Alliances

Whether you are an artist, a cultural worker, or an art institution, you cannot go far on your own. And certainly not if you are active in participatory, socially committed projects. In order to pursue your goals, it is advisable to enter into new alliances constantly. These can be alliances with like-minded people or deliberately complementary positions. Alliances are formed for different time spans; some simply last until the project is completed, while others develop over longer periods of time, perhaps with an open end. In any case, alliances require attention and need to be nurtured.

If you are the one who initiates an alliance, there is a good chance that you fully share the goals. However, if you are invited to participate in an alliance, many more questions arise, and you have to clarify whether the objectives are compatible with your own approaches and values. Another issue is how much of your own time and energy you are willing or able to contribute.

As this is a topic where we really wanted to examine the perspectives of several allies, we decided to explore this term with multiple voices. This is an excerpt from a longer conversation between Ajete Kezqeli from Foundation 17, Anton Lederer from < rotor >, and Tereza Stejskalová from tranzit.cz on the topic of alliances.

Ajete: When it comes to alliances, we approach them with a sense of balance, ensuring we are neither fully immersed nor completely detached. We aim to stay engaged enough to understand the dynamics but also maintain the necessary distance to retain clarity and perspective. We see our alliances as a long-term, stable framework that provides mutual support over time. While we are always ready to respond in times of urgency, we remain committed to keeping a broader, more strategic view. As a foundation, we seek to collaborate with groups that are proactive—those who act with intention, anticipating needs rather than simply reacting. Given the complexity of our responsibilities, we try to be mindful of the risk of burnout as it can impact our ability to contribute meaningfully and sustain our efforts.

Anton: We were now speaking about more complex alliances with lots of players and long-term development. This is different from our joint project, Art Space Unlimited, which has a certain time frame. The activity takes place and then it is over. But these alliances we are speaking about—we never know in the beginning how long they will actually last. I think, for instance, that the alliance against the far right might be needed for a very long time. Then you have to consider your personal investment, how much you can contribute—not to be present just for a month but maybe for years.

Tereza: I have an image of what both of you are speaking about; it is the metaphor of the absent father. The absent father is not there, but then he suddenly shows up, brings all these presents, fulfills all these wishes, is a lot of fun, but then he gets tired quite quickly and disappears for a very long time, maybe forever. Meanwhile, the mother is there constantly, and she is not so much fun; she is quite strict and has clear boundaries of what she can do for you, but she is there.

Anton: Am I the mother?

Tereza: Yes, because you now contribute only in small ways perhaps, but you are a reliable presence—people know that you will be there long-term.

Ajete: I view alliances as dynamic partnerships. Each party brings its own unique perspective and priorities, but there is a shared foundation that continually draws us back together for long-term collaboration. Temporary partnerships, while valuable, can be a step toward building stronger, more enduring alliances. True alliances go beyond a single goal or immediate reaction, focusing on sustained cooperation over time.

Anton: A friend of mine, the artist Isa Rosenberger from Vienna, speaks about “temporary alliances.” This is a strategy she developed in her collaborative projects with women. She says that with some of the women she might become friends after the project, and maybe they do something again. Such temporary alliances last a couple of months, maybe a year, and then you have an outcome. But then it may continue and a temporary alliance may become a long-term alliance. Once, we invited a feminist center here in town for an artistic project. Back then we could not speak of an alliance, but now we have been very close to this institution for many years, and so in the end it turned out to be some kind of alliance. In other cases we invite people for a collaboration and nothing happens afterwards, for various reasons.

Tereza: How strict should we be in our alliances? Should we always stick to our core values, or should we be more flexible? Do you see differences between alliances with people from the art field and people from other fields?

Anton: There may exist a certain kind of unconscious tension with colleagues from the field of culture, especially with those working in the same city. We operate in the same field, we access the same resources and funds, we share part of the audience. I try hard to overcome this atmosphere, but it is sometimes present. When I was a young cultural worker, I felt it more; the tension used to be quite high, but in recent times it has gotten much better. The younger generations show more solidarity and believe more in alliances. Collaborating in alliances with organizations from other fields—like from education or youth, culture or migration—entails many advantages. You are more curious about each other, and there is the very feeling that you learn more from each other.

Tereza: Well, you know the field you are operating in, but you may not know so much about other fields. In the cultural field you may take things for granted or assume things. In other fields, it is a process of learning. You learn about how it is elsewhere; you listen and learn and do not assume so much.

Ajete: What truly matters is the shared urgency and commitment behind the alliance. If the goal is a top priority for both sides, then the field we come from—whether art or another sector—becomes secondary. What drives the collaboration is the shared determination to act.