November 19 - 20, 2005
Portikus im Leinwandhaus, Weckmarkt 17, 60311 Frankfurt/Main

In the same way as artist practice amongst the students, lectures and seminars have promoted discussions and exchange between the participants. To shed light upon the broad spectrum of the ACADEMY REMIX project, the ACADEMY REMIX SYMPOSIUM is creating a supplementation for the presentation of the final individual projects from the ACADEMY REMIX in Kunsthalle Portikus.

The symposium deals with the methods, models and possibilities for art academies and integrates the central questions posed by the ACADEMY REMIX projects:

• What are the limitations and potentials for artistic achievement in relation to social-orientated subject matter?
• How do specific social themes manifest themselves in individual artistic activities?
• To what extent can artistic production reflect the methods and mechanisms of identity formation?
• What context enables the questions posed by the specific situation in Kosovo to be addressed?

The presentation in Portikus brings both aspects of the ACADEMY REMIX together: The Kunsthalle is not only an exhibition space for the artists' projects, but also the venue for the symposium. With this an architecture emerges that integrates not only art works and documentation about the participating students, but also offers more than 130 seats for the participants of the symposium. To meet the demands of this event, there will be grandstand elements installed up the ceiling in the Kunsthalle.

The symposium will be conducted in English.

The Panels and Questions in Overview

1) Paradigms in art teaching
The relation and emphasis of interdisciplinary and conceptual approaches to artistic techniques in education will be discussed. To what extent should the education of the students delve into and prepare them for the mechanisms of the western art industry? What critical approaches should be therefore required? In a social context, what function does the art academy fulfil in relation to other institutions of higher education?

2) The artist teacher and the art student
The roll of the teacher and the relation to the individual students should be discussed. What models and functions are there outside of the master-class system or academic structures of education? What does the art student expect from the academy - and what does the academy expect of the art student?

3) The art academy in between international exchange and the local
What roll does the art academy play in the local, urban community, and how important is the local community for the academy in the art-world's global network?

4) What is artistic competence and how is it mediated
How does it come across to a young artist? Should the specific competences be only offered in their respective classes or are there more general approaches? What is the meaning of 'professionalism' and 'competence', and are these terms even suitable or applicable in the discipline of art? Are there standards or criterion for artistic quality, or is everything dependant on the originality of the artist? To what extent does one run the risk in this case of falling back on a romantic idea of the artist?

For each section, a moderator has been entrusted with the preparation and direction of the content with the panel participants.

The following guests have been invited:
Joseph Backstein, Ute Meta Bauer, Mehmet Behluli, Sokol Beqiri, Saskia Bos, Ekaterina Degot, Branko Dimitrijević, Okwui Enwezor, Bruce Ferguson, Teresa Gleadowe, Maria Hlavajova, Ronald Jones, Katrin Klingan, Steven Henry Madoff, Joanna Mytkowska, Dan Perjovschi, Marjetica Potrč, Arturas Raila, Erzen Shkololli, Angela Vettese, Florian Waldvogel, Richard Wentworth, Anton Vidokle, Borut Vogelnik, Sislej Xhafa.

The following professors at the Städelschule have confirmed their participation in the panel: Daniel Birnbaum, Isabelle Graw, Christa Näher, Tobias Rehberger, Simon Starling.

The symposium has been made possible by the friendly support of the Heinz and Gisela Friederichs Foundation.

> Program