Politics with a small p

It may not be apparent but the "2008 Liverpool Biennial" of contemporary art shares the city's artistic stage for 2008 with the "Liverpool '08 Capital of Culture". Both are funded differently, although mainly by the council tax payer and neither benefit 'local' artists to any significant extent. Collectively it is agreed they have boosted attendance at the city's museums, galleries and art institutions, but are there any long term benefits?

While the objective of both organisations is to bring tourist money to the city, the politics is that they behave like opposition parties. This was brought home to me the other night at a "Liverpool '08 Capital of Culture" opening, to which I had not been invited, for one of their high profile (large funds alocated) artist. Sipping decent champagne and nibbling on expensive canapes while waiting for Sir Bob to show up as scheduled, he failed to show and so the long boring speeches by ego maniacs went on without him, but looking around the assembled minor celebrities I noticed that apart from Bryan Biggs the indefatigable director of the Bluecoat there were no representatives from the 2008 Biennial caucus. Witnessing this the politics of the situation became immediately apparent, neither of these organisations talk to each other.

There is of course a third strand to the art exhibitions the "Independents Biennial" - aka the fringe, presentations by local artists who continue doing what they have always done making art for no pay . Consequently we have two organisations with lots of money while the real cultural workers in the city, who will remain once the circus has left town, have only been allocated sufficient funds to keep a basic administration afloat. Let's ignore the artists for the time being, it's always a difficult problem being analytical and diplomatic when you are in poverty and truffles are being served next door, but hey we just party.

It should come as no surpised that the local artists are completely ignored by both of the high rolling organisations, but Sir Bob Scott's '08 circus and Lewis Biggs Bienniale brigade don't seem to have much to say to each other either. There is no collective approach to publicity and to the onlooking artists it is a spectacle of minor politicians carving out their own turf. The Biennial curators have a strictly "international" approach which precludes "local artists" who are de facto "not international", which in truth is simply a policy which circumvents potentially difficult decisions.

The approach taken by the Capital of Culture mandarins is less easily defined, but as with most local council initiatives it is riddled with highly paid consultants brought in for the fest when there is already more than enough curatorial talent in the city to do the job, and nepotism is rife. Typically when you are in conversation with these arts administrators they are looking over your shoulder checking that there isn't someone more important that they should be networking with; thankfully most of these culture vultures will be gone by the new year having already booked their next desk with the 2012 olympic organisers.

There is currently a document being prepared looking at the long term benefits to the arts of the '08 Capital of Culture, long term? infrastucture? none. Two independent developments have however taken place, both of which have been ignored by the swinging dicks. The "A Foundation" massively funded by James Moores and currently showing the best art in the city, the other a less lavish privately funded initiative "The Ceri Hands Gallery" which looks to selling contemporary art to a disinterested public, I wish her well, she'll need it.

So come 2009 the long term benefit will be two privately funded projects, the independent artists will continuing to engage in their social work while the ring master Scott and his circus will have moved on. Which finally leaves the City Counci funding of the International Biennial. Art has always been a dirty word in this city where football is the only culture in town (so lets not confuse culture with art) and come Dec 31st the council will have had their expensive party, failed to sell much real estate and now approaching bankrupcy will not be funding an International Biennial in 2010.

peter hagerty
liverpool