Alonso Dominguez

Berlin Art Journal is the new-born offspring of the Berlin based magazine sugarhigh. I met one of the editors of BAJ (yes, it’s a cool online mag without a rubbish hierarchy), Alonso Dominguez and had a chat about the scene in Berlin and the future of writing about art.

What is Berlin Art Journal?

berlin art journal is a magazine about contemporary art in Berlin. Simply put.

We like to think of it, though, as a little soft-cover pad for the documenters of the Berlin art world to take notes on. Our aim is mostly to converse with people about things we like, dislike or are curious about in contemporary art. We’re not here to dictate, though: I think authoritarian tones in magazines are dull and masturbatory. We want to create a conversational dynamic. We will be inviting some of our favourite people in the art world to help bring together each issue–sort of like contributing editors–to make sure the magazine remains a collective effort. Because, seriously, who would want to read Alex (the journal‘s editor) and myself over and over and over again? That’s what boyfriends are for.

Why do you think fashion bloggers are so popular and art bloggers are rather invisible?

It’s all about the sell. Fashion does the work for fashion bloggers. Fashion is this collective fantasy that we all buy into (literally, figuratively) and its job is to keep up the smoke a mirrors, to maintain its cultural and retail value up in the world’s relevance barometer. Being a fashion blogger instantly creates a link to that fantasy, a way in, if you will.

Art is different. Art requires you to meet it halfway. You have to think to be able to access art. Art is not advertised–at least not openly–as this ideal state of being, so there’s no “natural” aspiration towards art. It’s sexy, sure, to those into it, but it really isn’t a mass thing. Further, relating bloggers to art institutions is hard. Art depends on legitimacy to be able to sustain its status of relevance, so it’s about relating it to the right minds, which are hard to come by–especially when talking about blogs–in my opinion. Whereas 17 year-old, size-zero girls who can string a sentence about Dolce&Gabana and take pictures of themselves in a tutu making every other 17 year-old, size-zero girl who can’t string a sentence together jealous, are literally everywhere. Really: close your eyes, take off your heel and throw it backwards; you’ll hit one.

What pisses you off mostly in Berlin’s art scene?

People are lazy.

I think Berlin’s is one of the most open and welcoming art scenes in the world–you can literally walk up to almost anyone–famous or not, big and small–and strike a conversation, get feedback, elaborate on ideas. But people don’t take advantage of that. The scene is too relaxed. There’s a huge lack of work ethics. People rarely come through. People don’t need to come through, so they just don’t. And that makes the scene lack purpose and drive. It makes the scene move slow and–worst–stand idle. Yawn.

Your top 3 artists based in Berlin?

Cyprien Gaillard

Olafur Eliasson

Kitty Kraus

Ha. No, seriously…

image: Maxime Ballesteros