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Yvonne Force Villareal Doreen Remen

110 as if / Issue 6 as if / Issue 6 111 a longer lead-time; our projects have shorter lead-times so we need to raise money through corporations. We go to companies and say, “This is a branding opportunity for you, it’s a great creative event with unique content.” We bring companies on as funders that way. We raise our own funds by creating limited editions. It’s been very low bureaucracy and high creativ- ity in developing Art Production Fund. Along the way, we’ve always been self-analyzing.

AS IF: You mentioned other organizations; how do you differentiate yourself, for in- stance, from Public Art Fund?

YFV: We have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for the work Public Art Fund does, they’ve been around for a long time and they primarily work in NYC and the boroughs. > > We wanted to work nationally and now even Global Rainbow, On the first chilly day of fall this year, I went to IMAGINE PEACE by Yoko Ono AS IF: What inspired you to start Art Pro- increasingly internationally, so we’ll work wher- After the Storm, by presented by Art Production Yvette Mattern presented by interview the Co-Founders of Art Production Fund as part of the Times Square duction Fund? ever the artist’s project needs to be. For us it’s Art Production Fund and The Alliance public art program. Standard, High Line. 2012 Fund, Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen September 21, 2012 whom we’re working with and why it needs to Photo by James Ewing Photo by James Ewing at Doreen’s apartment, which is filled with an Yvonne Force Villareal: We met on the first be in that location. extraordinary and eclectic mix of avant-gardist day at the Rhode Island School of Design, we contemporary art. became great friends and eventually started AS IF: What is your definition of art? working together. Around ‘95/’96 we start- When you enter Doreen’s apartment, a large ed developing a project with artist Vanessa DR: Art is about self-expression and commu- Rob Pruitt Glitter Panda immediately greets Beecroft called Show, which was a three-hour nication within a framework of language and you. It made me think of something the art- performance at the Guggenheim, which we history. ists said in an interview with James Franco in presented in 1998. Over 1,500 people came, Interview magazine: there was a major article by Roberta Smith in YFV: The projects we commit to are in a dia- The New York Times the next day, and people logue with art history, but also a dialogue with “I wanted to make the statement that art is really either loved it or hated it and thought it was what is happening, so that it is highly acces- a lot more accessible than most people would either anti-feminist or the new way of feminism. sible. What is art? It is a way to communicate imagine—that it’s not completely inscrutable It was for us a catalyst in starting Art Production something that you cannot put into words. and esoteric and just for the rich and educated. Fund. Number one, we realized how much it It’s an important means of an alternative cul- In the end, art is really just about developing created a platform for Vanessa Beecroft who ture and society, and of empowering people. a sensitivity to your environment and making was a very strong emerging artist, and simul- That’s why we believe art needs to be in the comments about the world you’re living in, in taneously it made us feel like what we were public realm, especially in an art world that is a beautiful way.” doing was something fresh. We were getting sometimes considered increasingly elitist. Art Interview By Alice Bennahmais Alice By Interview behind an artist’s vision and fully executing it, is about transcendence. You can connect to an It sums up nicely what Art Production Fund is fundraising, securing a venue, and present- artwork and it brings you to another dimension. all about—making art accessible by putting it ing it. We went in with this super fresh eye At Art Production Fund, we are very interested into the public realm. There is an entrepreneurial tion Fund, which is a non-profit, deal with the and made it happen. Afterwards, Doreen and I in a higher level of consciousness, and we do spirit in how Yvonne and Doreen do that—they pure art projects. In any event, all proceeds did comparative studies with other non-profits commit to works that have that transcendent take risks, and they are extremely nimble. It from their various ventures always go back to and really analyzed what we could do best, element in it. works, because of a simple formula: 100% fund the public art projects. Secondly, Prada and after doing our research, we co-founded integrity (and, I might add, 1000% passion). It Marfa, the pair’s only permanent project (and Art Production Fund, and we got our 501(c)(3) has allowed them to pioneer a business model which has just received museum status) serves status in 2000. that is now ubiquitous: exploit the cross-over as the perfect metaphor (and rebuttal) of the appeal of art and brands—especially high-end sometimes uneasy relationship of art and com- Doreen Remen: We got started in a very organ- brands—to fund their public art projects. merce. ic, natural way. It was a very personal endeavor; we didn’t have a set of strict guidelines. Yvonne The latest symbol of this trend is the magnifi- Ultimately, Art Production Fund projects are had someone who could put in some seed cent Frank Gehry-designed Fondation Louis about transcendence and peace, about the money for Art Production Fund, and we started Vuitton. When Yvonne and Doreen started APF emotional space that we access through art, doing projects immediately. We developed Art fifteen years ago, they received some flak for which is available for anyone to experience if Production Fund as we worked. We realized blurring the lines. They are unapologetic—for art is placed in a public environment. With that we just need a core group, maybe us two and one, because there is now so much demand mission, Yvonne and Doreen are, once again, one other person so we keep our overhead very by brands that they set up a for-profit venture, profoundly related to what resonates right now, low. We started to see that we really can’t get Culture Corps, to handle it and let Art Produc- and for the next generation. grants, which are usually for projects that have

112 as if / Issue 6 as if / Issue 6 113 AS IF: Was art always a passion of yours? AS IF: I am interested in the commercial with us and artists’ images were directly on aspect, many of your projects are in Las the surfboards: Scott Campbell, Richard Phil- DR: Yes, my grandfather was an artist, Avraham Vegas, which is a very commercial place. lips, Lola Schnabel, Raymond Pettibon, Gary Binder, and he was one of the first Israeli art- Simmons. It’s always benefiting the public art ists. My mother is also an artist so I grew up YFV: A lot of museums have started there, and projects. We took a lot of chances and we were with their paintings all around our house. But closed, so it’s an interesting place to bring very much one of the first organizations to really I became most connected to art through the culture. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas asked start blending those lines. Now, 15 years later, board game “Masterpiece”. I played it when I us to do the public arts programming in their there are so many and nobody honestly cares was eight, and there I saw all of the master- venue. All the projects we’ve done with them anymore. We have sometimes gotten close to pieces like Hopper and Cezanne, I loved it! support our Production Fund and we do on- potential projects that would have brought us going research to bring the best projects with down and we haven’t gone forward with them, YFV: I was a bit of a nomad as a child, I lived artists that can naturally work in such an envi- thank god, but you have to be very discerning in many different locations and one of them ronment. We invite the artists to do a residency and very selective, because so many mergers was in Key West where we had no television, program on a monthly basis, but we only invite of corporate and fine art in my opinion dumb art and so I drew constantly, and I became very artists who we know would want to work in down and don’t work, they’re forced. Doreen, good at drawing without even going to art a highly public residency on the third floor, Cathy [Freemont, APF’s Director], and I have school. And even though my grades weren’t and it has been so successful. Then we invite different points of view, and we care about so great I got into RISD because my portfolio artists every six months to do a video on the each other’s perspective. If one doesn’t feel

was incredible. From that point I wanted to be > marquee. We’ve worked with Yoko Ono, T.J. comfortable with going forward on something, a painter, but after a few years I realized that I Hellessy and Top Skirt L.A.M.B shoes Wilcox, Jennifer Steinkamp, and David Shrigley, we don’t do it. really needed to make a living. I knew I wanted and this year we’ll be working with Laurie Sim- to be in the arts and so I started to work at a mons and Julian Opie. We are very excited to I think a good example of a project that we gallery. Then I sold an artwork, a Glenn Brown be bringing art to the public realm there. We produced which actually analyzes this very painting, for $3,000 and Barbara Gladstone do get paid a fee for doing that but it goes question is Prada Marfa. Prada Marfa takes sent me a check for $300. I said, “Oh my God! right back into our public art programming, and the idea of a brand and fully examines it with- I can make a living telling people what to buy!” the artists are getting a very nice fee also, so out having been commissioned by the brand I should have bought it myself, of course, but I that is fantastic, and it has led us to really love itself. The one thing the artists, Elmgreen & didn’t have $3,000. So I became an art advisor. working in Las Vegas. Dragset, said was that Prada can’t fund us, It wasn’t being as creative as I wanted to be, but we needed Prada’s approval because we even though I still do advising now, I knew the AS IF: When the commercial and fine art used the logo. Miuccia Prada, who is an incred- creativity would happen once we did Vanessa co-exist there is sometimes a blurring of ible arts philanthropist, loved their work. We Beecroft’s show. lines, there is the subversive nature of art have this gorgeous letter from her giving us but art can also be corrupted, how do you approval to use her logo. She asked how she view this tension? could help in any way without giving money. It was very hard to raise the money because Light Cave by FriendsWithYou co-produced by The Standard, DR: It’s interesting that you say “corrupt” and I Elmgreen & Dragset were not really well known High Line and Art Production Fund, 2014 think that is the assumption when you put art at the time, but we did it. The shoes and the Photo by Alyssa Ringler in this over-saturated space, but if you are very handbags, if we had bought them, would have > specific about the vision of the artist and integ- cost $40,000. The artists agreed that through rity of the project then you can put it anywhere the Prada Foundation we could get an in-kind AS IF: You act as producers, tell me about and the project will not be compromised. You sponsorship of the shoes and handbags. Mi- the process? Does it start with the artist can’t control it but the output is pure so the uccia actually picked out all those shoes and or do you go out and find projects that result will be positive. I think that is what we handbags. But the piece itself definitely ques- you want to fund and then get people on found so exciting about APF, we really do flirt tions our consumer society, and the perceived board, or do you work with companies with that world. need we have for these luxury goods. It’s so that want to commission specific works? poignant in so many ways. YFV: After we started working with The Cos- DR: It works in all the above-mentioned ways mopolitan we got a lot of requests to do arts Recently, the Texas Department of Transpor- depending on the project. We don’t accept programming in hospitality, but as Doreen said, tation asked us if maybe this was an adver- applications; we follow artists and know whom there is only so much you can do within a non- tisement, and we explained that we were not we’d love to work with. In the beginning, artists profit, and with our board’s approval we started commissioned by Prada, it is a pure art project. like Rudolf Stingel and Elmgreen & Dragset Culture Corps to do cultural development for After a year of a big social movement to save came to us and shared their ideas and vision select various private sector hospitality, but Prada Marfa it has been given museum status. and we crafted it into an art project. The other also corporate consulting. It just makes more We have to take care of it for the rest of its life, way is that companies basically commission sense in a different category, so that in APF it in perpetuity. It’s the only permanent project us to produce something and we reach out can be the pure public projects. Even though we have ever done but it has given us incred- to an artist and invite him to do that project. I there are marketing opportunities for spon- ible satisfaction. think that the latter way is a rather novel way sors in Culture Corps as in APF, at the end for non-profits to work, and that has led us of the day we’ll never do direct branding on a to start Culture Corps, which is a consulting project or in a project. That happens through company that can really take on these types signage or maybe in-store marketing but not of projects. There is so much of a need, and in the project itself, unless we bring an artist in it’s a territory where we have a lot of creative to actually do a branding project, for instance

Prabal Gurung and Top Skirt L.A.M.B. Shoes > say, so that is our new venture, alongside APF. Tommy Hilfiger did a series of five surfboards

114 as if / Issue 6 as if / Issue 6 115 > Show by Vanessa Beecroft, Performed at the Guggenheim Museum, 1998

116 as if / Issue 6 as if / Issue 6 117 AS IF: Was that the most impactful project? ship. A non-religious space where there was room for transcendence. We thought that this DR: Because it’s permanent more people had was pretty much what the world needs right time to see it and it makes you think how much now and it was extremely popular. It was shared more impactful the other projects could have on social media because it was so beautiful;

been if they had been around longer. However, everyone wanted their picture with it. People I think that all of our projects were done at the > want to be with art and they want to be pic- Sally LaPointe white and silver print coat own Doreen’s Rings right time and in the right span of time, and the tured with art. great thing about these temporary projects is that you can do a time-based project, you can A project that cost no money and happened do performances, and also projects that move within two weeks was Yvette Mattern’s Global over and allow for another project in that same Rainbow right after hurricane Sandy. The Stan- location. All the projects were in the right time dard, High Line gave us the roof. The laser and very successful for their time. One thing people lent us the equipment, which was super that I do want to say is that we have the luxury high-caliber stadium lighting for mega-concerts, of not having to measure. the only cost was flying the artist over here, and even the room at the Standard was free. YFV: Whatever project we’re currently working It was basically a free project and it extended on is the most important project, that’s how all the way to the Rockaways, these 7 beams we feel. Right now we’re so focused on Hanna of light, which gave people hope. Liden and on Ugo Rondinone. If we can’t make it happen within a certain timeframe it’s not AS IF: What do you think about the state going to happen, we need people to believe of contemporary art in the US and inter- in it and get behind it. nationally?

DR: Plan B, our project with Rudolf Stingel at DR: We’ve reached a place where anything is Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal was possible, it’s like the Wild West, a very excit-

named because there was literally a Plan A that ing time right now for artists, for curators, for >

didn’t happen. We’re working in the public realm Lisa Perry Top chocker silver Campbell Michelle muff Mumansky fur black BOYY bag shoulder shearling gallerists, for anyone who is entering the art so we have to react to it. Having that flexibility world. The definition of art world for me has and openness has proven to be vital. completely changed; it’s nebulous, to be de- fined, what’s the next chapter in contemporary YFV: A piece we did with FriendsWithYou was art. Everything has changed in terms of how called Light Cave at The Standard, High Line in we document art, what will stay with us, what New York City. People really do want a channel will resonate in the future. to get to a higher level of thinking or a higher level of consciousness. The artists, FriendsWith- > PRADA MARFA by Elmgreen YFV: Yes absolutely. I was at the last Frieze on You, are very much about love and belonging, & Dragset Co-produced by Art Production preview day and it was packed. The first Frieze, and non-critical behavior and non-judgment. Fund and Ballroom Marfa Photo by Lizette Kabre 9 years ago, was very successful, but it was With Light Cave, they created a cathedral for Courtesy of Art Production Fund empty during preview. Things have changed so and Ballroom Marfa anybody to worship what they needed to wor- dramatically. It manifests in all different ways. Certainly the market has gotten super strong and that is why art has gotten so much pub- lic attention, because of the sales prices, but there is a reason why a Jeff Koons is selling for 58 million dollars, because somebody still wants it, and the result is it gets written up in People magazine. Now all these people know about art and are maybe opening their eyes to the importance of it. It’s a very special time to get public art projects done. We hope that the fundraising for future projects will reflect this energized art world.

118 as if / Issue 6 as if / Issue 6 119 AS IF: Tell me about the funds you raise AS IF: It’s AS IF you had unlimited funds, through merchandise. what would be your dream project and where would it be? DR: We have an ongoing line called WOW— Works on Whatever—where artists design DR: I would do a project between Palestine functional objects. Every year we come out and Israel. Art taps into that realm beyond with towels. It started out with four artists and communication, and you would start seeing now every year two new artists make a towel. people who think that they have absolutely That is outside any particular project, and we nothing in common and that they could never continue to do it and launch at Art Basel Miami, meet, joining and talking and conversing and which is a very nice platform for this. We make somehow creating a dialogue, a bond within canvases that are sold on art.com. Those were this art project. That for me would be the ideal born when we put artworks on the set of Gos- project.

sip Girl. It was literally prop-art, and these are >

licensed reproductions you can buy and bring YFV: One of the things that Doreen brought to Art Production Fund artist towel by 2015 Rosenquist, James Photo by James Ewing home and live with—it’s obviously done all the APF was working with Yoko Ono on the Imagine time but not with contemporary artists. Those Peace project; we’ve done four distinct proj- are our two main product lines. Then within a ects with Yoko, and we were just granted the project we might make an addition, we work Lennon/Ono Peace Grant. I’m also married to with the artist on that project and sell a limited who I think is one of the greatest artists in the edition sculpture that is an artwork outside of world, Leo Villareal. I would want to have Leo’s this product category. light projects in many different places, they bring great joy to people, they bring a reflection AS IF: You definitely are art entrepre- of their surroundings, they give people hope, neurs! they are very intelligent, and they are sublime. I just would like to see his beautiful message, DR: It just gets art out there, even if you don’t which is a total community message, in many have the budget to put something on your walls. more highly public places that don’t have any Even if you do not know Jeff Koons or Cindy art at all, like massive urban environments but Sherman, but you appreciate this image, it also out in vast empty spaces. speaks to you because it is full of the history of their work, then you can buy a towel for $95 and you can live with art and you can understand and maybe get more into art.

Raymond Pettibon limited edition edition limited Pettibon Raymond in Hilfiger Tommy for surfboard, Art Production with collaboration Fund, 2013 Photo by Benny Horne > Art Production Fund artist towel by 2015 Ligon, Glenn Photo by Kevin Brady > > > Michael Kale dress Michael Kale dress

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