When you know what you’re writing about and what you want to say, then you’re already very close to being able to write something that everybody will understand.
– Sarah Schug
Sticky Teeth’s micro-interviews ft. words on the intersection of arts and writing.
In this edition, Brussels-based journalist Sarah Schug discusses the challenges of language in the art world (the need for accessibility, the diminishing value of art writing) and touches on her proudest accomplishment—a self-published book on Iceland’s contemporary art scene.
xx Tahney
Sarah Schug is a journalist based in Brussels writing about art, culture, design and photography.
Her work has been published in L’Officiel Art Belgium, TL Magazine, Previiew Journal, and others. She’s the author of the 5th edition of the Brussels Art Guide, has published a book on Iceland’s art scene and also founded seeyouthere.be, an online mag putting forward the Belgian cultural scene. She curated the exhibition “No place like home” at Brussels Art Department and project-managed the 2019 edition of A Performance Affair. Since September, Sarah has been a staff writer at The Parliament Magazine.
Tahney: How should we be approaching arts writing?
What arts writers (et al.) do you resonate with?
Another quote from Peter Schjedahl?
Core moments from your own arts writing practice?
My most recent publication: I was hired by Fondation pour les Arts to write the 5th edition of the Brussels Art Guide, which features 10 portraits of women who are integral parts of the Brussels art scene as well as all the best places and spaces to experience art. The local scene here is super international but quite small in comparison to the usual art hubs, and much more welcoming than London or Paris. Come to Brussels, people!
My favourite project, and the one I’m most proud of, is a book I wrote on the Icelandic contemporary art scene, which deserves much more attention than it currently receives.
What I was most impressed about was that so much is happening outside of Reykjavík, in defunct fishing factories in remote villages, for instance. We (photographer Pauline Miko, graphic designer Raya Boteva, and myself) self-published 500 copies. It’s almost sold out. It’s a journey around the island and at the same time features different voices of the Icelandic art landscape, from curators and framers to artists and gallery directors.
Other arts centric writing you’re loving, atm?
Not necessarily arts writing, but written by artists or weaving art into the story:
Olivia Laing: The Lonely City
Jenny Odell: How to Do Nothing – Resisting the Attention Economy (this really spoke to me, as I continuously oscillate between “I should delete all social media” and “I don’t post enough to get my work out there”. Although, I do find her a little condescending at times).
Haneen Mahmood Martin talks about shared accountability and diverse perspectives in the arts industry, matching words with actions—i.e., more POC in leadership positions—and the use of clear, accessible, but impactful language.
Liv Collins has an infectious energy rare in an industry of pretension. I’m really excited to feature her in this sticky teeth micro-interview for her truths about writing education at art school and some hot insider arts reading suggestions.
Anna Kate Blair speaks on the intersection of art, writing, and time. She explains her major concerns for lack of enough resources for the writing process itself, and also touches on history, capitalism and imagining alternative futures for creativity.
Brussels-based journalist Sarah Schug discusses the challenges of language in the art world, the need for accessibility, the diminishing value of art writing and her proud accomplishment—a self-published book on Iceland’s contemporary art scene.
Writer and editor Erin McFayden reflects on framing artistic activities as labour and advocating exploring the good it creates rather than its economic value – as well as her reccs for some artistic endeavours.
Writer Yazmin Bradley touches on the pressure on authors under the commercialisation of Bookstagram – how can we reclaim the creative process from capitalism? She also explores working with her grandmother on her memoir and the possibilities of Substack for creativity.