Crit Club is a contextual performance by Cem A. (also known @freeze_magazine) and Roberto Winter where two guests are invited to answer an unrealistic or impossible debate question relating to art. We are often stuck between the binary of praise and non-engagement in the art sphere where people are increasingly hesitant to disagree with others or even inhabit the same spaces with them. Our hope is to create a space where open disagreements can occur to foster a more critical culture.

In this first episode, Dutch artist Renzo Martens and curator and sound artist Karim Sultan debate a question that is certainly never asked in the art world: should we stop moving all artworks, or stop selling them?

Within the framework of this podcast, participants are asked (with tongue in cheek) to take part in a contextual performance – an activity that does not inherently apply to their direct function as artists or curators, but which expands, contextualizes and strengthens their standing within their community. As the episode develops, guests must navigate - through roleplay and and quick thinking - into unknown territory, where they face some existential questions themselves:

Does their expertise shed light on the issue at hand, or does it fall apart under extreme circumstances? Are they able to maintain their concept of art world hegemonies and structures in an apocalyptic scenario? Do they engage with the scenario as it is offered, or try to break out of the ‘prison’ created for them by the moderator?

By proposing an impossible-to-answer question, Crit Club creates a situation where there’s nothing at stake – or so it seems.

Thanks very much to the participants.

Credits:
Renzo Martens is an artist based in The Netherlands.
Karim Sultan is a curator and artist based between Tunisia and the UK.
Post production by Ege Aktan
Music by Ege Aktan

Crit Club is a contextual performance by Cem A. and Roberto Winter and has been commissioned by Het HEM for The Couch.