SidebySide Studio : Criticality / Network / Exchange about Value and Crisis

Digibap - VIP - A.M.I.leaks: Ferdinand Richard's reply about Nara's sponsorship for Marseille session in 2012

I-WEI LI — 2012-04-03T00:21:38Z

VIP Nara Torres Vargas found Brazilian sponsorship to join the session in Marseille 2012 and her proposal was rejected by Ferdinand. Not only did I feel this was the wrong decision, made for the wrong reasons, I also felt in making that decision independently and refusing to consult with myself as DigiBAP's artistic director, his actions went against what I see as the central philosophy behind DigiBAP: to share our thinking and find innovative solutions together. Below are correspondences I had with Nara and Ferdinand on this matter.

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 4:34 PM, Ferdinand Richard wrote: Hello I-Wei, Once again, please stop putting unecessary pressure. We shall answer Nara soon. This is our task, not yours, and I don't think we are going to change the rules in the middle of the project. We shall answer your complains next week, but we have also a serie of complains for you, and we need (AMI staff and myself) to seat around a table to formulate this correctly. I did not get the chance to find this time together with Elodie since the end of december. I'll do it as soon as I ma back in my office, on monday. I am now in Brussels. Thank you for your understanding

Ferdinand

De : SidebySide Studio Date : Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:44:08 +0100 À : Ferdinand Richard Cc : Elodie Le Breut, Nara Objet : Re: Two questions! from Nara Torres, Brazilian VIP

Hi Ferdinand,

I am also surprised that Nara had no news from Elodie about such urgent matter.

I understand your point about fairness, however, if you follow the feedback from all the 'VIP's (8 participated in Rio and 4 eager to join), you will understand why the ones who were not on the list are trying so hard to find ways to come. Simply put, all the 'VIP's (12 not 8) want to have the opportunity to work together. It might be fine to rotate 8 'VIP's in the beginning, however, this is not sustainable for the long term. Each combination has its own dynamic and it is very difficult for the 4 other 'VIP's to take on the initiatives in sessions they missed.

DigiBAP is not an ordinary project, this is not a project only concerns partners, this is a project concerns everyone who is involved. If Nara or others find solutions to cover their own production cost, I will welcome them instead of rejecting them to the session. Because the very fact that they go out of their way to make it possible (ie. finding money on their own) shows their commitment to DigiBAP - this is the true spirit of being a 'VIP'! If our 'VIP's can be extraordinary, why couldn't we?

Last but not least, I haven't received any feedback from you in regards to the letter I sent you on 31.12.2011. In case there is any miscommunication, please let me know as I do expect to hear from you latest tomorrow.

best, I-Wei

On Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 10:01 AM, Ferdinand Richard wrote: Hi I-Wei, This is surprising, I had some recent e-mails exchange with Nara, and she did not ask me for this. It would be lmuch easier to have direct communication. We shall answer of course. But if she is no on the list for Marseille, it is not only because of money. It is also a question of fairness between all the participants. Ferdinand

De : SidebySide Studio Date : Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:04:29 +0100 À : Ferdinand Richard, Elodie Le Breut Cc : Nara Objet : Fwd: Two questions! from Nara Torres, Brazilian VIP

Dear Ferdinand and Elodie,

I received an important email from Nara, one of our Brazilian VIPs, who has very good chance to receive fundings to come the VIP session in Marseille, see details below. She needs confirmation from you to know if she could participate, so far she has no news from Elodie or anyone from AMI. In order for her funding application to proceed, she needs to send out an official invitation letter latest by next week. Please assist.

best, I-Wei

Forwarded message ---------- From: Nara Date: Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 6:24 PM Subject: Two questions! To: sidebysidestudio

dear I-Wei

first, happy new year for you, with art, love, peace, braveness and coxinha!!!

how are you doing?

I need to talk with you about the VIP`s Marseille Session in March.

I have a strong opportunity of getting the tickets in case I can participate. There is a nice program here in Belo Horizonte, a kind of "artists exportation", and I`ve been talking to the producers about Digibap. My chances are really big!

I wrote some emails to Elodie but she doesn`t answer, I don`t know why, maybe she is on vacation...

my questions:

if I get the tickets, can I participate in the Marseille Session?

in case the answer is yes... could you sent me an invitation letter for the session? I need this for demanding the tickets.

if all this is posible, I need to send the project in the next week. :)

could you help me with these two questions?

thanks a lot! best!!! Nara

Emails between Nara and I-Wei about her sponsorship for Marseille Session

From: Nara Date: Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 11:19 PM Subject: Re: Two questions! To: SidebySide Studio

thanks I-Wei!

well, about the production cost I don`t know if they cover it, because the program is about flight tickets. I`m gonna research this!

but I think they can help me only with the tickets... :(

thanks for your help! coxinha hug for you too! :)

Nara

2012/1/11, SidebySide Studio: > Dear Nara, > > Nice to hear from you! > > This is a great news that you can find sponsorship to fly to France, I > would love to have you join us :)) > Will they also pay for your per diem (food and local transport in > Marseille, approx. 30 euro per day)? > > I also didn't receive much news from Elodie or AMI since coming back from > Brazil. > At the moment, I don't know how the accommodation in Marseille will be > organized so I cannot advise you on this. > Nevertheless, I think if your production cost (flight, per diem, French > visa, and accommodation) is covered by your sponsor, I don't see any reason > to stop you. The more VIPs, the better! > > I will forward your email to AMI to see if thy can assist you promptly. > > coxinha hug, > I-Wei > > On Wed, Jan 11, 2012 at 6:24 PM, Nara wrote: > >> dear I-Wei >> >> first, happy new year for you, with art, love, peace, braveness and >> coxinha!!! >> >> how are you doing? >> >> I need to talk with you about the VIP`s Marseille Session in March. >> >> I have a strong opportunity of getting the tickets in case I can >> participate. >> There is a nice program here in Belo Horizonte, a kind of "artists >> exportation", and I`ve been talking to the producers about Digibap. My >> chances are really big! >> >> I wrote some emails to Elodie but she doesn`t answer, I don`t know >> why, maybe she is on vacation... >> >> my questions: >> >> -if I get the tickets, can I participate in the Marseille Session? >> >> -in case the answer is yes... could you sent me an invitation letter >> for the session? >> I need this for demanding the tickets. >> >> if all this is posible, I need to send the project in the next week. :) >> >> could you help me with these two questions? >> >> thanks a lot! >> best!!! >> Nara

Digibap - VIP - A.M.I.leaks: Ferdinand Richard's reply about production in Rio, 2011

I-WEI LI — 2012-04-02T23:51:34Z

3 week after the Digibap residency in Rio, I sent a formal letter to Ferdinand Richard, head of A.M.I. and chief project manager of Digibap, to give feedback about A.M.I.'s production. I emphasized the need to ensure the necessary arrangements for visas (so that participants are not stuck in an airport for three days, as VIP Boris Nzedo was); improving technical equipment preparation (i.e. no missing cables or memory cards); and necessity for a full-time technician available on site. My intention was to continue thinking with A.M.I. to make the next session better, in return, I was accused of being 'childish' and inflexible.

Unforunately, A.M.I. was not open to my feedback and responded in the most disrespectful way. In their response, A.M.I. also stressed that I was merely a workshop facilitator, rather than acknowledging my role as artistic director (which is defined in my contract with A.M.I.). This is despite the eight months of work I have put into DigiBAP, including the creative conceptualization of the project, the VIP open call development, my sole responsibility for the VIP selection process (which involved going through nearly 200 applications and 30 individual VIP interviews), and the sharing of my cultural network in Brazil (Joao Vargas Penna, Felippe Fonseca, etc.) whom I introduced personally to Elodie and each VIP at the Digital Culturia Festival in Rio. My demotion to the role of workshop facilitator also ignores the huge amount of work I put in to have the DigiBAP online platform ready in less than 3 weeks before the start of VIP session in Rio.

On top of this, A.M.I. deny my authorship and intellectual ownership of the project. This is despite the fact that A.M.I. involvement in the conceptualization of the project did not extend beyond a “brainstorming” meeting at which I presented the fully-developed concept for VIP open call: an open lab involving practitioners of different disciplines and from different countries collaborating on equal terms. I presented this as an alternative to A.M.I's original concept, which was to have “European masters” direct the work of a group of Brazilian and African artists. In short, I have been fully responsible for the conceptualization of DigiBAP as it is being executed, something which A.M.I. refuse to acknowledge.

Clearly, A.M.I. do not value or share the philosophy of open exchange and collaboration that I believe the project - Digibap to be fundamentally grounded upon. I am no longer prepared to work under their diktats. As a result, I resigned from my role as the artistic director with DigiBAP. This is purely down to the actions and attitude of DigiBAP producer – A.M.I., which I have found to be characterized by a top-down, hierarchical, Euro-centric, narrow-minded and unimaginative approach

Below are correspondences I had with Ferdinand Richard about the feedback on Digibap residency in Rio, Dec 2011.

From: Ferdinand Richard Date: Tue, Jan 17, 2012 at 4:13 PM Subject: my answer To: I-Wei Li Cc: Elodie LE BREUT, Cecilia JUMEZ

Dear I-Wei, Elodie had a bad private problem thing happening, she came back in the office only today. I was out of the office last week. I am not going to enter the details of your recriminations dated 31st december, since some things are true (but not showing a matter of extreme gravity) and some seem to be more bound to interpretation of rules, bad faith, or bad temper. At first pointing the worst:
the per-diem bank destination is your mistake. We sent the money to the only bank account you sent us.
Elodie is not your assistant.
Through the way you adressed Stephanie Suffren, representing of one of our main institutionnal partners, you did put in danger in several occasions the delicate relationship AMI has with it.
I believe you put our mail exchanges in cci to quite a few persons that have nothing to do in this project. I asked you for explanations on this, and you never replied to me. One would say that this does not precisely build confidence, and break contracts confidential matter...
You have circulated to artists (and may be to somebody else, who knows ?) private mails between you and me, without my permission, which is going far beyond what our common contract allows you to do.

I am not even less answering your very arrogant and unfair way to appreciate my thoughts, aims, morality, and militantism (you seem to know my thoughts better than me). I feel offensed. But there is not very much to do about it I suppose, and anyway my modest person is not in the middle of the picture. The artists are, what they will produce as well... Since many years, I have my way to try to put them in a feeling of confidence, which proved to work with dozens of them (including some that are quite a lot more famous than you), we never ever received such critics and had such complicated times as we have with you. And my way is obviously quite opposite to your radical attitudes. I understand now that we do not share the same values.

Let me just remind you several things:
you are not producing your own artwork. You accompany several artists in a collective movement towards a collective dream. Eventhough you decided to rename it, this project is not yours, it's AMI's, and we have prepared it since a long time, well before even thinking about proposing to you to be the artistic director.
The raising fund process is not at all bound to the redaction of the workshop project (eventhough it has as such a very big importance). It started from a commission of our region. Their confidence in us is fueled by our 15-years expertise on decentralisation cultural cooperation. This is also proving Alliance Française dedication, which made possible several prefiguration missions and possible for AMI to work directly with brasilian foundations, since AMI, being not a brasilian organisation, has no possibility to work with de-fiscalised money. And please bear in mind that they are the contact point in Brasil for Institut Français, a central institution in such cooperation issues.

The general thematic through sustainable development, fablab, technological recycling, art in time of crisis, etc... has been chosen together with Kër Thiossane, AMI, Oï, during a brain-storming session in Marseille, which you attended, and therefore I'd like to remind you that you cannot claim in no case the paternity, neither on the thematic, nor on the engineering. You are in charge of the animation of the collective work process, through workshops, development planning, process writing, etc... a thing we all consider you do very well. This quality you showed in Ljubljana has convinced us to ask for your collaboration.

As far as this thematic is concerned, the produced open-call followed a commission, and is equally the fruit of a brain-storming, and also the object of a global commission given by our Region and Institut Français to A.M.I., which is the project leader in all aspects, thematic, financial, and future development

But let's go back to the frame of this open-call (which you could apply yourself as well): "Are you ready to exchange your competences with others?" As far as your implication in the networking of the project, the only and sole mission report we got from you is only dealing with difficulties. You have in no way included informations/contacts (maybe Filipe in Belo Horizonte, but what could he have done?) you could have raised after the scouting mission and the personal investigations you have made in Brasil also for your own profit, thanks to A.M.I. and A.F. On the contrary, even if Elodie was late to transmit her mission report, she nevertheless delivered to you precious contacts, not to mention Thiago, or Batman, main multimedia producer in Rio. And others... And no report came from you after you presence in Bamako, payed by Kër Thiossane and AMI.... Your activity planning for Rio reached Elodie after you arrived there, although she had asked for it (at least a draft) one week prior to your arrival, in order to fix a maximum of things in advance. You did not even informed Elodie and me about this digital arts festival there, and of course did not put her or me in contact with the organisers, although you had a meeting with its director by the time of the workshop. And you talk about sharing ?...

"Are you flexible enough to adapt to the challenging working conditions?" This is a good one, as far as you are concerned....! Yes, a couple of things unexpectedly changed during the workshop, as for Emeric's limitations and Yann Lorvo's decision... Yes, the group had to re-write on the spot a very loose technical rider. Yes, the technical rider AMI provided (as refeering to the contract), although brend new out of the MacIntosh shop, were not good enough for you... Yes, one of the festival participant (not you) gave us the contact about the recycling center. So what ? Flexibility ? Or maybe you want the workshops to happen exclusively in Switzerland ? And please read again the Charta, it could be wise to apply if to yourself...

About your relationship management inside the team: Obviously, a team leader needs some diplomatic qualities.. It would be a lie to say that I believe you have them. Even if many of your requests had legitimacy, the autoritarian tone of them was difficult, specially when considering the gap between your financial treatment versus others.

About your autonomy: Apparently, the external context situation (of which AMI is not responsible) forced you to some adaptablity and technical autonomy, which you did not accepted well. Elodie either. Just to remind you that, for the final act, there were at least 6 persons on your side, to try to help, so you were not alone...This asks questions on your production competences, up to the point that I believe they are scarce (you cannot know everything, but you can trust others...). A last little drop: I also know you did not move even your little finger when coming to the point of packing everything at the end. It does not sound to me very much in tune with what you clame to be the philosophy of the project. Artists did.

As a conclusion:
yes, your competence as workshop leader proved to be there. Only that. We payed for it. Except your last taxi. We owe it.
yes, the whole group had to show flexibility in adapting a new, complex, unexpected situation (as asked in the open-call). The participants did. You did not very much.
yes, we have cash-flow problems. Therefore, the best for you would be to work with the Goethe Institut, but they never heard about you.
yes, instead spending hours on writting down your recriminations, please send me your artistic report, what you think about the artistic future of this project, etc... but no report of this kind so far, although you came back almost one month ago.....
yes, this workshop was a success, but not only because of you, far from that ! Also because of the artists, because of the AMI team, and specially Elodie, who has done things for this success that you would not be able to do, that you cannot even imagine.
yes, there is a big gap between your philosophical declarations and you attitude. Not a big deal, you are not the only one... Just keep it private.
yes, we are all capable of flexibility, which means that, if you consider AMI to be too bad and unprofessional for your high standards, I would understand that you would leave the project. We shall adapt...

Now, either we stop these things right now and prepare Marseille, or we split right ago. There is no more time for endless childish discussion. We all have a lot more to do. And manipulation is not welcome in this house. This is final. Shall we work ? Regards Ferdinand

From: SidebySide Studio Date: Sat, Dec 31, 2011 at 3:54 AM Subject: Important: DigiBAP's future To: Ferdinand Richard

Dear Ferdinand,

As discussed, I send you my concerns about DigiBAP in attached letter.

Please read it carefully with openness and patience.

I sincerely hope 2012 will be a fruitful year for DigiBAP, AMI, and SideBySide Studio.

best, I-Wei

Project 4: Digibap - Pourquoi je pars? ?

I-WEI LI — 2012-01-19T14:51:00Z

À la demande de L' A.M.I. (Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices)] association de Marseille, j'ai conceptualisé le projet Digibap ("travailler sur l'activisme artistique et l'innovation culturelle en période de crise") avec 12 "VIP" (artistes, activistes et chercheurs) originaires du Brésil, d'Afrique et d'Europe.
Après la première «VIP» session de Rio de Janeiro en Décembre 2011, compte tenu de l'incompétence et du manque de préparation de l'équipe de l'AMI, j'ai décidé de cesser toute collaboration avec cette «institution». Pour plus de détails, lire: «Pourquoi je pars?"
L'ironie, c'est de voir que A.M.I. continue à s'approprier mes textes et utilise les concepts fondamentaux que j'ai conçu pour sa propre propagande (sans me créditer explicitement d'ailleurs). A.M.I. est le Canada Dry de l'innovation et de son slogan publicitaire pourrait être: "cela ressemble à de l'innovation, c'est aussi excitant que de l'innovation ... mais ce n'est pas de l'innovation."

Chers VIP et partenaires DigiBAP,

J'ai été très touchée lorsque Philippe Coudert membre du workshop de Rio a écrit "Ensemble nous pouvons faire des miracles!" Dans son dernier e-mail. Ce que nous avons connu à Rio ensemble a été une expérience très importante et je tiens à vous remercier tous encore une fois d'être venu et d'avoir partagé ce processus avec moi.

Malheureusement, il n'est plus possible pour moi de continuer à travailler avec AMI, producteur de DigiBAP. Cela a été une décision extrêmement difficile a prendre, mais comme je sens que je n'ai plus le choix, je voulais écrire pour vous informer des raisons pour lesquelles j'ai eu à mettre fin à mon engagement dans DigiBAP. Voici la lettre que démission que j'ai préparé la semaine dernière suite aux échanges que j'ai eu avec Ferdinand Richard depuis la fin du workshop de Rio.

Le point crucial a été atteint lorsque Nara Vargas Torres, membre brésilienne du workshop de Rio, qui a trouvé le parrainage du Brésil pour rejoindre la session VIP à Marseille et a vu sa proposition rejetée par Ferdinand Richard, directeur de l'AMI et de gestionnaire de projet DigiBAP. Je sentais que c'était une mauvaise décision, prise pour de mauvaises raisons, sans me consulter comme directeur artistique; cette décision va à l'encontre ce que je crois être la philosophie de DigiBAP : partager la réflexion et trouver des solutions innovantes.

Malheureusement, ce n'est pas le seul exemple qui montre l'écart fondamental entre notre conception et celle de l'AMI. Depuis mon retour à Berlin, j'ai été en négociation avec l'AMI pour tenter de faire des propositions destinées à améliorer les conditions de travail et d'organisation de DigiBAP afin de résoudre les différents problèmes (logistique, retards de paiement pour la conception et l'hébergement de la plateforme DigiBAP en ligne, paiement de mon propre travail). Lorsque j'ai fait des propositions précises sur les conditions d'une meilleure préparation de la production pour les workshops futurs (voir Annexe 1 - Exigences de production DigiBAP) tels que, basiquement :

la nécessité de s'assurer que les dispositions nécessaires pour les visas ont été faites (de sorte que les participants ne sont pas coincés dans un aéroport pendant trois jours, comme ce fut le cas pour Boris),
la nécessité d'améliorer la préparation des équipements techniques (pas de câbles manquants, cartes mémoires disponibles, et),
nécessité d'un technicien à temps plein disponibles sur le site, j'ai été accusée d'avoir une attitude «enfantine» et inflexible.

Dans sar réponse, A.M.I. souligne que je suis simplement un "animateur d'atelier", plutôt que de reconnaître mon rôle en tant que directeur artistique (qui est défini dans mon contrat avec AMI). Ceci en dépit des huit mois de travail que j'ai consacré a DigiBAP, y compris :
la conceptualisation créative du projet,
le développement de l'Appel à Projet,
l'organisation des différentes phases de sélection des candidats (ce qui impliquait l'analyse de 200 projets, l'organisation et la réalisation de 30 entretiens individuels) ,
le partage de mon réseau culturel au Brésil (Joao Vargas Penna, Felippe Fonseca, etc) que j'ai présenté personnellement à Elodie et chacun de vous à la Digital Festival Culturia à Rio.

Mon rétrogradation au rôle de simple facilitateur de l'atelier ignore également l'énorme quantité de travail que j'ai consacré pour que la plateforme en ligne DigiBAP soit prête en moins de 3 semaines avant le début de la session d'accueil à Rio. A.M.I. a trois mois de retard pour le paiement complet de l'hébergement et du développement de cette plate-forme, me mettant dans une situation délicate avec le développeur web Quentin Drouet, qui a travaillé très dur sur le projet. Nous attendons toujours de recevoir la confirmation que l'AMI honorera bien ses obligations contractuelles.

En plus de cela, A.M.I. nie mon rôle d'auteur des textes de l'appel à projet et la propriété intellectuelle qui y est associée. L'implication de AMI dans la conceptualisation du projet n'a pas dépassé un "brainstorming" réunion à laquelle j'ai présenté le concept entièrement développé pour appel à projet VIP : un laboratoire ouvert impliquant les praticiens de différentes disciplines et de différents pays collaborant sur un pied d'égalité. J'ai présenté cela comme une alternative au concept original de l'AMI, qui était d'avoir des «Masters européens» pour diriger le travail d'un groupe d'artistes brésiliens et africains. En bref, j'ai été entièrement responsable de la conceptualisation de la DigiBAP tel qu'il a été réalisé a Rio. Situation que AMI refusent de reconnaître.

Le résultat de la session VIP à Rio prouve qu'il est possible de construire une façon de penser et de travailler ensemble entre personnes de cultures différentes, d'expériences différentes, de disciplines artistiques complémentaires et de différentes langues. Ce que nous avons accompli à Rio est un exemple vivant de la façon dont l'engagement artistique peut faire la différence en temps de crise.

Cependant, j'en suis venue à la conclusion que l'AMI ne partage pas la philosophie du libre échange et de la collaboration alors que le projet fonctionne fondamentalement sur ces notions. Je ne suis plus prêt à travailler sous leurs diktats.

En conséquence, je renonce à ma participation au projet DigiBAP. Ceci est du uniquement à l'attitude de l'AMI, qui se caractérise par une hystérie hiérarchique, un euro-centrisme borné, une approche étriquée et sans imagination.

Travailler avec vous tous a été une expérience passionnante, stimulante et exaltante. Chaque participant à DigiBAP est un artiste pour qui j'ai un grand respect, et cela a été un plaisir d'apprendre et de partager avec les processus créatifs que nous avons expérimentés ensemble. Je serais ravi d'avoir l'opportunité de travailler avec chacun de vous dans l'avenir.

En attendant qu'une telle opportunité advienne, je vous souhaite à tous de grands succès, tant dans vos pratiques individuelles que collectives. Je suis fière et honorée d'avoir fait un bout de chemin avec vous.

Cordialement,

I-Wei Li
(Ancien) DigiBAP Directeur Artistique
19.01.2012

Appendix 1: On–Site Production Requirements for Successful ‘VIP' Sessions

1. Minimum 1 local technician available full time on site during the entire session. This technician will assist with video editing, sound system set up, audio recording/editing, and circuit bending when necessary.

2. A.M.I. on-site production manager is responsible to have all technical equipments ready for use at the beginning of the day, meaning, memory cards cleared, all video camera and audio recorder's batteries (total 4) are fully charged, no missing cables.

3. A.M.I. on-site production mangers is responsible to resource and allocate the materials needed for artistic creation, including recycling materials, found objects, textiles and additional technical materials such as small engines, sound system. Such information will be given 1 week in advance to I-Wei with concrete details such as address, opening hours.

4. A.M.I. on-site production manger will inform me the local production budget for the presentation 1 week in advance before starting date.

5. A.M.I. on-site production manager or local assistant will document the process of daily activities and artistic creation.

6. A.M.I. on-site production manager or local assistant will take care of all the documentation materials and upload min 10 files on DigiBAP online platform daily during the session.

7. During the VIP session, A.M.I. on-site production manager will keep close contact with me, min 30 mins per day for private meeting in order to be in line with production needs.

8. A.M.I. will take care of the arrival and departure of all VIPs and Artistic Director, including visa and airport transport.

9. Lunch and dinner will be prepared daily via local resources during the entire session. ‘VIP's will only dine out when special program is scheduled.

10. The lab venue is designated for ‘VIP' session only, not interfered by other activities. Lab access is only given to ‘VIP's, local partner, assistant, technician, and A.M.I. on-site producer. Any guest visits must inform DigiBAP Artistic Director in advance and ask for permission.

Project 4: Digibap - Why I Leave?

I-WEI LI — 2012-01-19T14:45:00Z

At the request of A.M.I. (Aide aux Musiques Innovatrices)], Marseille, I conceptualized the project Digibap to work on artistic activism and cultural innovation in crisis time with 12 interdisciplineary ‘VIP's (artist, activist, and researcher) from Brazil, PACA Euro region, West and Central Africa.

After the first ‘VIP' session in Rio de Janeiro in December 2011, noticing the incompetence and lack of preparation from the A.M.I. team, I decided to cease all my collaborations with this ‘institution'. For details, please continue to read ‘Why I leave?'

The great irony is to see that A.M.I. continued to appropriate my text and use the fundamental concepts that I designed for its own propaganda (both without giving any credits to my authorship).

A.M.I.'s approach to innovation is Canada Dry and its advertising slogan could be: "A.M.I. looks like innovation, it's as exciting as innovation … but it is not the real innovation."

Dear VIPs and DigiBAP partners,

I was very touched when VIP Philippe Coudert wrote ‘Together we can make miracles!' in his last email. What we experienced in Rio together was a very special experience and I want to thank all the VIPs again for coming and sharing this process with me. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible for me to continue working with DigiBAP producer, A.M.I. This has been a hugely difficult decision for me to make, but as I feel I no longer have any choice, I wanted to write to inform you as to why I have had to end my involvement in DigiBAP. Here is the letter I prepared last week following discussions I had with Ferdinand Richard, head of A.M.I. and DigiBAP chief project manager, since the end of the workshop in Rio.

The pivotal point was when VIP Nara Torres Vargas found Brazilian sponsorship to join the VIP session in Marseille and her proposal was rejected by Ferdinand. Not only did I feel this was the wrong decision, made for the wrong reasons, I also felt in making that decision independently and refusing to consult with myself as DigiBAP's artistic director, his actions went against what I see as the central philosophy behind DigiBAP: to share our thinking and find innovative solutions together.

Sadly, this is not the only instance that demonstrated the fundamental gap between our understanding and approaches to DigiBAP. Since returning home from Rio, I have been in negotiation with A.M.I. for better DigiBAP working conditions and to resolve the issue of delayed payment for the DigiBAP online platform (as well as payment for my own work). When I gave feedback about A.M.I.'s production in Rio (see Appendix 1- DigiBAP Production Requirement) such as the need to ensure that the necessary arrangements for visas have been made (so that participants are not stuck in an airport for three days, as VIP Boris Nzedo was); improving technical equipment preparation (i.e. no missing cables or memory cards); and necessity for a full-time technician available on site, I was accused of being “childish” and inflexible.

In their response, A.M.I. also stressed that I was merely a workshop facilitator, rather than acknowledging my role as artistic director (which is defined in my contract with A.M.I.). This is despite the eight months of work I have put into DigiBAP, including the creative conceptualization of the project, the VIP open call development, my sole responsibility for the VIP selection process (which involved going through nearly 200 applications and 30 individual VIP interviews), and the sharing of my cultural network in Brazil (Joao Vargas Penna, Felippe Fonseca, etc.) whom I introduced personally to Elodie and each VIP at the Digital Culturia Festival in Rio.

My demotion to the role of workshop facilitator also ignores the huge amount of work I put in to have the DigiBAP online platform ready in less than 3 weeks before the start of VIP session in Rio. A.M.I. is now three months late with full payment for the hosting and development of this platform, putting me in an awkward situation with web developer Quentin Drouet, who has worked extremely hard on the project. When Quentin and I granted A.M.I. a grace period till mid February 2012, not only we were shown no appreciation: we have yet to receive confirmation that A.M.I. will meet the financial terms of the agreement.

The result of VIP session in Rio proves it is possible to build a way to think and work together among people of different cultures, experiences, artistic disciplines and languages. What we have accomplished in Rio is a live example of how art activism can and will make a difference in crisis time. However, I have come to the conclusion that A.M.I. do not value or understand DigiBAP and nor do they share the philosophy of open exchange and collaboration that I believe the project to be fundamentally grounded upon. I am no longer prepared to work under their diktats.

As a result, I am resigning from my role with DigiBAP. This is purely down to the actions and attitude of DigiBAP producer – A.M.I., which I have found to be characterized by a top-down, hierarchical, Euro-centric, narrow-minded and unimaginative approach.

Working with you all has been an exciting, challenging and exhilarating experience. Each participant in DigiBAP is an artist for whom I have great respect, and whom it has been a pleasure to learn from and share creative processes with. I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to work with any of you again.

Until such an opportunity might arise, I wish you all the best of luck, both in your individual creative practices and as a group which I am proud and honored to have brought together.

Yours,

I-Wei Li
(Former) DigiBAP Artistic Director
19.01.2012

Appendix 1: On–Site Production Requirements for Successful ‘VIP' Sessions

4. A.M.I. on-site production manger will inform me the local production budget for the presentation 1 week in advance before starting date.

5. A.M.I. on-site production manager or local assistant will document the process of daily activities and artistic creation.

6. A.M.I. on-site production manager or local assistant will take care of all the documentation materials and upload min 10 files on DigiBAP online platform daily during the session.

7. During the VIP session, A.M.I. on-site production manager will keep close contact with me, min 30 mins per day for private meeting in order to be in line with production needs.

8. A.M.I. will take care of the arrival and departure of all VIPs and Artistic Director, including visa and airport transport.

9. Lunch and dinner will be prepared daily via local resources during the entire session. ‘VIP's will only dine out when special program is scheduled.

Project 4: Digibap - Open Call for 'VIP' - Very Important Person for Value, Innovation, and Perspective

I-WEI LI — 2011-09-27T20:21:52Z

“VIP” is for artists (multi-media, cyber, sound, video, visual, environmental or performance), who are not afraid to dream in the crisis time.

“VIP” is for activists (community-based, urbanists, hackers, open source developers) who are willing to think globally and act locally.

“VIP” is for researchers (artificiel intelligence, cognitive science, interactive robotic, biological or genetic engineering, citizenship journalism) who want to share cross-disciplinary conversations.

“VIP” is for the local inhabitants in Brazil, francophone Africa, and EU region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Piémont et Ligurie).

(Please scroll down for French and Portuguese Version)

An A.M.I production Supported by Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Institut Français. In parntership with Alliances Françaises of Brazil and Kër Thiossane (Dakar) Under the artistic direction of I-Wei Li (SideBySide Studio)

We are looking for 12 "VIP"s from Brazil, West and Central Africa, and Euroregion Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA), Rhône-Alpes, Piemont, Ligurie and Val d'Aoste.

“VIP” is for artists (multi-media, cyber, sound, video, visual, environmental or performance), who are not afraid to dream in the crisis time.

“VIP” is for activists (community-based, urbanists, hackers, open source developers) who are willing to think globally and act locally.

“VIP” is for researchers (artificiel intelligence, cognitive science, interactive robotic, biological or genetic engineering, citizenship journalism) who want to share cross-disciplinary conversations.

“VIP” is for the local inhabitants in Brazil, francophone Africa, and EU region (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Piémont et Ligurie).

Content Keywords: Gambiarra, improvised solution, artistic intervention, material re-appropriation, reflective transformation, specific necessity, immediate reasoning, momentary circumstance, meta-recycling, logiciels libres, sustainable consumption, creative activism.

Do you want the first-hand experience of South America, Africa, and Europe?

Do you want to expand your network in Brazil, Senegal, and France through local connections?

Are you ready to take risks?

With all the crisis around the world, do you believe art can still form a new position or even create a new vision?

Are you tired of thinking and working alone?

Are you open to new ideas and critical feedback?

Can you work with others?

Are you ready to share your competence with others?

Are you flexible enough to adapt new challenging working conditions?

Do you have good sense of humour?

Are you available through 02-10.12.2011, 21-31.01.2012, and March 2012 (to be confirmed)?

Are you born or based in Brazil, francophone Africa, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (PACA), Rhône-Alpes, Piemont Val D'Aoste and Ligurie regions in Europe?

Are you fluent in Portuguese (Brazil), French, Italian, or English?

Are you over 18?

Do you have a valid passport till 2013?

If your answer is YES, this open call is for you!

Through the 8 day open-lab-module, we gather “VIP”s in the same place, providing various technological resources, food and board, and full liberty to experiment and create around the clock 24-7. Our lab is mobile with artists from three continents. Participants are entitled to symbolic honorary and travel expenses will be covered.

The final objective of these exchanges is to present innovative artworks with social significance during "Marseille-Provence 2013, European Capital for Culture" in the frame of MIMI Festival. To be our “VIP”, please follow our application guideline.

Application Guideline

Applications should be submitted in Portuguese (Brazil), French, or English. Applicants must submit the following in a single application.

1. A cover letter (1000 words max) discussing the following questions:

- What is possible to make with art in the time of crisis?
- What artistic/ intellectual/ technical competences are you willing to share with others?
- What do you want to learn from an international collective?
- Please give 2 examples of collective working experience.
- When you go to a remote place with unstable electricity and limited resources, what will you absolutely need to take with you?

2. A brief proposal (500 words max) for a project to be experimented or realized within the context of the VIP sessions in 3 continents.

3. A CV including:

- Applicant's name and contact information, including current and/ or permanent address, active email and phone number
- Applicant's nationality (s) and current city of residence
- Applicant's language skills
- Past and/ or current educational background
- Relevant work experience and/ or residency
- The names and updated contact information of 2 references familiar with the applicant's work

4. Samples of Recent Work (made within the last 2 years): as per your work discipline(s), applicants should send image, video, audio and/ or writing samples in digital format in accordance with the following guidelines:

- No more than 5 high resolution images (300 dpi, in jpg or pdf formats ONLY)
- No more than a total 30 minutes of video or audio (Video in QuickTime or MP4 ONLY, preferably subtitled in English; audio in MP3 format ONLY)
- No more than a total 2000 words in writing samples in Portuguese (Brazil), French, or English (in pdf format ONLY)
- If works are available online, each web link should include a brief description with titles, dates, media, etc.
- For heavy files, we recommend using YouSendIt or other similar software applications

Please do not send any original artwork, all applications are accepted only via digibap@amicentre.biz with subject: I want to be your VIP.

We will confirm all applications upon receipt. If you have not received a confirmation within 5 days of emailing your application, please contact A.M.I.

Dead Line: Applications later than 24.10.2011 will not be reviewed.

Selected applicants will be notified by 1.11.2011 (please note that this date is indicative only).

For any questions about the production and logistic, please email: elodie@amicentre.biz

For any questions about the artistic content, please email: sidebysidestudio@gmail.com

Project 3 / ARTOUT Artist Escort Service

I-WEI LI — 2011-09-18T09:24:20Z

”No Soul For Sale” was printed on Tate Modern's invitation for its 10th anniversary. Perhaps we are not selling our ‘immaterial labour' (Maurizio Lazzarato) so easily yet we often treat our life as creative projects (Luc Boltanski). Chris Dercon, director of Tate Modern, describes creative practitioners today as zombies and vampires due to the precarious working conditions we face and endless free services we are willing to offer.

When self-exploitation seems to be the norm as a survival strategy, how is it possible for cultural workers to say ‘no'?

Without existential security, what about our ability to challenge?

The law of the capitalist market with its emphasis on the ever-narrowing specialization of labor and maximization of profits invites artists to reinvent themselves over and over in order to escape the market-imposed limits to their identity. This limited identity confines artists to seek satisfying the ruling class demand for the special commodity fetish known as Art and reproduce institutionally-defined ideology of culture. In both cases the producer and the consumer of Art are limited in their freedom by the traditional modes of material exchange.

We, at ARTOUT, believe that art is an open concept and artistic praxis is the process of becoming that corresponds to the totality of individual temporality. Artistic creativity results from the dialectical relation between the acceptance of the market as the underlying principle of social reality, and the need to escape its imperatives of obedience and consensus; its locus is the individuality of the artist. The artist plays the messenger and the message, the self-medium that finds its legitimacy through the charismatic negation of conventionality.

We believe that the individuality of the artist is far more significant than the material end-product of the artist's labor. We are extending the limits of the traditional market-model to recognize the artist as the self-defined commodity whose value resides in the immateriality of artist's creative becoming. Spending time in the company of the artist is a new "creative" commodity exchange; it reveals power relations within the existing artist-patron paradigm and leads to the mutual liberation of both artists and art patrons from the condition of simple material production and accumulation to the next level of the direct creative exchange within the dominant capitalist art market paradigm.

For more information, please visit www.artout.org

PROJECT 2 / I Want to Dance Cha Cha with My Father

I-WEI LI — 2009-06-09T22:44:54Z

My next film will take place in Taiwan where my 66 year old father currently lives. I want to document the process of me learning ballroom dancing from my father on daily basis for 3 months.

PROJECT 1 / Kunst Apotheke Salon

I-WEI LI — 2009-06-03T20:08:38Z

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we each exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” - Permanent Food

Kunst Apotheke Salon is open to cultural workers who want to receive few dose of critical input and creative stimulation in a safe and friendly space. Presenters are encouraged to share their creative process and challenges with an international network of professionals in exchange for constructive feedback. Showcasing maximum 3 projects, 45 minutes each, Kunst Apotheke Salon is an unparalleled event for young, emerging, and established artists.

We also want to expand the curatorial team for Kunst Apotheke Salon in 2011, contact us if you have topics or projects which need medical attention, work in progress also welcome.Please get in touch if you want to present an idea or a project : sidebysidestudio@gmail.com

The first session was launched on 11.06.09. Here is the feedback from the participants in regards to this shared experience.

Kunst Apotheke Salon Aftertalk

For more information about future sessions, please visit Kunst Apotheke Salon section.