The tool shed of the art

Alex Poots still vividly remembers that Moment, five years ago, his phone in London rang. A Headhunter was on the phone and asked if he could please apply for this emerging cultural Institution in New York. The Whole hot "The Cultural Shed" and should primarily work in an interdisciplinary way. Poots was at that time head of the Manchester Festival in the North of England.

He was regarded as a cultural Manager maximum, he had brought, among other things, James Brown to the Barbican in London, he produced with Kenneth Branagh insane "Hamlet" for the Manchester Festival, and now he should not apply for a job at an Institution that apparently knew exactly what she wanted to be? The Institution does not apply – as a knock to him, but as he was the one wanted the Job? He said.

in the Meantime, this Institution is called "The Shed", and is considered to be the most important new cultural facility in New York since the opening of the Lincoln Center in the 60s. When they opened beginning of April for the first time, their doors, welcomed Alex Poots guests. Finally, he is Chairman of the Board and the artistic Director of this new Institution.

Fellow storyteller

his rejection of 2014 was not the last word, due to the fact that they remained in New York persistent. Poots was invited to the informal meeting, which, of course, was not the least bit informal. It was a rather – well, Yes, interview. Poots said that you need 40 people who are constantly working for the Institution, but rather 90 to 100. He pointed out that you need for the first three years for the program, grants of $ 50 million to make something really Spectacular on the legs.

a place that, as he says today, is supposed to be a giant tool box for artists. A place where the forms, mixing, music, painting, drama, dance and architecture come together. An Institution, the works of artists of any genus in the order and at a target audience, and can only be used with the term "all". If you plan something like that, said Poots councils, the supervision, then, Yes, it would apply even to take in the Hand.

Now you need to know that Alex Poots is a fellow narrator who lives for the art . If you listen to him long enough, pushes him, without hesitation, $ 50 million in the Hand (has just left), so he puts something Nice on the legs. The Supervisory Board offered him the Job, and Poots said. He moved from London to New York, where he has since been working with a growing Team the fact that The Shed is actually the promised spectacle.

In The Shed is going to cost a lot of events not to be.

The new building in the Hudson Yards, on the lower West side of Manhattan. To 18'500 square meters, it has galleries, theatres and rehearsal spaces. The main attraction is an outer shell, which is mounted on wheels and can be moved. If one leaves it, the forecourt of the building to a closed, light-filled space for Performances.

In the formerly dilapidated Hudson Yards has emerged in recent years as something of a new district. Dozens of new and mostly high houses were built, what is in a city with more than 60'000 homeless people, in principle, a good idea; however, luxury apartments are located in these houses. The new culture is to contribute to the centre specifically to reduce inequality in the city. In The Shed many events should cost no admission. Poots says that it will also be in the most expensive productions in places for ten dollars, and not just the very back, but in every single row. "The yardstick for success, it's not the revenue," he says.

The city of New York has the project in 2013, a start-up funding in the amount of $ 50 million. Since then, The Shed has taken to its own information, in addition to $ 438 million in donations. A total of $ 550 million are to be redeemed. Of this money, the cost of construction are disputed, and the construction phase will be paid. In addition, a portion of the money invested in a pot, from which new artistic Works in order.

Initiative "Open Call"

one of the main competitors, the hired Poots, the Swiss curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, in the main, vocational, artistic Director of London's Serpentine Galleries. Since 2005, the two work together. Whenever Poots presents a program on the legs, taking care Obrist to contemporary art. So now, in New York. Obrist is due, for example, that in The Shed for an exclusive composition by Steve Reich will be performed in a space, in the works of the painter Gerhard Richter. A year-long Reich and Richter were in permanent contact to coordinate. "Normally you would listen to Reich's work in a concert hall, and judge to look at pictures in a Museum," says Obrist, "but now the is a holistic experience." Obrist, this is exactly what was missing in the world of art, so far: "an Institution, in which the in-between spaces in this way is possible".

The first few weeks in The Shed go, apart from the rich-judge-cooperation, among other things: The film Director Steve McQueen has been designed with the musician Quincy Jones, a concert series in the heritage of black music. The Icelandic singer Björk will bring a theatrical Performance to the stage. The poet Anne Carson has written a dramatic work in which it comes to Marilyn Monroe and Helen in Greek mythology.

Everything in The Shed has not been available before. The house is all new works. For the artists to yield to the will of Poots as a result, new opportunities. This is also why he has launched an Initiative called "Open Call", which selects each year, 52 artists who live in New York and not by a large cultural Institution to be promoted. These artists will be promoted with a lot of money, and each of the Work will be found in The Shed. These exhibitions should, in principle, charge no admission fees, and they are Poots almost the most important.

If he can get things together a bit far-reaching concept in a sentence? "In two sentences," says Poots: "we should be a place for everything. And: We want to be the most flexible art centre of the world."

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 12.04.2019, 21:09 PM