#governmental policy

[bytesizenetwork]

Dr. Oz's Influence: Successes in the Trump Administration

Dr. Oz’s Role in the Trump Administration Dr. Mehmet Oz, widely recognized for his television career, played a significant role within the Trump administration, particularly in areas concerning health and wellness policy. His involvement was characterized by efforts to bridge medical insights with public communication strategies, addressing issues from opioid addiction to general public health…

Dr. Oz's Influence: Successes in the Trump Administration

[forecasters]

Questionnaire: Anastasia Ryabova

Anastasia Ryabova is an artist, Kandinsky Prize winner (2011) and curator of the “False Calculations Presidium” exhibition. She lives and works in Moscow, Russia.

1. How have you maintained your practice in your country with its changing economical and political conditions? I started my artistic practice in mid 2000, when structures supporting young artists practically didn’t exist. None of the existing art school suited me. And I was not a natural artist who stored his artworks behind the wardrobe and then was discovered by a gallerist. Since the very beginning the tactics and strategy of my work was based on the practice of validation and reviewing the existing conditions of artistic production. This is how artistsprivatecollections.org project has started. It was a sort of micro model of an alternative infrastructure legitimizing and demonstrating art works.

The next step for me is to create a strong competitor to the existing infrastructures, a real collective actor that won’t only highlight the drawbacks of the current system or suggest new ideas but will test and check institutional changes on its own. The task is very difficult as you are not an average person in specific conditions anymore, but a creator of these conditions, and this is a challenge. In other words you have to replace responsibility from the shoulders of institutions to your own shoulders.

2. If there were an international governing body of contemporary art policy making, what would your concerns be? Practically every international body is haunted by similar problems. Being global on the one hand, on the other they always support the interests of the strongest countries. I would not play with the fantasies about international governing body, rather talk about multiplicity of networks, that would develop diverse types of grassroots artistic policy. 3. To what extent does your government participate in producing contemporary art infrastructures? It's difficult to answer and the difficulty starts with a question – where are the borders of influence and responsibility of Russian state laid. Is it a collaboration between power decision-making and big business, which is based on exploitation of state resources? It might sound naïve, but for me the question of who rules the cultural policy in Russia is still open. 4. How do you move across different funding systems to produce your projects? My experience with funding institutions is not so extensive. Usually local private foundations supported me. Also I have some experience in working with European state institutions. Though I cannot compare. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Usually it takes a good deal of management and tricks, it requires new types of money flow. Managing that is art in itself already. This anarchic economy adds a specific poetics to the artwork that is being created in these conditions. 5. If you could work with a local policy maker, what would you desire for the future of contemporary arts funding-give your forecast? I would suggest giving every art worker 5000 euros per month without demanding any explanations!

[forecasters]

Questionnaire: Katya Krupennikova

Katya Krupennikova is a curator at Ujazdowski Zamek (Poland, Warsaw) and an art writer.

1. How have you maintained your practice in your country with its changing economical and political conditions?

I believe, that the dynamics of economical and political conditions is a good catalyser for art environment. I constantly get inspiration in political and social contexts. And it is fascinating for me to work in Moscow for my current exhibition Playing Nature, as Russia proves itself an ultimately complex environment for delivering a critical perspective.

2. If there were an international governing body of contemporary art policy making, what would your concerns be?

I'm not entirely sure, that I understand the role of an 'international governing body of contemporary art policy making', but I'm afraid I can't support globalization or unification in the sphere of culture. However, I see spreading of international knowledge, gathering and sharing information as a strong force to develop awareness and to bring positive change into less advanced territories. That would be great, if there was such an international organization though, which would consist of international jury and would contribute to projects all over the world based on their quality in a local and international level. I see it important for the 'international governing body of contemporary art policy making' to combine the international and the local perspective.

3. To what extent does your government participate in producing contemporary art infrastructures?

Unfortunately I can't speak for Russia here, as I have never received any support from Russian state authorities, opposite - I think it oppresses criticality crucial for art by implementing censorship in social sphere. Speaking of the Netherlands, even after the fierce budget cuts in cultural sphere, contemporary culture is supported on the highest level as an important part of social life of the country.

4. How do you move across different funding systems to produce your projects?

I tend to apply to non-commercial European funds. I'm totally against commercial or private funding, which in my opinion serves the interests of certain brands or personalities. I believe, that this type of funding destroys the whole idea of art as an intellectual and educational practice.

5. If you could work with a local policy maker, what would you desire for the future of contemporary arts funding-give your forecast?

I genuinely think that the best and only way to support contemporary art and culture, is creating international non-commercial funds, which are established to deliver international progress of contemporary art and interested into educational and intellectual function of contemporary art.

[coffeenated-blog]

Nadia Habib came to the United States as a baby from Bangladesh and has never known her native country. But she may be ordered to go back there when she appears before a judge Thursday in New York, where the case is being cited by activists as an example of immigration policies gone awry. "I'd be an American in a foreign country," the 19-year-old told reporters before the hearing, where protesters were expected to hold a rally in support of Habib and her mother, who also faces deportation. If they were sent back to Bangladesh, they would leave behind Nadia's father and her three U.S.-born siblings.

Nation Now - latimes.com