development of the analytical framework for
the analysis and evaluation of the impact of the aforementioned contemporary
art initiatives. Also, the first conceptual - theoretical part provides some
interesting perspectives which will be linked to the result of the impact study. In
addition, the framework is also based on the expectations of the various
stakeholders regarding Manifesta 9, PIT and Z33. The expectations of
stakeholders regarding the impact of these initiatives were measured by official
documents, press articles and partly from the stakeholder survey (interviews
and roundtables) which where organised within the context of this research
project.
3. The third chapter covers the concrete impact evaluation of Manifesta 9 , Z33
and PIT. In this chapter we will evaluate the value of Manifesta 9 , Z33 and PIT
based the indicators we discussed in a former chapter. As a base we use the
empirical findings collected through an exploratory quantitative audience
research ( approximately 400 respondents ) and through the stakeholder survey
and study of ( policy) documents. The stakeholder survey were structured as
individual interviews and roundtable discussions conducted with
representatives from Limburg, Flanders and the arts and heritage field,
employees of Manifesta 9, Z33 , policymakers, journalists, schools , restaurants ,
etc.
For the audience research, we chose an exploratory survey (uni-variable
analysis, approximately 400 respondents in total) conducted at Manifesta 9, Z33
targeting face-to –face talks with visitors. Within this exploratory audience
survey, particular attention was paid to the profile of the visitors, their
motivation, their shareholding pattern, their spending habits, the used
information channels, the evaluation of the artistic offerings etc. For the art
biennial Manifesta 9 and exhibition Z33 separate surveys were made with a
number of specific questions. These findings are put in comparison with the
economic data -(policy) documents and figures of the organizations and
governments themselves ( eg residence figures from 2011 and 2012 ,
employment rates of Manifesta 9, and official visitor numbers). We also did a
small survey with local authorities, hotels, B & Bs, restaurants and cafes to get a
better insight in the spending’s of visitors to Manifesta 9 , Z33 and spunk .
We want to indicate that this impact analysis is not exhaustive and covers only a
specific dimensio within a period of one year. But we can give a number of trends
that might be useable for the future development of such initiatives and the
wider ( cultural ) policy in general . Direction The trends and indications that we
present, can be a base for future , relevant research directions .
4 . During the fourth and final chapter of the report we summarize the main
conclusions and we provide a number of challenges for the future. The central
question of the meaning and impact of contemporary art (initiatives ) within a
late modern society are presented within the framework of the study but also as
an overall for society in general. We also focused on possible actions for the
future, and provide some tentative policy suggestions for the further
development of Limburg as a creative region .