Spam art project / cyber art - performance / 2009
What can a Bosnian (South-East European) artist also offer to western system of art?
Dear gallery, museum, collection, centre for contemporary art
I hereby address you as I would like to offer my participation in an artistic project Spam Art called: What can a Bosnian (South-
East European) artist also offer to western system of art? I am addressing you hoping you would accept my offer. In case you do
not, your rejection is also welcome, because it is a part of the project. Since the world is currently going through a high-scale
recession and crisis, and since the crisis in the Balkans has lasted for the past 20 years, I have decided to use my artistic project to
help your museum-gallery-institutional system by offering the following services:
- cleaning the floors of the gallery (on a daily basis)
- whitewashing the walls of the gallery (once per project)
- changing the light bulbs and light installations (once per project)
- dusting your permanent set-up if you have one (on a daily basis)
- setting up all possible gallery exhibits for display (painting, sculptures, postaments etc.)
- I can also be used as a janitor, doorman, cleaning lady, technical staff or a person who would run errands for you
- you can also put me on display as a ‘Balkan savage’ or as a kind of a ‘Balkan fetish or a relic or a curiosity
- I can also do graphic design for your future catalogues (gratis)
Save your money. Call Bosnian artist to do everything for you. You don’t need all those workers now, you just need one Bosnian
artist. He can do it all for a price of 10 workers. We are cheap labour force. The artistic performance will last between 10 and 15
days, in accordance with your possibilities. At the same time I am a piece of work and an artist working within your museum and
gallery. You are given the possibility to explore my abilities for manual labour to the full extent. As I am about to obtain a PhD in
Theory of Art and Media, you can also use me for intellectual purposes, if that is what you like. I have a laptop and a projector
with me, so as to be able to give lectures in the area of video production, theory of art, criticism on contemporary art, etc. I have a
Bachelor’s Degree in Painting which means I can also give lessons to children in order to prepare them for enrollment in
secondary art school or Fine Arts academies. I could also be giving all evening long classes in drawing or painting. I carry a
sleeping bag with me as well. I do not need to eat. We are used to hunger here. I do not need to stay in a hotel. I shall sleep in the
gallery. I shall bathe every day if necessary, at my own expense. All I ask from you is a paid return bus ticket to your town and
gallery (we are not used to flying by plane) as well as a visa, because we never go anywhere without a visa. I would also like to
ask you to allow me to sleep in a bag on the floor of your gallery. If you hire me, that is, bring me to your gallery, I shall do all
the above mentioned. We shall make a work contract without copyright fees of course. If you are interested I can exhibit some
my recent works or made some site specific art.
Sincerely yours, Balkan artist: Igor Bosnjak
What can a Bosnian (South-East European) artist also offer to western system of art?
Dear gallery, museum, collection, centre for contemporary art
I hereby address you as I would like to offer my participation in an artistic project Spam Art called: What can a Bosnian (South-
East European) artist also offer to western system of art? I am addressing you hoping you would accept my offer. In case you do
not, your rejection is also welcome, because it is a part of the project. Since the world is currently going through a high-scale
recession and crisis, and since the crisis in the Balkans has lasted for the past 20 years, I have decided to use my artistic project to
help your museum-gallery-institutional system by offering the following services:
- cleaning the floors of the gallery (on a daily basis)
- whitewashing the walls of the gallery (once per project)
- changing the light bulbs and light installations (once per project)
- dusting your permanent set-up if you have one (on a daily basis)
- setting up all possible gallery exhibits for display (painting, sculptures, postaments etc.)
- I can also be used as a janitor, doorman, cleaning lady, technical staff or a person who would run errands for you
- you can also put me on display as a ‘Balkan savage’ or as a kind of a ‘Balkan fetish or a relic or a curiosity
- I can also do graphic design for your future catalogues (gratis)
Save your money. Call Bosnian artist to do everything for you. You don’t need all those workers now, you just need one Bosnian
artist. He can do it all for a price of 10 workers. We are cheap labour force. The artistic performance will last between 10 and 15
days, in accordance with your possibilities. At the same time I am a piece of work and an artist working within your museum and
gallery. You are given the possibility to explore my abilities for manual labour to the full extent. As I am about to obtain a PhD in
Theory of Art and Media, you can also use me for intellectual purposes, if that is what you like. I have a laptop and a projector
with me, so as to be able to give lectures in the area of video production, theory of art, criticism on contemporary art, etc. I have a
Bachelor’s Degree in Painting which means I can also give lessons to children in order to prepare them for enrollment in
secondary art school or Fine Arts academies. I could also be giving all evening long classes in drawing or painting. I carry a
sleeping bag with me as well. I do not need to eat. We are used to hunger here. I do not need to stay in a hotel. I shall sleep in the
gallery. I shall bathe every day if necessary, at my own expense. All I ask from you is a paid return bus ticket to your town and
gallery (we are not used to flying by plane) as well as a visa, because we never go anywhere without a visa. I would also like to
ask you to allow me to sleep in a bag on the floor of your gallery. If you hire me, that is, bring me to your gallery, I shall do all
the above mentioned. We shall make a work contract without copyright fees of course. If you are interested I can exhibit some
my recent works or made some site specific art.
Sincerely yours, Balkan artist: Igor Bosnjak
