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Here you can find information about past events and projects of IAA Europe.

visual artists | diverse conditions – Workshops in Autumn 2023

The concept of diversity is becoming increasingly relevant in democratic and pluralistic societies. The diversity of lifestyles, identities and cultures is not yet reflected in all areas of a society or in its institutional structures.

Against this background, the IGBK in 2023 examines the conditions of artistic work in Europe from the perspective of diversity. What impact do characteristics such as age, gender, origin/language and geographical location (or place of residence) have on the work of visual artists in addition to country-specific cultural policy, art policy and socio-political conditions? To what extent is the presence or absence of diversity structures in institutions, for example, noticeable in the work of artists?

Workshops in partnership with IAA Europe

The first session on 25 October 2023 focusses on ‘Social Security and Pensions’ for visual artists in Europe against the background of diversity aspects. Join us for the digital workshop as part of the project visual artists | diverse conditions in 2023.

Via Zoom on 25 October 2023 6.00-8.00pm CEST. Workshop takes place in English and in partnership with IAA Europe.

IAA Europe 17th General Assembly and Symposium in Belgrade – October 17th-21st, 2023 

We are pleased to announce 17th General Assembly of IAA Europe and the accompanying symposium “ARTS & ROBOTS: Uncharted paths of (artistic) labour in the light of ongoing technological developments”, which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 17th-21st.  

Both events are co-hosted by the International Artists Association, the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia and a-n The Artists Information Company. 

The General Assembly of IAA Europe will take place on the 19th October and the symposium on the 18th October 2023. Additionally, there will be networking days with a detailed programme to follow. 

Both the symposium and the General Assembly will be organised as hybrid events and an online participation is possible. 

The coming symposium invites the visual artists’ community and all interested in discussing perspectives and speculating possible scenarios of the development of art labour and the place of art in the society of the near future. 

IAA Europe Symposium 2023: “ART AND ROBOTS: Future of artists’ labour in the context of current technological development”

We are pleased to invite you to the symposium ARTS & ROBOTS: Future of artists’ labour in the context of current technological developments , which will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 18. The International Artists Association of Europe (IAA Europe) Symposium 2023 is developed in partnership with the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia. Thank you to a-n The Artists Information Company for the support in preparation of the Symposium.

The coming symposium invites the visual artists’ community and all interested in discussing perspectives and speculating possible scenarios of the development of art labour and the place of art in the society of the near future.

The address of Symposium venue is Kolarac Endowment, Studentski trg 5. 

The Symposium is arranged as a hybrid event. A link to the live stream can be found on this page in the days before Symposium. The Symposium will be recorded and can be watched on ULUS Youtube channel afterwards.

Here you can see the programme and synopsis of the Symposium.

IAA Talks – first edition 

The 2020 Corona pandemic has catapulted the world into an unprecedent crisis, medically, socially and economically. This situation has also considerably weakened the social and economic status of artists and of cultural operators, who work most often as freelancers or form small-sized enterprises and are especially vulnerable to economic instability. But also larger institutions of the cultural sector suffer of restrictions in public life and easily fear a loss of state support, when economic pressure weighs hard in political decision-making. 

It is under this impression that IAA Europe starts with a series of online debates in the fall of 2020 to bring its members and supporters closer together, to discuss what can be the role of artists associations and especially their international reunion in those times. How can we support artists internationally and assemble material for a successful publicity and advocacy work? 

In the opening talk on September 2020 Fabio Tolledi, Marta Mabel Perez and Teemu Mäki will discuss how artists and art institutions currently deal with or recover from the crisis in – exemplarily – Italy, Finland and Puerto Rico. How do artists make a living in those countries? The Corona pandemic did not create the phenomenon, that the arts are largely consumed but artists tend to get paid little for their work. It only reinforced the problem. What measures are governments taking to improve the status of artists and what can be learnt from each other here? How can the foundations for freedom of expression be fostered: having the right to say what you think, but also having the means to actually say it? 

In this opening talk, we will also look into the history of the International Association of Art (AIAP/IAA) and the International Theatre Institute (ITI), both associations in partnership with UNESCO: What is their (common) strategy, what are their current activities? How can we get inspired across the artistic branches, where can we support each other? 

The moderated discussion amongst the speakers will be followed by an open Q&A session, we look very much forward to the participation of our members to engage in the debate. 

Legal and social statutes of artists in Europe (Copyright Directive) 2019 

On 23 November 2019 the International Association of Art (IAA) Europe gathered for its 15th General Assembly in Bratislava/ Slovakia in the Gallery UMELKA, building of the Slovak Union of Visual Artists. This gathering was accompanied by the conference “Legal and social statutes of artists in Europe – 30 years after the Velvet Revolution: Focus on the Directive (EU) 2019/790 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market” on 22 November 2019. The conference was organized by IAA Europe, Slovak Union of Visual Arts (SUVA), Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste(IGBK) and Norske Billedkunstnere (NBK) and kindly co-funded by Kopinor. 

More than 40 participants, conference speakers and delegates from artists associations from 20 European countries, all members of the IAA Europe, gathered to discuss the legal and social statutes of artists today in Europe, 30 years after what is called the “Velvet Revolution” in 1989, and proceeded to focus their attention on the current implementation process of the “Directive (EU) 2019/790 on Copyright in the Digital Single Market” (often also called the 2019 EU copyright directive) in the EU member states. 

Full report  

Exhibition Remuneration Right in Europe 2018 

The issue of exhibition remuneration has been an important topic for artists’ associations throughout Europe for years. The symposium – organized by the IAA Europe, Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK), the German collecting society VG Bild-Kunst, and the association European Visual Artists (EVA) on November 22, 2018 in Brussels– facilitated an exchange on national and regional remuneration models that have already been successfully put into practice. In addition, guidelines and campaigns were presented (programme/pdf). 

It was an important goal to make policy and administration aware of the subject of exhibition remuneration at EU level and to draw attention to the ‘equity gap’ that exists in the visual arts. The IAA Europe launches the Exhibition Remuneration in Europe: Pay the artist now! Campaign in April 2019. 

Brochure and documentation 

Participants received an extensive brochure with inputs from 12 European countries as well as from the USA, Canada and Australia on national and regional regulations and campaigns for exhibition remuneration to artists. You can download the brochure (pdf). 

The broschure is open for further reports from other countries. Please get in contact with the IAA Europe office (email: info@iaa-europe.eu) in case you wish to add anything. 

A documentation of the discussions was prepared by IGBK and David Callahan. Please find it ready for download (pdf). 

Also be inspired by presentations of the speakers (pdfs): 

The symposium took part under the patronage of Sabine Verheyen, MEP, Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education. 
Partners of the event were Culture Action Europe and the German Initiative Ausstellungsvergütung. 

Symposium ‘Exhibition Remuneration Right in Europe 2018’

The IAA Europe, together with the IGBK, the German collecting society VG Bild-Kunst, and the association European Visual Artists (EVA), organized the symposium ‘Exhibition Remuneration Right in Europe 2018‘ in 2018 in Brussels. 

It facilitated an exchange on national and regional remuneration models, guidelines and campaigns and drew attention to the ‘equity gap’ that exists in the visual arts. The IAA Europe Executive Committee will continue working on this issue in the coming years. 

Please find the extensive brochure with 12 country reports from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia here. 

The following list provides an overview of artists‘ initiatives, campaings and success stories within the fair pay for artists discussion in Europe an beyond. 

  • European Artist’s Rights (Europe)_Overview of existing exhibition payment rights structures in Europe and beyond– link 
  • The MU agreement – Agreement of Payment of  Artists for Participation and Exhibition (Sweden) – link 
  • a-n Artists Information Company (UK) 
  • _Paying Artists Campaing – link 
  • _Exhibition Payment: The a-n/AIR Paying Artists Guide. For artists and exhibiting organisations, 2016 – link 
  • Visual Artists Ireland (Ireland)_Payment Guidelines for Professional Visual Artists – link 
  • Scottish Artists Union (Scottland)_Rates of Pay – link 
  • BBK (Germany)_ Leitlinie zur Vergütung von Leistungen Bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler im Rahmen von Ausstellungen – link 
  • ver.di, Fachgruppe Bildende Kunst (Germany)_Ausstellungshonorar – link 
  • NAVA National Association for the Visual Arts (Australia)_#FairPayForArtists campaign – link 
  • Canadian Artists Representation CARFAC (Canada)_Minimum fee schedule– link 
  • Artists’ Association of Finland, chair of the board and president of IAA Europe (2022-) Teemu Mäki: Exhibition Remuneration in Finland – here 
  • Initiative Urheberrecht(Germany) Authors and Performers Call for Safeguards Around Generative AI in the European AI Act – here 

Social Security and Mobility of Visual Artists in Europe 2016 

On November 4, 2016 the IAA Europe and IGBK (NC Germany) cooperated on an European workshop on social security and artists’ mobility in Europe, that took place in Berlin. The event followed up on a workshop that was initially organised by the IGBK in 2010 in cooperation with the representation of the European Commission in Germany. 

Central questions to be explored in 2016 were: 

  • What are the obstacles faced by artists working internationally within Europe today with regard to social security insurance issues? 
  • To what extent have the information systems for freelance artists in Europe improved over the last years? 

Furthermore the focus for the participants from 21 European countries was put on the exchange of current questions with regards to social security systems for visual artists on the national level. 

National Committees of the IAA Europe, service points, European networks, social security organisations, the EU Commission, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Germany and further experts took part. 

Results and documentation 

  • An extensive documentation of the Workshop can be downloaded here. 
  • Speakers’ presentations (by Eudes Ajot/La Maison des Artistes, Carroll Haak, Reinier Klock/DutchCulture, Daniela Koweindl/IG Bildende Kunst, Marie Le Sourd/On The Move, Carla Osman/Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission, Mats Söderlund/KRO Sweden, Gerhard Suhrenbrock/The Artists‘ Social Security Fund, Jens Van Lathem/Kunstenloket) are documented at IGBK’s webpage here. 
  • The IAA Europe member organization »a-n The Artist Information Company« (United Kingdom) published an article on their website shortly after the workshop. 

Biennale of Pilsen 

International Biennial of Drawing, Pilsen 

Artists from all around the world participated in the International Biennial of Drawing Pilsen contests and the following touring exhibitions of best drawings which were nominated by an international jury. The 10th International Biennial of Drawing Pilsen in 2016 has been cancelled due to financial problems. The future of the Biennial is still uncertain. 

For more information about the project, please check the website. 

IAA Europe is one of the co-founders of this event and we have built a long-term co-operation with the Biennial organizers. Members of the Executive Committee of IAA Europe participated in the jury and awarded a special price on behalf of IAA Europe. From the year 2010 also the Slovak Union of Visual Arts (Slovak National Committee of IAA Europe) has been awarded a special price. 

The State of Fine Art – New Perspectives on Artistic Copyright 

International Symposium, November 4, 2014 in Brussels 

The international symposium on ‘The State of Fine Art – New Perspectives on Artistic Copyright’ took place in Brussels under the patronage of Helga Trüpel (MEP). 

For the first time, this event saw European collecting societies and artists’ organizations in the field of the visual arts take joint action at the European level. The aim was to draw attention to current copyright issues and to present the positions of the visual arts sector in Europe to the members of the European Parliament and the representatives of the new European Commission. 

The event took place at the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (SABAM) in Brussels. Representatives of collecting societies and artists’ organizations discussed the following topics on the panels: 

  • Resale right: implementation of the resale right and the European Resale Rights Directive 
  • Copyright contracts: What form would a fair European contract law take with regard to creators? 
  • Private copy remuneration: Importance of fair private copy remuneration 
  • User generated content and ISP responsibility: What problems and positions are there, what solutions are being proposed? 

During the following evening reception the video screening ‘High Heel Obsession’ by Klaudia Stoll and Jaqueline Wachall was presented. 

Have a look at the report and the programme. 

You can listen to all panels in English language (you are forwarded to SoundCloud):  

The symposium was organised by VG Bildkunst (Collecting Society for the Visual Arts), Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK), European Visual Artists (EVA), in cooperation with International Association of Art (IAA)Europe and EuroMEI. Supported by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. 

Are Artists Rich? The value of artistic work 

Workshop and Parliamentary Evening, 21 November 21, 2012 at the Portikus of the Badische Stahlwerke Kehl 

Are Artists Rich’ focused on the value of artistic work in Europe. Modern societies need art as a field for experimentation, to ‘test’ and reflect on new, relevant questions and approaches away from current political logic and scientific discourses. But what role does art play in a society of shareholders, ‘users’, and occupy movements? Should art subordinate itself to the economic system as a ‘commodity’? What kind of art does society want and what is it willing to invest for the freedom and diversity of art? 

Also, in the context of new forms of presentation and dissemination of visual art (interventionist practices, collaborative projects, alternative art spaces, non product-oriented work), the question of contemporary and sustainable art and cultural funding arises. What can cultural funding and legislation (copyright law) look like that take into account new contemporary art forms? Does the support of these artistic freedoms require new models? 

The ‘unusual economy’ and the production conditions to which the artists are subject were discussed in relation to the necessary freedoms and opportunities offered by art. Why is the income of the majority of artists below average, even in countries where the conditions with respect to artist funding, social security, copyright, etc. are comparatively good? What structural particularities apply to the field of art? And what is the reason for the symbolic overvaluation with simultaneous economic undervaluation? What makes being an artist so attractive and prestigious, despite the objectively poor income prospects? 

Representatives of national and European artists’ associations and of the umbrella organizations European Council of Artists (ECA) and International Association of Art (IAA) Europe, as well as independent artists’ groups and initiatives such as ‘Precarious Workers Brigade’ (London) and ‘Haben und Brauchen’ (Berlin), were invited. 

Short lectures opened the first part of the event: a lecture by the Dutch artist and sociologist Hans Abbing introduced the subject of the special ‘economy of art’ and shed light on the value of art for a society yesterday, today, and in the future. Members of the ‘Precarious Workers Brigade,’ London talked about the real working conditions in culture and education and presented the activist and artistic approach to them. 

Lectures were followed by a structured exchange of opinions and experiences of the participants from which key issues emergeed for the 2 work groups: 1. THINK-TANK (discussion / text), 2. AKTIVITY WORKSHOP (artisticimplementation / action). In the evening a summary of the results was presented to Members of the European Parliament. Doris Pack, Chairwoman of the Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament took up the patronage of the evening. 

The project was organised by Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK) in cooperation with IAA Europe and supported by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. 

Handout: 

A handout, prepared by IGBK, was submitted, which includes guest contributions (e.g. by Hans Abbing and by the European umbrella organisations and initiatives) as well as a collection of positions on current topics related to contemporary working conditions of visual artists in Europe. 

Are Artists Rich? The Value of Artistic Work (pdf)

Video impressions of the event and the presentations: 

a.RTISTS IN TRANSIT 2011

Symposium and workshops, October 27 to 29, 2011 in Berlin 

Mobility is an integral part of the life and artistic practice of many artists. a.RTISTS IN TRANSIT/How to Become an Artist in Residence took place at the Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz (Berlin Weißensee School of Art). Lectures, discussions and workshops focused on different motives for mobility and its ramifications on life and work of artists. Also practical advice on stipends and residencies were given to more than ninety participants. 

Since December 2012 the publication ‘a.RTIST IN TRANSIT/How to become an artist in residence’ is available. It collects contributions by Leonie Baumann, Paolo Bianchi, Nikhil Chopra, Elke aus dem Moore/Natalia Kot, Peter Müller, Yasmine Ostendorf und Tanja Ostojic.Those are accompanied by abstracts of the IGBK weblog a.RTISTS IN TRANIST where artists who work and travel or do a residency abroad shared experiences on their mobile lives. The book a.RTISTS IN TRANSIT was edited by IGBK, annette hollywood and Andreas Schmid. It can be ordered at the IGBK office for free. 

Have a look at the programme (pdf).

The project was related to the 8th General Assembly of IAA Europe and organised by the Internationale Gesellschaft der Bildenden Künste (IGBK) in cooperation with the Berlin Weißensee School of Art, the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) and ON-AiR/Trans Artists, supported by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.