Ready when you are

If you haul yourself through the 48-page document outlining Creative New Zealand’s Statement of Intent, on page 21 you will come across OTN’s art phrase of the year: “international-ready art,” as in “The development and presentation of distinctive, high quality, ‘international-ready’ art is supported.”

CNZ sets up a category of art that is ready to go international-wise and at the same time puts it in quote marks (that familiar distancing device), so what’s going on? Turns out that they are on their usual path adorned with tables, arrows and diagrams so that everything fits neatly with everything else. CNZ and its operatives will scan for artists ready to work in an international context i.e. ‘international-ready’. They’ll also be on the look-out for those with potential to do so, and from this info CNZ will decide who to fund at what, where. The scan will be updated annually. There’s more in the international strategy on priority markets (trade fairs: Melbourne Art Fair) but you get the idea. Get yourself certificated as ‘international-ready’ and who knows where in the world you’ll end up.