RUYA MAPS is part of Wolfgang Tillman's '2020Solidarity' Project
Detail from Wolfgang Tillman’s ‘still life (Bühnenbild),’ 2020.
Over fifty international artists have come together to design one poster each which are being offered by cultural organisations as affordable artworks in return for donations.
2020Solidarity is a Between Bridges project aimed at helping cultural and music venues, community projects, independent spaces and publications that are existentially threatened by the current crisis. Between Bridges is a Berlin based foundation that the photographer Wolfgang Tillmans founded in 2017. Some of the artists who have contributed works to the project include: Yinka Shonibare, Gillian Wearing, Jeff Koons, Thomas Ruff, Carrie Mae Weems, David Wojnarowicz, Isa Genzken, and Mark Leckey, amongst many others. Some artist have created original works for the project, and others have searched their archives for thematically engaged images.
Speaking to AnOther Magazine, Tillmans described the project in his own words:
“I think there are many places that don’t get help or won’t get bailed out because they are informal places in culture and nightlife, where the lack of an audience is causing an existential threat. I feel an urgency to do something for them, so that they won’t have to close down forever. For me, places of social life are also places of cultural life and it would be terrible if we lost half the places that we love going to. But we also want to support initiatives that are helping people in need locally within their communities, or that are raising funds for hospitals or health organisations.”
Wolfgang Tillman’s own poster contribution for the project.
As Tillmans explained to ArtNet News, he decided that the best route would be to produce an unlimited edition for a limited period of time, because “a small edition would mean a higher price which is really cutting it off for many, many people.” The artist arranges and covers the printing of the posters and supports organisations, including RUYA MAPS, with shipping and distribution. The organisations then sell the posters directly to their supporters, receiving the proceeds in full.
The posters will be listed as a reward for a 50€ / £50 / $50 donation and are size A2 (59.4 x 42 cm / 23.4 x 16.5 in). They are an unlimited edition, but are only available for a limited period of time. Delivery of orders begins after postal services have returned back to normal.