In the discussion about foreign aid, the terms
planners and searchers are used to denote
two ways of determining the needs of the developing
countries. A planner assesses the need at a distance –
based on good intentions and fiscal limits. A searcher
assembles knowledge in the local environment without any
predetermined agenda. The searcher is often more successful
in meeting the people’s needs due to his presence and
openness to new experiences.
At the exhibition Planners & Searchers, the two terms
have found their way into the art world – as driving forces
that can shape and move artist as well as artwork. Are all
artists curious and intuitive searchers? Or is it possible
to establish an interesting discussion between planning and
searching? And finally: can the exhibition concept function
so flexibly that it gives room to navigation as well as
unexpected behaviour?
Søren Assenholt has given this challenge to the two artists
John Skog (S) and Taslima Ahmed (GB), who relate to the
dialogue between the terms with works as different as a
fish tank installation and a performance show. The keyword
is artistic negotiation between planners and searchers.