AiNIN is an international organisation for artists and event organisers who create and engage in site-specific art across a broad range of disciplines. We explore place as a concept which incorporates the environment and the people who engage with it. We believe that our creations not only imply a respect for place, but also a desire to reveal and comment upon our relationship with it, rather than exploiting it for the sake of art.
History
AiNIN was conceived in 1998 and currently represent a significant number of international artists and communities from around the world. We are open to visual artists, performers, musicians, writers, video and sound artists and other forms of art, as long as they are site-specific and respect nature. Prior to the establishment of Artists in Nature International Network, our encounters with other similar artists and communities had been based on personal affinities, friendships and individual networks, which were limited. We believed that there was a need to open and broaden these networks into a larger platform of encounter. To achieve this, we started planning an association of artists and have been meeting since December 1998 to refine our ideas, finally creating a non-profit association of artists in April 1999. Consequently, we confirmed our structure and goals by the end of June 2000. The tool we chose in May 2001 as our principal form of communication was a website representing the work of artists in nature, linking to the web pages of members, artists and organising communities. A dense flow of international opportunities and information continues to this day through our new communication tools.
Sharing
Sharing is central to the ethos of AiNIN. It was at the origin of the creation of our network. International opportunities are shared regularly to members via our Newsletters. These opportunities include artist calls for site-specific arts events, residences (which are usually related to place and the environment) and other associated events. As an association of artists with the same aims and challenges, we encourage all members to share their information through AiNIN. We encourage members to send in reports on projects they have been involved in. These will be published on our newsletters and social media.
Bureau
The members of AiNIN elect the members of the Bureau during the Annual General Assemblies. These members serve for three years and can either re-stand for election or step down at the end of their three-year term. All members of the Bureau work voluntarily. The Bureau members, elected at September 2021 General Assembly, have allocated between them the following positions:
- Kevin Wilson as President, Australia, Blog coordinator, conception of a Think Tank
- Terry van Gurp, vGtO, The Netherlands, Treasurer
- Peter J.M. Schneider, Germany, Newsletter Editor
- Leli Hoch, South Africa, SocialMedia, Facebook and Instagram Coordinator
- Didier Ferment, France, Webmaster and Data processing Coordinator
- Maurizio Perron, Italy, External Relations Coordinator
- François Davin, France, Meetings and projects Coordinator, General Secretary.
The Annual General Assembly assesses the organisation’s achievements over the previous year and also gives prospective new members a chance to learn more about the organisation and modify its operation. The meetings also include discussion around pertinent issues. Members are expected to nominate for positions on the Board when a new election is due.. As Bureau members live all over the world and are separated by long distances, most of our meetings take place on internet, as allowed by our statutes.