Part of the precarious existence as artist is the constant balancing act between artistic practice and securing one’s livelihood, between time (for art) and money (to live), between freedom and dependence. A constant struggle for a balance which needs to support both practice and life: doing what you have to do, to be able to do what you want to do. The economy at stake is both material and immaterial: what the artist ultimately craves is attention and recognition. When even immaterial success is lacking, artistic practice becomes totally precarious. The unfortunate situation is more than obvious and yet, in an almost ironic twist, is taken to extremes when the hoped-for appreciation comes from the “other” side: as a prize for Germany’s best hospital website, which the artist designed in his bread-and-butter job as a web designer.
