What could be more wonderful?
Six weeks in Venice surrounded by some of the world's best art – flights paid for, apartment paid for – gaining invaluable experience and connections as an attendant at New Zealand artist Dane Mitchell's exhibit at 2019's Venice Biennale.
Applications are due by the end of November.
You'll have to work hard, though: seven hours a day, six days a week.
You'll need experience, strong knowledge of the visual arts, the ability able to communicate that knowledge with a demanding (and multilingual) audience and a high level of proficiency in maintaining exhibitions.
Oh and there's one other thing: you won't be paid either a wage or a stipend.
It's that last clincher that this week saw Auckland art critic Francis McWhannell express concerns about the opportunity in an open letter to Creative New Zealand.
Pay equity for artists has been the focus of public discussion recently.
Is this kind of opportunity only affordable for those currently in the right institutional jobs or from wealthy families?
Different countries have different ways to sourcing attendants for their Biennale artist. Some hire Venetian locals.
Australia provides their attendants with an AUD$70 per day stipend – and there's a special fund available for those who don't work for institutions.
Francis McWhannell Photo: Twitter
The NZ opportunity remains a strong one according to one past attendant who has gone on to a significant arts institutional role.
"I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity. Not least because I was in the financial position to be able to take six weeks unpaid leave and still cover my ongoing costs at home and living costs in Venice myself. Venice is truly a display of the wealth of nations and I suppose the experiences of venue attendants reflect that. Our counterparts at the Australian pavilion were very well looked after with stipends, generous staffing levels and even a cleaner for their apartments. Conversely, the Zimbabwe attendant I met was on her own (no breaks) and bore most of the costs herself.
"I do think there is value in having New Zealanders at the venue presenting New Zealand work. The level to which we support our attendants I suppose reflects the level to which we value work in the arts nationally."
Michael Moynahan has been a member of the Arts Council of New Zealand since 2014 – and chair since early 2017.
He and Francis McWhannell discuss this topic with Standing Room Only producer Mark Amery.
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