Chris Dercon

All That Dutch: International Cultural Politics Chris Dercon

Dutch international cultural policy is unusually generous, an international exemplar. And it has recently become the subject of heated debate at home. Though there are no plans to cut back, there are questions: the government's primary role has been providing favorable conditions for a highly varied collection of individual artists and arts institutions. Should a firmer hand be taken? Should the policy be more results-oriented? Should political, economic or societal considerations be involved or is culture an independent sphere of public duty? In All That Dutch, art professionals, academics and policy-makers--including Aaron Betsky--share their insights and views on this subject along four themes: culture and politics, culture and the economy, international reflection and cultural profiling. PLUS: the design of this reader is very cool: each essay comes with a 4 x 6 inch four-page artists' illustration booklet bound in--and it actually works.