"Neustart Kultur"(eng. Restart Culture) is a program launched in Germany to support the cultural sector and the creative economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was developed to mitigate the economic damage suffered by artists, cultural workers, cultural institutions, and the entire cultural and events industry during the pandemic and to assist the cultural sector in overcoming the challenges.
However, something that was announced with such great fanfare did not help many small artists. Culture cannot restart at the push of a button, especially not after artists have been left in the lurch for two years during the pandemic. The assistance program is not designed to provide a livelihood. It only offers compensation for existing loans or investments. Additionally, many freelance artists had to repay the assistance due to poorly defined guidelines.
The photography serves as a critique of society and politics and how they have treated artists. Cultural workers are ready for the promised restart and are waiting at home with their suits and masks for jobs. However, despite the program, these opportunities have been scarce, and many cultural workers have had to change professions. This situation has persisted even after the end of the pandemic.
A project from 2021.