The tax office (Swedish) called while I was on my way to the supermarket. They needed to ask a couple of simple questions to approve my application to register my company. The first was to clarify the type of artistic activities my company will do – this is because there are different tax bands for different activities. The second, and more frightening, question was about my estimated ‘turnover’ in the first year. So there I was on a busy street corner thinking about a figure that would demonstrate my professionalism and seriousness while at the same time not landing me with crippling monthly tax bills. In the end I think I over estimated what I will be able to earn in my first year here, thankfully I have some savings that should see me through to when any over payments are calculated. The paperwork should arrive this week. I hope this gives me sufficient ‘Swedish’ registration to open a bank account – the last thing I want is to have to pay international bank transfer fees on each tax bill! I’m also hoping that registering my company and starting to pay tax will enable my application for a “full” personal number to proceed.
It was interesting to visit the studio being offered through the city’s culture office. It’s in part of a former prison complex on a small island that is now a boat yard and park. There were quite a lot of us trying to find our way around, eventually someone worked out that we needed to use the door on the other side of the building. The studio was a good size with two large windows, a kitchen bench with sink and a toilet just outside. It’s one of several studios in the building and quite possibly the one with the trickiest access. We entered via an incredibly tight stone spiral staircase, thankfully it was only one flight up. Alternative access is through the adjacent studio, you’d have to use this to get in any serious amount of materials or equipment. I don’t need to worry about this though as I noticed that at least one artist who expressed an interest in renting it has been on the waiting list since 2003. The studio will be given to the longest waiting artist who expresses an interest in this particular studio. For the next couple of years I will take the opportunity to see these studios as research.
On Monday evening I went to Birgitta’s “Pumpkin Parade” on Årstafältet – the field where she also organsises the snow sculpting and other projects. Children had carved the pumpkins that they planted in spring. The pumpkins looked great displayed along the footpath that was once the road the south out of Stockholm. There wee also short speeches by campaigners and supporters trying to stop the field becoming a housing development. The evening was a great piece of socially engaged artistic activism. Birgitta’s enthusiasm and commitment is infectious and inspiring.
After the studio visit on Tuesday I went to a talk at Iaspis – an arts organisation that supports and promotes artists. They are running a series of talks about artist’s initiatives that go beyond the artist run gallery/studio. The guest this evening was Sean Dockray (USA) speaking about his Public School and AAARG.ORG projects. It made me think about what an artist is, or can be. His projects are incredibly ambitious and far-reaching. He refused to answer a direct question asking if he called himself an artist.
On Wednesday Marlene Dumas gave talk at Moderna Museet. It was held in a small gallery where there is a temporary show of her work. Her talk was illustrated with images however I have no idea what the images were as the room was already packed by the time I arrived. I opted for one of the Eames chairs outside of the gallery rather than standing by the doorway and straining to get a glimpse of her. It was good to hear her speak about the relationship between her influences and her art.
I’m becoming increasingly interested in what I (used to) consider to be an old fashioned idea of the artist …
On Tuesday I’m going to see one of the Stockholm City’s artists’ studios. The city has a number of studios that periodically come up for rent. It’s highly unlikely that I will have a chance of getting this studio as they are offered first to those longest on the waiting list. I only came across the scheme today and haven’t even filled in my application to join the waiting list! So I’m just taking the opportunity to have a look and meet the woman who runs the city studio programme. On the phone she told me that people can be on the list for 10 or 15 years, I’m not surprised – the studio is in a great part of town, has an incredibly reasonable rent and is available for as long the artist wants it. I like the idea that in my mid/late fifties I could have a good and secure studio for the rest of my life.
Earlier this week I sent in my application for tax registration for ‘foreign entrepreneurs’. I was advised that setting up my company (the Swedish equivalent of being self-employed) as a foreigner working in Sweden is a simple way for me to establish myself here. I hope that it’s a way out of an otherwise somewhat complex catch 22 situation to do with my tax and social security status. Basically the authorities won’t register anyone who cannot demonstrate that they (or someone on their behalf) will start paying tax and social security as soon as they are registered. This means that someone coming here with confirmed employed is fine, as are those studying however it’s a bit tricky for me. Everyone at the tax office has been very helpful and I have a personal caseworker who I deal with each time I call or email – she even emailed to check how things are going as she hadn’t heard from me for a couple of weeks!
In the meantime I’m re-acquainting myself with the art scene here and slowly meeting up with some of the artists I met previously.
Thank you for the messages of encouragement.
Stockholm is my PhD
It’s Tuesday morning and I’m surrounded by packed and half packed boxes, bags of things for the charity shop, a pile of “essential” paperwork, another pile of paperwork that needs to be dealt with – somehow. In the midst of this I’m having breakfast and starting to read the 20th anniversary edition of Frieze.
It is only in the last three of four years that I’ve appreciated and looked forward to opening to each new Frieze. I particularly like the editorial and regular columns. This month’s contribution by Jörg Heiser and Jennifer Higgie is a wonderfully succinct piece reflecting on 20 years of contemporary art and (what I think are probably peculiarly) British attitudes towards it. I found myself agreeing with their counter-claims; that contemporary practice is deeper than the headline grabbing spectacles of certain household name artists, that good writing is widely available, that art is more diverse than before, and finally (and most importantly as far as I’m concerned) that good art will out.
I love it when what I read confirms that my own thoughts are in line with those of who make a living from their opinions. What occurred to me this morning is that I too understand what and where (British) contemporary practice is. And perhaps this understanding is an aspect of my re-location to Stockholm. I might not be a ‘successful’ artist in terms of recognition, sales, position in the art world and the like but in terms of ‘understanding’ I am very successful. I understand a great deal of the British contemporary art scene. I am someone who loves learning, I love learning for it’s own sake. I am about to move somewhere with an art scene that I don’t understand. I know that I need to do the next thing in/for my practice, a PhD might be one way to do it, moving to Stockholm is another way. Stockholm will be about learning a new way to be an artist.
I’ve just realised that when I’ve moved (any great distance) in the past it was to go to college – re-locating has been bound up with learning, so even if I’m not enrolled with an academy I will say I am continuing with this …
My mind is all over the place. I’m thinking about packing – it’s hard to think of one’s life in cubic meters as I have had to do to book a moving firm. It’s also interesting to realise that I have more artworks, art materials and art books than anything else. Last night I started to pack the books, it turns out that a box full of books is far heavier than I expected. I am pleased to be packing in meters rather than kilos. However I might have to get smaller boxes for the books so that I can get them downstairs.
On Monday I install a version of Go-Go at the 4xm2 Gallery Pavilion. Last week I helped out on the last day of its construction. It’s a fantastic ‘pop-up’ gallery that has popped up in the parade ground at Chelsea School of Art. So it has very grand neighbours! It is a shame that I won’t be able to use solar power, time constraints mean that I haven’t been able to get a ‘silent’ power adapter made and tested. All the off-the-shelf invertors have alarms that alert you to low battery power, I can see the point of these alarms but it’s rather frustrating when you want to drain the battery for conceptual reasons without risking prosecution for nuisance noise.
I’m very excited to see if the light splatter will reach Tate Britain. The 4xm2 Gallery show – Quadruple Energy – opens as part of First Friday along with Tate and other galleries. Unfortunately I can’t be there. I will be in Stockholm. The trip was arranged long before Chelsea gave the go ahead for the pavilion and I can’t cancel as I’m attending the christening of my god-daughter’s brother.
I have arranged to meet up with some of the artists at the studio where I did the residency while I’m in Stockholm. Hopefully I will hear that there is a studio for me. I’m desperate to get on after what feels like far too long concentrating on other things. Talking with a friend this week it occurred to me that I’m much more focussed on finding a studio than I am on thinking about where I’ll actually be living. (Maybe that’s because I have a couple of options for somewhere to sleep!)
Cycling passed rows of south London Victorian house this morning I smiled to myself and thought that I won’t be seeing that kind of architecture for much longer. I had similar thoughts when I cycled through Dulwich Park earlier this week. English architecture and landscaping are quite unique, quite wonderful.
I’ve accepted an offer on my flat.
I should be in Stockholm in September. My life is about change in a big way. I’m incredibly excited. I can’t quite believe that I’m really doing it. Moving to Stockholm is truly a bitter-sweet thing. I am taking a giant step towards an unknown future, (is the future ever known?) I am also moving away from very good and dear friends. There is, of course, also the reason that I found myself in Stockholm in the first place – John. I’m leaving the place where we had each other, and going to the place where he had his past and I will have my future.
