Si está deprimido porque el Salón Nacional ya no tiene premios, si considera que ganarse el Premio Botero da mucha plata pero nada de fama, si todavía no tiene edad para aplicar al Luís Caballero, no se preocupe, llegaron los realities al mundo del arte (me refiero a los programas de televisión, pues tenemos concursos y situaciones que son puro reality)
En Inglaterra ya arrancó el primero y tiene las siguientes perlas: un panel de expertos selecciona cincuenta artistas de los miles de aplicaciones que seguramente llegarán hasta el cierre de la convocatoria (27 de marzo). Posteriormente, a estos elegidos les espera una exposición privada para Saatchi, quien escogerá los seis que «cuenten con la suficiente capacidad de riesgo, talento y creatividad» (mejor dicho, absolut casting).
Una vez hecha esta selección vendrá una tormenta mediática que llenará de popularidad, glamour e importancia a estas promesas del arte. Pero aquí no para todo, no señores, la cosa no es tan fácil. Los seis afortunados entrarán a la Mejor Escuela de Arte del Reino para afinar su talento durante tres meses, al cabo de los cuales presentarán sus resultados en una nueva exposición para Saatchi quien decidirá cual de ellos participará en la muestra «Newspeak: British Art Now» en San Petersburgo, donde se codeará con otro grupo que el coleccionista presenta como la nueva generación de british artists (la plata vendrá por añadidura, pues obviamente hay tremendo contrato, ventas millonarias, muchos viajes y un asombroso manejo de imagen)
Y lo de reality viene por la competencia, la convivencia y la filmación de todo el proceso para lanzar (por la BBC) un reality muy similar al de Donald Trump. Se filmarán entrevistas, la vida diaria, inauguraciones, encuentros con los amigos, trabajando en el estudio y, por supuesto, los momentos de tristeza y felicidad que produce el ser elegido o excluído (el contrato les impide enviar reclamos por Internet donde se quejen de los jurados, el concurso, el curador… ).
Para el programa se invitará a importantes teóricos y artistas que opinarán sobre el proceso de cada artista e introducirán al gran público al mundo y los conceptos del arte contemporáneo. Como ven, todo está muy bien pensado (eso sí es lo que se llama «llegar a un público amplio», no todo es cuestión de tiraje. Es pura cuestión de marketing y en libras esterlinas)
Apenas se enteren Cesar Gaviria y Julito Sánchez seguramente van a pensar en cómo clonar semejante pepazo («a los finalistas los ponemos a trabajar en un galpón en la Macarena, luego le decimos a los Andes o a la Nacional que se diseñen un curso intensivo con los mejores artistas y teóricos del arte contemporáneo… al que sobreviva que lo metan en esa feria de Kassel… y listo!!» )
Bueno, para aquellos interesados, esta es la convocatoria (you must speak english and be a UK resident)
Saatchi’ s Best of British
About The Search
Saatchi’s Best Of British is a nationwide initiative by the BBC and Charles Saatchi to discover the next generation of artistic talent. It’s a unique opportunity for artists of all kinds. And, for one, the ultimate opportunity awaits as Saatchi has reserved a space for their work at his forthcoming exhibition at The Hermitage in St Petersburg, Russia. This will be a glittering highlight in the art calendar, providing an international platform for the successful artist to showcase their work and gather widespread recognition.
The search has 3 stages:
1. Application and selection
From now until 29th March you can apply by submitting images of your work and your personal details www.submityourart.com. We want artists from all disciplines to apply, including painting, sculpture, installation, digital media, printmaking, performance art and many others.
From all the entries we receive, a panel of respected and independent experts from the art world will shortlist the work of approximately 50 artists. This work will be presented to Charles Saatchi in a private exhibition. From these, he will choose the six he believes have the edge, talent and creativity to be developed and refined over the following three months at a specially created Art School.
2. Art School
The six chosen artists will be enrolled into our Art School in London where they will develop their work under the tutelage of some of the most influential names in the art world today. The students will conceive an original art project of their own and will spend the next three months working on it. This will be the work on which Charles Saatchi will ultimately judge them.
There will be two principle tutors whose roles are to grow the talents of the students and guide them with their proposed projects towards the final selection. To further inspire and develop them, important figures in the art world will make guest appearances and deliver masterclasses. These guests will be selected depending on the specific requirements of those attending the Art School.
3. Final Selection
At the end of the Art School period those students who successfully graduate will exhibit their work once more to Charles Saatchi who will decide which one artist he wants to be part of his exhibition in St Petersburg in October. The chosen artist will travel to Russia to show their work in «Newspeak: British Art Now», Saatchi’s latest exhibition displaying Britain’s new generation of talent. The exhibition will also move to London at a later date.
About the Television Series Every stage of the process, from initial selection to the exhibition in Russia, will be filmed for a documentary series to be broadcast later this year on BBC Two. We’ll film everything from the selection panels, to interviews with applicants, to the exhibitions and daily life during their time at the Art School. We shall also feature interviews with those who shape the contemporary art world.
The series will concentrate on the people involved, taking the time to get to know them and to understand how they set about creating their work. At heart this is a documentary series about art: how it’s created, how it embodies ideas, and how it achieves value in our culture.
This is a Princess Productions in association with Rare Day for BBC Two.
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Catalina Vaughan