The Frankfurt-based artist Line Krom grapples with the dual constraints of austerity and optimisation experienced by large sectors of the art establishment. Using painterly tools, she pits quality against quantity, rations pigments and mediums and thus depicts the ramifications of the austerity demanded. Even on the stretcher frame alone, Kron manages to save up to 75% in materials. It isn’t enough to be or to do just one thing. What’s wanted is increased efficiency. In her installation, Krom develops an ‘add-value-generator’, in which plants extract golden fruits from gold-rich water, which are then sold to benefit a cultural institution. Numbers seem abstract, but by their very nature they are relentless and leave no room for tolerance: numbers rule!
Line Krom invites all those involved in the cultural sector to contribute personal recollections about their experiences with the austerity drive.