SCREENING GUIDE SCREENING GUIDE OVERVIEW Film Synopsis Director’s Statement Using the Screening Guide Hosting a Screening Event Best Practices for Facilitating Dialogue PRE-SCREENING DISCUSSION Key Terms Setting the Context Discussion Prompts POST-SCREENING: AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT IDEAS 1 General Discussion Questions 2 Discussion Forum: Points of View on the Market POV: Artists on the Art Market POV: Curators, Critics and Educators on the Art Market POV: Museums and the Art Market POV: Dealers on the Art Market POV: Collectors on the Art Market 3 A Closer Look 4 Resources for Artists to Survive and Thrive ACKNOWLEDGMENTS APPENDIX I: Characters Appearing in the Film 1 OVERVIEW FILM SYNOPSIS Paintings by Basquiat and Gerhard Richter sell at The Price of Everything explores these questions and auction for tens of millions of dollars; a multistory demystifies the rarefied world of contemporary art in inflatable ballerina by Jeff Koons dwarfs visitors at a dynamic and entertaining way. With unprecedented Rockefeller Center; a solid gold toilet by Maurizio access to artists, dealers, collectors and auction Cattelan is installed in the Guggenheim Museum for houses in and around New York City, the film takes us all to see and use. Today, art is spectacle, big bucks deep into a hidden world where nothing is what it and front-page news. As a society, we have become seems. In revealing scenes and interviews, we come less concerned with the aesthetic and social values of to understand how this part of the art market actually art, and more concerned with brand names and the works and we confront the challenges of being an business of it all. Many feel that art has become a artist in the current environment— where success pawn of the ultra rich—an exclusive investment class can come at lightning speed only to evaporate next with perks and loopholes out of reach to the average season, and where even the most revered creators citizen. High-end art fairs are springing up all over the must find ways to block out the temptations of the world and collectors flip works at auction and squirrel market if they wish to remain in control of their cre- away their trophies in high security warehouses. ative process. The Price of Everything offers a com- plex portrait of a late capitalist society confronting Are we in the midst of an art crisis? Can the value of itself. While holding a funhouse mirror up to our con- art really be measured in dollars and cents? How are sumerist culture, the film ultimately reaffirms the tran- these values assigned and who assigns them? Does scendent power of art itself and the deep need we the art market have a chilling effect on our great mu- have for it in our lives. seums and the ability of the public to engage in the art of our time? Which artistic voices are left out of the mass marketing of art? Most importantly, what does this new consumerist approach to art mean for artists themselves? 2 OVERVIEW DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT Growing up in a family of creative people, I saw first- such a thing as intrinsic value that transcends the hand how difficult it is to live life as an artist. Of world of commerce, or is this just a comforting myth, course there are great rewards for pursuing one’s promulgated by hopeless romantics and idealists? artistic passions, but along with those rewards, come demons. Every artist has them, some from without, The relationship between art and money has always some from within, but one demon all artists seem to fascinated me and I’ve wanted to make a film explor- share is money: it’s hell when you don’t have it and, ing that relationship since making My Architect over ironically, it can be hell when you do have it. Money 10 years ago. But, “a film about art and money” is an explores an artist’s weaknesses—chase it and you absurdly broad topic. There could be a million ways of can lose your way, disregard it and you can end up doing it. Where do you possibly start? In this regard, with nothing. I was extremely lucky to work with producers who allowed me to approach the particular demon of “too Then there is the opaque and bewildering world of the many options” the only way I know how to deal with it: art market. The market has always been a capricious start shooting. beast; favoring, ignoring, loving, withholding, elevat- ing certain artists one moment only to drop them the This film is very much the record of the odyssey we next. But in recent years the market has captured the took through the art world over the period of a couple public imagination as it has soared to dizzying of years. It evolved organically and it is populated by heights, with contemporary works going for a hundred remarkable characters from all parts of the art world, million and more and a painting, supposedly by Leon- and by artists with many different trajectories through ardo da Vinci, fetching $450 million at auction in the it. It is a film composed not of interviews, but of fall of 2017. In spite of these newsy items, however, scenes—encounters—through which we explored a the fact remains that most artists—even great world vastly more puzzling and contradictory than I ones—struggle mightily and most of them never gen- ever imagined. In the end, it seems to me the art erate much money in their lifetimes, if ever. Does world holds a much-needed mirror up to our contem- 3 money corrupt art? Is it a necessary evil? Is there OVERVIEW DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT (CONT’D) porary society, allowing us to glimpse ourselves for a moment and to question where we are going as indi- viduals and as a civilization. If there’s one thing I’d like audiences to take from The Price of Everything, it’s to open their eyes to seeing art again on their own terms. The people in the film taught me to do that, each in their own way, and I am very grateful to them for it. They also taught me, whether they intended to or not, that in spite of what the market may say, there actually is very little intrin- sic connection between value and price. The idealist and hopeless romantic in me believes that now, more than ever, there really is something in art that tran- scends money, that twists free of commerce and that, at its best, points the way towards some kind of enlightenment. Most artists pay a high personal price for what they do, but they are bringing things into being that we human beings cannot do without. – Nathaniel Kahn 4 OVERVIEW USING THE SCREENING GUIDE CONSIDER HOSTING This Screening Guide is a resource to engage audi- A PANEL DISCUSSION ences with the documentary film The Price of Every- A post-screening panel enables you to invite multiple thing and to spark informed and thoughtful discus- expert perspectives into the room, such as working sions. General audiences, youth and university artists, museum curators, gallerists, educators or students, educational institutions, and professionals other professionals working in arts organizations, to working to support working artists and organizations share their perspectives and experiences creating art will have ready access to discussion questions and and/or working to support artists. In the Post-Screen- supporting content to delve deeper into conversa- ing Discussion section, this guide includes sugges- tions on the art world and the part of the market fea- tions for other ways to engage viewing audiences in tured in the film, its overall sustainability, and how this dialogue after the film. sector of the art community affects contemporary working artists. Visit the website http://thepriceofeverything.com/ to learn more about bringing the film to your community. HOSTING A SCREENING EVENT The Price of Everything offers numerous opportuni- ties to partner with community organizations and leverage the film for engagement and connection. Here are recommended steps for planning a success- ful screening event. 5 OVERVIEW PLANNING AN EVENT Six weeks to two months prior Day Before Brainstorm and prioritize a list of possible Test all a/v equipment community partners to support outreach Copy and assemble any discussion materials Set a time, date and location or promotional handouts Identify your guest list, secure community partners Day of Screening Decide on the format for your screening and post-screening event Arrive at least an hour prior. This allows for eg: Will you have a panel and/or organize enough time if you need to set up the room, another engagement activity? If you are test the a/v equipment, greet guests and planning a panel, identify and invite panelists, and review your agenda. appropriate panel members. One Month Prior Send out invitation with time, date, location and description of the film and the post-screening event Confirm logistics with partners and other invited guests 6 OVERVIEW BEST PRACTICES FOR FACILITATING DIALOGUE importantly, remember that your role is to set a tone and monitor the dynamic to ensure that all partici- Watch the film beforehand. This will both help you pants feel comfortable engaging in a rich discussion. tailor the event to your audience and help you antici- pate questions and responses that might come up Be thoughtful with your language. For viewers who during the post-screening discussion. are new to the topics covered in The Price of Everything, it may be helpful to remind audiences of general Be knowledgeable. Reading this guide, watching the parameters for engaging in respectful dialogue.