İpek Çınar
COLLECTIVE STRUCTURES AS SPACES OF PRODUCTION, SOLIDARITY, AND LEARNING
When we talk about collectivism or collective production, we are actually referencing a multitude of structures. At times, these structures rely on financial support of individuals, at others, their physical or mental labor. We are talking about collectives that own a space, that work online, that continue their production using spaces owned by others, who call themselves a collective, an initiative, a group, or an artist space. Their goals also differ: people decide to form a collective to produce a physical object, to open a space for discussion or a platform for research, to play a bridging role between the artist and the art world or to defend rights. Moreover, one should be cognizant of the cultural, political, technological aspects of the era when a particular collective is formed. Therefore, writing about collectives or collectivity resembles a rosebush that blossoms in all directions. If we were to identify a common aspect within this diversity, collective structures try to make a breach in the current system by identifying a point of resistance within it.
I value collectivism during the production period, along with the solidarity and the feeling of learning together that is gained through the collective itself. In this article, I would like to draw upon the experiences shared during Güncelleme #28: Polifoni, (1) a series of talks focusing on the sustainability of collectives and decisions to end them organized by Orta Format -a collective I have been a member of in the past couple of years- and introduce other concepts and facilitating options that could be useful while referencing collective production. The individuals making up a collective should be discussing their approaches to these concepts very early on -since they constitute the keystone of a collective- and revisit these concepts over time as if doing periodic maintenance of the collective itself.
On independence and from what are we independent
When we talk about collective art production, there is almost a reflex to add the word ‘independent’ in the mix, which is a concept treated differently by almost all collectives. The diversity of views on independence mainly stems from the wide spectrum of associations with it. The importance attributed to self-sufficiency –meaning not having to rely on financial support, funding from or sponsorship of another institution- can sometimes be prioritized over the need and primary concerns of the individuals making up the collective. Instead of romantically dedicating ourselves to the word ‘independence’, I believe it is more critical to focus on where collectives get stuck, due to what kind of clashing priorities and through which means they can be solved.
Moreover, even if we were to set up a financially independent model, a collective can never remain as independent as we deem it to be. We are actually dependent on various factors, from our fellow collective members with whom we try to run the collective to how hectic our breadwinning jobs are; to institutions we are in close contact with and our audience’s interest in us. Perhaps, the solution here is to prime the concept of sustainability over financial independence, and to do a reality check of our ideal
On sustainability and our production spaces
Most collectives are formed during years when its members are relatively younger with a yearning and an intention to address what is lacking in the current system. During these honeymoon years, the labor and excitement can be sustained at the maximum level because people tend to be more idealistic, energetic, and excited. After a while, personal priorities and other troubles in life tend to constrict the space collective occupies in our lives. During this watershed moment when our work starts not fulfilling us, if we are also facing financial distress, the collective itself starts to feel like a burden. To stop that from happening, it is important to consider the labor and compensation from the very beginning and to avoid unpaid/uncompensated labor relations, including exploitation of voluntary labor.
There are other meanings of sustainability, such as leaving it to the future and leaving a mark. Concrete and crucial parts of work, such as the production of an exhibition, a book, or a performance, can sometimes lead us not to pay as much attention to other aspects. Teams quite excited during the production can feel drained out or bored when it comes to documentation or archiving. This results in gaps in the history of the collective and social memory. The rest is a vicious circle where each new collective channels their energy and funds towards works with similar themes. Moreover, I believe that there is a curative power of being able to look back in your archives, just like the emotional satisfaction from perusing family photo albums.
Organization and division of labor
What is called ‘mental load’ (2) in feminist literature can be applied to the models of division of labor within the collective. ‘Mental load’ appears in cases where an individual assumes the planning and organization during the division of labor and others ‘wait to be asked’. This creates a situation where certain individuals in a collective are always tired, anxious, and their minds are occupied. The exhaustion they feel -even when there is not a concrete product they are working on- can be difficult to see from outside, and create frustration. But planning and organizing are huge deals on their own. When an individual assumes the responsibility of not only planning but also taking part in the plan, she ends up doing the majority of the work. A solution to that is identifying different steps of the work, including the organization/preparatory phase. Besides, a rotation system could be devised so that people can build experience in different steps of the work, contributing to a healthier organization model.
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Unfortunately, the social and economic conditions of the era we live in does not foster the possibility of forming a structure that can satisfy each member where they are compensated for their labor - when in fact all we toil for is to change the conditions of this system and catalyze transformation, no matter how small it is. The solution lies within preserving our unity, running to help one another when one of us feels out of breath, or better put, reflecting on different gifting economies and constantly negotiating what is needed and their consequences. Transparency, sharing of resources, and motivation were beyond the scope of this article, but they are as important as issues addressed above. No matter what, collectives - as spaces of learning for artists and intermediaries- are the only way we can realize our dreams.
(1) See http://ortaformat.org/guncelleme-28
(2) To avoid digression, I had to breeze through the concept of “mental load” in this article. I recommend reading illustrator Emma’s graphic novel 'Fallait Demander' [You should have asked].