by John Ralston Saul
Culture and Foreign Policy
Republished with permission

With the exception of a small number of artists, contemporary art crosses remarkably few borders. Few painters today have viable markets outside their own country. This is as true of Americans as it is of Europeans. There are some standard international events - such as the Venice Biennial in which we play our role. There could be endless discussion over whether we exploit the occasions as well as we might. There are also fairs.

But it is important in the art world not to fall into the trap of believing that being there is the main requirement. What matters is being there in the right context. There are museums, public galleries and private galleries in every country which give the seal of approval. Our aim should be to put our artists in those structures. This is in part the work diplomats on the spot, but with the help museums and art experts at home.

a) Museums

The one area which has become increasing international over the last few decades is the thematic museum show. These are often put together by several museums.

Whether one approves or disapproves of s much energy being expended to draw the public' eye towards the past, the specific point is that Canada has failed to use this phenomenon to establish its own visual presence. There is a need for several large, international thematic exhibits on Canadian art - portraying not regions but periods. What is needed to accomplish this. is the marshalling of the energy of the Canadian museums, an intense strategy for bringing the right curators to Canada and a great deal of work abroad.

This is worth doing because these shows play a role in establishing the international images of cultures. The extensive catalogues which go along with them become the memory of the exhibit.

It is difficult to establish the image of contemporary Canadian art in the minds of outsiders unless you have established the visual context out of which they come.

b) Thematic Conferences

As part of the preceding policy there is a need for a series of international thematic conferences on Canadian art which should be held in various parts of Canada over a period of, for example, five years. These should be organized as part of a single co-ordinated plan in co-operation with universities, public galleries and the government.

The themes, the exhibitions which would be mounted to go with each conference, the foreign curators, art critics and historians who would be brought to Canada for the appropriate conference - when combined together these factors would go a long way to creating a clear sense outside of Canada of the Canadian artistic appearance.

From this stage it would be easier to negotiate Canadian exhibits in public galleries abroad.

c) Galleries

It is not clear that the best way to show Canadian art abroad is in a cultural centre. This can only make sense if cultural-centre galleries are established as exciting players in the local art scene. The slightest hint of prestige, diplomacy, officialdom, etc., negates the possible effect of what might be on the walls. Quite simply. people don't come. They don't come because those who are interested in contemporary art do not associate it with prestige, etc. If art is to be shown in our few official galleries abroad, then the nature, atmosphere, approach of those galleries needs to be radically re-examined. To succeed they need to be non-conformist and often outrageous.

Also there is little point in touring the art of living artists if it isn't for sale. There may be technical problems attached to selling in a non-profit or diplomatic locale. But these are technical problems. Painters paint paintings to be sold. What's more, the way an artist builds up an international reputation is through his/her presence in private and public collections in foreign countries. It's not enough to have some complex system for referring interested buyers to galleries back in Canada. When people see a painting they want to buy, they should be able to buy it. The show may continue to travel. Buyers are used to waiting for their purchase to be sent to them.

There is also another possible approach to touring and selling art. For a great deal less money than an official gallery it is possible to negotiate a relationship with a local, well-known commercial gallery. This should not be a mere "renting of the walls." That would undermine the credibility of being there. Rather it should be a matter of interesting a gallery in one or two shows a year, subject to consultation so that they get what interests them. This could involve constantly bringing gallery owners to Canada to see what is happening, which would serve the purpose of building up long-term relationships and knowledge of Canadian art in the international market.

John Ralston Saul is an essayist and novelist. He is the author of many books, including The Doubter's Companion - A Dictionary of Aggressive Common Sense, Voltaire's Bastards: the Dictatorship of Reason in the West, and Paradise Eater, which won the Premio Letterario Internazionale in 1990. Mr. Saul has a Ph.D. from King's College, London.