It’s constant in our minds
YNKB is an artist group based on Ydre Nørrebro, the most densely populated area of Copenhagen and also the part of Copenhagen with the highest percentage of immigrants. YNKB wants to leave the elitist centres of Art and want to establish cultural and artistic activities where people live.
YNKB is a collective art project, not registered, not for profit, as an attempt to bring art out to the local people. Since 2002 we have been trying financially in many different ways to run this project. The concept is to be present and to develop within the same local community as a long-term project. We are not supported by any funds and therefore jumping from stone to stone to find ways to get money to pay our rent. Expenses for art projects we try to solve alternatively through funding and honorariums.
FUNDING Because this project have a different agenda being an alternative art space and not an art gallery with running exhibitions, it is not easy to apply for funding or to fit into the general agenda. There will always be a lot of restrictions like who is this project addressing? Is it for children or young people or immigrants? Is it an art exhibition (with no wrong words like debate or workshop written in the application)? Are the participant’s professionals and well-known artists, not students or local amateurs? Etc. Often we get no funding for the project or a small amount of the budget like half, third or forth of the applied amount. So when it is possible we apply for funding at the Danish Art Council or the City Government Art Council or DCCD (Danish Centre for Culture and Development (who supported the Peoples Museum project in Palestine)). So we carry out our projects whether funded or not for a lower or no budget and with the participants paying for beer, food and coffee and free donations or by selling books.
FUNDING Because this project have a different agenda being an alternative art space and not an art gallery with running exhibitions, it is not easy to apply for funding or to fit into the general agenda. There will always be a lot of restrictions like who is this project addressing? Is it for children or young people or immigrants? Is it an art exhibition (with no wrong words like debate or workshop written in the application)? Are the participant’s professionals and well-known artists, not students or local amateurs? Etc. Often we get no funding for the project or a small amount of the budget like half, third or forth of the applied amount. So when it is possible we apply for funding at the Danish Art Council or the City Government Art Council or DCCD (Danish Centre for Culture and Development (who supported the Peoples Museum project in Palestine)). So we carry out our projects whether funded or not for a lower or no budget and with the participants paying for beer, food and coffee and free donations or by selling books.
EXHIBITION FEES AND HONORARIUMS Each time we give a talk, participate in seminars or projects in other art venues, honorariums goes into paying or covering our rent expenses.
LOW COST ART PROJECTS These projects are based on alternative economies like gleaning food and material. At the same time they are challenging (liberal) consumer economy for a sustainable change etc.
- YNKB Folk Kitchen/Free Food, the method is gleaning for food (YNKB Soup and Art After Work projects).
- YNKB REPARATION WORKSHOPS of found-and damaged objects and personal belongings.
- YNKB WEED PROJECTS: We collect eatable weeds in open city space in spring and autumn 2008 and 2009, fruit and berries and prepared meals, salads, juice, tea, coffee and jam from what we found.
- YNKB Art Residency. Free accommodations, which basically means madras or a bed in the office.
- YNKB Bicycle. Free transportation for visiting artists.
All Members of YNKB support their daily living through work, student’s fees, unemployment benefit, social security or pension.
07.02.2010
