"An entire theater - on a sheet of paper"" | Johannes Volkmann | TEDxBonn"
A self-described artist argues that art can spark necessary conversations about what is truly priceless—moving beyond monetary concerns—and proposes that collaborative art projects involving diverse global groups, especially children, are key to fostering a better world. The artist details traveling the world to gather responses on "what is priceless" using large-scale public art, and currently supports projects like *Inner City* which involves residents' self-portraits displayed for a fee to fund cooking for refugees.
## Speakers & Context
- An artist, who begins by introducing himself using a simple paintbrush made in China.
- The speaker frames his entire presentation around the question: "what can a simple paintbrush—in our world full of problems and injustice what can art be in that world."
- Initial discussions touch on the impossibility of achieving peace through prayer or organizing financial systems that guarantee universal profit.
- The speaker identifies the 2008-2009 financial crisis, stating that "everybody was talking about the money."
## Theses & Positions
- Art’s role is to prompt critical questions about what holds value beyond money—to uncover what is "priceless."
- The world's problems (e.g., lack of affordable housing, inter-religious conflict, financial instability) cannot be solved by current systems.
- The concept of art should be a collective action, suggesting that art can initiate the necessary *cuts* in thinking required for change.
- The focus must shift to questions about human dignity, as illustrated by the importance of children's needs.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Priceless:** The central concept explored through art, defined as the value inherent in things—or people—that transcends monetary worth.
- **Conference of Children:** A project where children write their answers in books about what they need for a happy life, culminating in a theatrical exhibition.
- **Art as Free Space:** Establishing an organization/space that exists "without being an organization" to allow people to develop projects using art.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Public Sculpture/Exhibition:** Creating a large-scale display (e.g., in Nuremberg) covering tables, plates, spoons, and knives, inviting the public to write their answers to "what is priceless."
- **Global Collection:** Traveling to different countries (e.g., Egypt, India, China) to replicate the public sculpture project and gather diverse inputs in books.
- **The Inner City Project:** A relationship development effort in cities dealing with refugees, involving artists taking pictures of residents, covering them in paper, and displaying them so people can see them by paying 10 euros, with the revenue funding food for the community.
## Named Entities
- **John Collins Folkman:** Artist who originally bought the paintbrush.
- **Nuremberg:** Location where the first major public sculpture was displayed.
- **Alexandria:** Location where the table project was set up during the Egyptian revolution.
- **Israel and Palestine:** Location where the project was attempted, allowing people to write answers onto plates.
- **India, China, Ecuador:** Other global locations where the project was executed.
## Numbers & Data
- **2008-2009:** Timeframe of the financial crisis that prompted the questioning of monetary values.
- **50 meters:** Size of the large table in the Nuremberg main square.
- **300:** Approximate number of plates used in the initial public sculpture.
- **10 euros:** Price paid to view the self-portraits in the *Inner City* exhibition, funding food for refugees.
- **2040 to 2080:** The operational window for the *Conference of Children* project.
## Examples & Cases
- **The Nuremberg Exhibition:** Using a big table covered in paper, displaying hundreds of plates, and inviting people to write their answers to "what is priceless."
- **Travelled Manifestations:** Documenting the project's scope through exhibitions in Alexandria (during the revolution) and attempts in Israel and Palestine.
- ***Inner City* exhibition:** Photographing residents in cities dealing with refugees, covering the photos in paper, and making the exhibition viewable only by payment to fund food.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Paintbrush:** A simple paintbrush made in China.
- **Public Sculpture:** Large-scale, temporary installation using tables, plates, and other household objects as canvases.
- **Book:** A physical compilation containing the written answers and diverse meanings gathered from global locations.
## References Cited
- *No external sources were explicitly cited, only past events or movements (e.g., the Occupy movement).*
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Monetary Focus vs. Priceless Value:** The entire premise contrasts the financial preoccupation (2008-2009) with non-monetary worth.
- **Art Form vs. Institutionalization:** The artist prefers the "free space" model over a formal, permanent organization structure.
## Methodology
- Art-based participatory research: Deploying a physical prompt (the table/plates) in public squares to solicit qualitative data (writings) on abstract concepts ("what is priceless").
- Iterative global scaling: Repeating the core method across disparate cultural and political environments.
- Mixed-media documentation: Creating photographic evidence (postcards, books) from ephemeral public art.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- The art community should collaborate ("together art together") to move toward solving large global problems.
- The *Conference of Children* suggests that focusing on children's stated needs is a pathway to hope.
- The *Inner City* project suggests that localized, pay-as-you-view models can create self-sustaining support systems for marginalized groups (like refugees).
## Implications & Consequences
- Art has the power to direct collective focus away from purely economic anxieties toward fundamental human needs.
- By involving children, art can generate a forward-looking agenda for global consciousness.
- The process suggests that local, small-scale interventions (like the *Inner City* art display) can generate tangible resources for immediate social good (food).
## Verbatim Moments
- *"what can a simple paintbrush - in our world full of problems and injustice what can art be in that world"*
- *"what is priceless for me and for everybody"*
- *"we need to cut a cut in thoughts"*
- *"what is important beside the money so what is priceless for me and for everybody"*
- *"what can a little art brush do in that world"*
- *"we create the arts or some inconstant you know it's an organization without being an organization"*
- *"The topic all books were shown and even we try to invite the children so that maybe hopefully the world gets a bit more shiny if the people read what the children need"*
- *"the pictures are covered in paper as well and you only can see it if you pay 10 euros"*
- *"I'm thinking how can many little art brush paintbrush create a better world"*