Thijs Lijster is the winner of the Boekman Dissertartieprijs for Art and Cultural Policy. With his research into art criticism, the philosopher made an important contribution to the debate about the right to exist of art.
While Lijster was already finishing his dissertation in 2011, his subject suddenly became very topical. With an ongoing economic crisis, the arts and humanities came under fire. And not only that. Significant cutbacks were the result. Much to the delight of anyone who liked to label art as a 'left-wing hobby'.
Lister's dissertation offers a theoretical framework for protecting vulnerable arts. He thinks it is very unwise to let the public alone determine what we are presented with in terms of art and culture. You don't need a policy with market forces, resulting in the disappearance of vulnerable and marginal art.
Protest against economic gain
Thrush takes in his dissertation, Critique of art. Walter Benjamin and Theodor W. Adorno on art and art criticism (2012), the two German philosophers Benjamin and Adorno as a guide. He really liked that they used the artwork as a prism to look through at society. Art is not only for the beautiful but can also – unintentionally – be socially critical. “Autonomous art that does not have a strong political message can indeed be socially relevant or contain criticism of politics. Art just has no purpose outside of itself and that is why it is difficult to justify its right to exist”, says Lijster.
This is still topical in the debate today. The question that has been heard for several years now is whether we as a society should invest money in culture and art. Shouldn't we, especially in times of crisis, cut back on art to let other things take precedence? For example, care? Thrush:“The government's solution was to strive for a more autonomous artist or cultural organizations that can survive on what their art yields. However, they objected that they can only be autonomous with the help of financial resources, without conforming to the market. The arts and humanities are still in dire straits, but the tide is turning. There is a dissenting voice to economic gain and what it brings us, such as the protests at the University of Amsterdam that arose from cutbacks in the humanities.”
Contribution to policy
The Boekman Dissertation Prize is intended to bring relevant research and potential users together and thus improve the quality of cultural policy. Thrush's research is primarily historical and he also tries to provide a theoretical framework for defending art. “My contribution to art and cultural policy is mainly to divert attention from purely economic gain and to look at the other forms of value that art has in the social, educational or cognitive field, for example. Art in particular makes an important contribution to the critical reflection of society and the ubiquitous return thinking. What do we actually find important and valuable?”
Although nowadays everyone can decide for themselves what they like, this is a false ideal, according to Lijster. Marketers and art collectors decide what we like and want to see. Policymakers should take this into account. “Policy must protect art that does not make it in the market. Therefore focus on marginal and alternative art and not on the common denominator. Don't worry too much about what scores and what attracts a large audience, but also dare to stand outside of it and take risks. Because if it only concerns the public, you can leave it to the market and you don't need a cultural policy.”
In 2009 the Boekman Foundation and NWO Humanities established the Boekman Dissertation Prize for art and cultural policy. The prize is named after Emanuel Boekman, who was the first in the Netherlands to receive his PhD on the relationship between government and art on 6 June 1939.
The prize of ten thousand euros is awarded once every three years. The money should be spent on research-related activities. Winner Thijs Lijster would like to make a trip to the Benjamin archive in Berlin to research unpublished material. He also wants to continue working on a commercial edition of his dissertation and buy books. Lots of books.