Commissioning
From the very beginning, commissioning has been a major theme for BK-informatie: content-wise in the editorials, but also through the advertisements for art commissions in public spaces that have traditionally had an important place in BK-informatie. Commissioning is constantly subject to change; this is true in architecture, and it is true in the visual arts. The commissioning process as we knew it in the early years of BK-information (the 1980s) is no longer the case. As a result of a withdrawing government, reduced building assignments and impoverished art budgets, the Dutch tradition of government art in public space seems to be coming to an end.
Whereas in the past many commissions for visual artists came from the municipalities and provinces - among other things, a lot was invested in art in public spaces through the percentage regulations - nowadays there are fewer and fewer art commissions from the government. Many municipalities no longer use the percentage regulation and the budgets for visual art in public spaces have also decreased significantly.
On the other hand, commissioning seems to be constantly reinventing itself, new forms of commissioning are emerging. What are they and how? What does this "new commissioning" look like? Does it mainly involve private initiatives? Is it the business community? Where do these new clients find funding? And how can artists respond to this?
These and other questions BKinformation intends to explore in the coming period, within the magazine and beyond. We will begin with a special lecture on the new commissioning process. The lecture is organized together with Art Rotterdam and will take place there on February 6: exclusively for subscribers of BK-informatie.
English 
Dutch