The World is Getting Smaller: Evaluation of BKVB Fund Foreign Studios (1989-2005)

Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture, Netherlands, April 2008

An evaluation of and recommendations for the foreign artist studios policy of the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (BKVB).

The Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (known in the Netherlands as Fonds BKVB) is the national body responsible for making grants to individual visual artists, designers and architects. Its objective is to nurture excellence in visual arts, design and architecture in the Netherlands.

Although fully financed by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Fonds BKVB is an autonomous foundation and its decision-making process is wholly independent.

In September 2005 the BKVB Fund asked Vinken en Van Kampen to evaluate the use and effect of its foreign studios and their execution the policy. The BKVB Fund also asked for recommendations for the future.

There are many reasons for such an evaluation. The most important are:
1. The BKVB Fund indicated in its 2005-2008 policy plan that it wishes to carry out this research because it wants to attach increasing weight to its foreign studios as part of the general policy in the short and long term. This partly because of increasing internationalisation, demand from artists and the associated changes in art practice.
2. In its cultural white paper advice 2005-2008 the Culture Council (Raad voor Cultuur) indicated that no priority should be assigned to the BKVB Fund’s foreign studio policy.
3. The BKVB Fund has noticed in discussions with third parties (the Council, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) that there are quite a few misunderstandings about the nature and aim of the various foreign studios.

Vinken en Van Kampen was therefore also instructed to outline the background to the policy, the history of the foreign studios, the selection procedures and the distinguishing characteristics of the foreign studios. Combined with an evaluation of the significance of the residency abroad for the artists, this has resulted in a clear and multifaceted report. It gives a good picture of the working and effects of the foreign residency. The fact that these are positive comes as no surprise to the BKVB Fund, and strengthens its intention to focus more strongly on this over the coming years.

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