Structural Patterns and the Monster of Whiteness

— experiences of racism and discrimination in the art world




Dear art workers,

Folkrörelsernas Konstfrämjande (the People’s Movement for Art Promotion) is running an inquiry into the conditions for art workers within the Swedish art world.

There are currently no materials or studies on the work environment for art workers who are racialized as non-white and which touch on their working conditions as related to racism and whiteness norms*.

The questions of this survey are intended to provide insight into the working conditions for artists and freelancing curators who are racialized as non-white and who are professionally active in the contemporary art world. The survey is meant to show whether this group experiences racism and discrimination in their professional life, as well as provide information about the way whiteness norms affect artists and freelance curators in the performance of their work.



*The concept of a whiteness norm here refers to a norm that assumes white people’s perspective as the normal and superior starting point.



The survey is part of an ongoing work to make visible structures in the art world and the art world’s understanding of itself as populated by good anti-racists. Since 2019 Folkrörelsernas Konstfrämjande has worked to shine a light on its own organization, which is not free from these structures. The project was initiated by curator Ulrika Flink and is run in collaboration with Konstfrämjandet Stockholm as part of the district’s efforts to counter a segregated art world. Macarena Dusant is the project manager for the study, and the findings will be compiled and presented as animations in the organization’s channels.

With support from the Swedish Arts Council.
Translation from Swedish by Kira Josefsson.
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Part 1. Racism and discrimination related to skin color and ethnicity

1. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced the following related to my skin color or ethnicity (you may select several):

 *
Required
2. I know about others who, in their professional role as artist or curator, have experienced the following related to their skin color or ethnicity (you may select several): *
Required
3. There is an organization I can turn to in cases of racism and discrimination related to my skin color or ethnicity. “Organization” here means a union, an advocacy group, or government agencies such as the Equality Ombudsman (DO): *
4. I have, on my own initiative, participated in unofficial gatherings or groups to get support with regards to racism and discrimination related to my skin color or ethnicity: *
5. In my professional role as artist or curator I have made use of various strategies to avoid racism and discrimination related to my skin color and ethnicity: *
6. In my professional role as artist or curator I have presented criticism concerning racism and/or whiteness norms* to my colleagues or clients within the context of a project, and been negatively affected with regards to future work/collaboration:  

*The concept of a whiteness norm here refers to a norm that assumes white people’s perspective as the normal and superior starting point. 
 *
7. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced negative impact on my financial situation due to racism and whiteness norms within the art world, for example due to exclusion. *

Part 2. The impact of whiteness norms on the work of artists and curators. 

The concept of a whiteness norm here refers to a norm that assumes white people’s perspective as the normal and superior starting point. 

8. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced the following due to whiteness norms in the Swedish art world (you may select several):

 *
Required
9. In my professional role as artist or curator I have used various strategies to relate to whiteness norms within the Swedish art world: *
10. Whiteness norms have affected my artistic or curatorial work in making me think actively about:  *
11. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced expectations on my artistic work based on (you may select several): *
Required
12. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced tokenism* based on (you may select several):

*The concept of tokenism here indicates that a person who belongs to a social group otherwise underrepresented in an organization is symbolically made to represent that social group in order for the organization to appear more inclusive.
 *
Required
13. In my professional role as artist or curator I have experienced negative reception of my art based on (you may select several): *
Required
14. In my professional role as artist or curator I have had to adapt my artistic expression to avoid being categorized as Other:

*The concept of Other here is used to indicate the process of alienation where a racialized person is viewed as divergent from the whiteness norm, reproducing a separation between an us and them. 

 *
15. In my professional role as artist or curator I have consciously played with categories that racialize me as non-white, in order to strengthen my position in the Swedish art world: *
16. I am actively looking for new contexts where I can avoid racism and whiteness norms in the art world, in order to be able to work, or to help me continue to work, professionally as an artist or curator. *
17. I consider abandoning/pausing my artistic or curatorial work because of the art world’s racist structures and whiteness norms: *
18. Other thoughts on how whiteness norms have affected my work:
Part 3. About the respondent’s background
19. My highest level of education is: *
20. Year of graduation:
21. I graduated from: *
22. I am based in this geographic location: *
23. I am primarily active in this geographic location: *
24. This best describes my current working situation: *
25. Age. I am: *
26. Gender identity. I am: *
27. My biological parents are born in (you may select several): 

_Categories taken from Vit, svart eller brun (White, Black, or Brown), Länstyrelsen (The County Administrative Board) 2019.
 *
Required
28. My parents’ highest level of completed education is: *
29. I identify as: 

_Categories taken from Vit, svart eller brun (White, Black, or Brown), Länstyrelsen (The County Administrative Board) 2019.
 *
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