> BERAL MADRA
Networking could contribute real benefits to the development of the cultural politics of the countries concerned. An enterprise of this kind should be backed up by European funding. The idea of the website “i_CAN” is very appropriate for the active exchange of information between the membership countries. The only question is: in which way will the artists continually contribute to the network, when they are not directly involved in specific exhibitions? As for the Soros “case”, recently the foundation in Turkey also shifted its focus from the cultural, to the social sphere, and two years ago it started a social project aimed at the traumatized population.

> LILIA DRAGNEVA
The situation is very difficult in Chisinau without the support of Soros: the funds, the spaces and the contacts have disappeared. Remaining, and precious to us, are the structures, spaces, means, databases, the people and the artists whose contribution is often voluntary, their involvement with “i_CAN” for example.
The hope is that something will change, the goal is to concentrate on educational programmes for the new generations and to move them closer to the proposals of the only centre of contemporary art (ex Soros) in Moldova.

> JÚLIA FABÉNYI
I have great belief in cooperation. In 2004 we shall show an artistic interpretation of "The Hushed Up Holocaust" and in 2005 "Soap Opera". These exhibitions are shown in our large, impressive exposition-spaces which have a tradition of important national and international exhibitions.
In anticipation of the latter event, which is still in the phase of preparation, it would be very stimulating to have suggestions for the theme of critical reflection on television and everyday life, and for artists who have already been selected for cooperative projects. Another initiative activated by Mu“csarnok consists in inviting foreign curators to view and review the Hungarian art scene, and to enable them to select some of our artists for their exhibitions. Not quite independently of this idea, we would like to institute a prize "curator of the year". These endeavours may link us more closely, especially to the professionals of neighbouring countries and at the same time might help develop this particular profession in Hungary. Most important: we should find a way to circulate information more efficiently among ourselves!

> INNA REUT
In the Belorussian capital the first public gallery of contemporary art, non-government independent gallery, was opened in 1991. There are (still) not many state institutes of art in the country and their exhibitional proposals (that come from abroad) are submitted to the control of the Ministry of Culture. The director of the National Museum of Minsk recently declared that he was willing to collaborate with his European and American partners but that today, after the Soros interval internment, the relations between the instititions and the national culture remained difficult and the only subventions distributed came from the ministry. The relations between the institutions authorities and the national culture are strained. The independent international partnership is difficult and the state doesn’t support contemporary art addressing its subventions only to state institutions that means to institutions for “official” art. I could almost say that most of the Belorussian artists - apart from some interesting exceptions - lean towards a decorative style as a means of escape from reality. The inexperience of the curators also must be taken into consideration, especially in management and fund researching. The development of curatorial services in our country depends on international updating, therefore network training is indispensable.

> KATALIN NÉRAY
Many thought that, with the political changes of the last years in Hungary, art would become functional to the newly gained freedom. But in every country artists react in different and personal ways, even to political conditioning. I think that Europe is still divided in two, and I’m curious to know what will happen when the ten candidated countries enter the UE because after all, at least where art is concerned, being operative means personal contacts, friendships, prospects in a course of network and collaboration. Unfortunately many Hungarian artists have left the country for economical reasons; now they live and work in Western Europe or in the United States, but are they happy or frustrated? As for the network of “i_CAN”, I hope it can contribute to divulge the cultural value of Central Eastern Europe. In this scenario, the artists of the new generation have the advantage, they have been to a greater extent projected towards an Occidental and American way of thinking, the wish is that they won’t lose the authenticity that belonged to the previous generation.

> ANDA ROTTENBERG
I think that the contemporary art of Central Eastern Europe is still fairly unknown to most Europeans who are on the lookout for something new, or exotic in Asia and South America and ignoring proposals which are nearer to them. I started to travel and to discover the art of nearby countries only after 1989. The time of ideology and myth has ended; a sharp sense of reality is what’s needed, also when looking for funds to finance coproduced, artistic enterprises. In this sense, for me, a particularly significant experience was the exhibition “Europe Europe” held in Cracow: a great event which tried to rewrite the history of European art. Regarding “Continental Breakfast”, I would like them to find space for the multiple aspects of European reality: the individual cities, the countries and the art projects.

> RYSZARD ZOLTANIECKI
Unlike the “Soros period”, I believe that today in the contemporary art world, to realize a project that involves Western Europe, international and community institutions and neighbouring countries, means following the example of the Polish institute Adam Mickiewicz which doesn’t turn to the government for funds but to important people and private sponsors. It seems to me that some Central Eastern European countries, which are now developing, frequently use art as a means of self promotion to assert their political and economical value and the progress of civilisation. To avoid distorting the authentic meaning of art, it shouldn’t be used for other purposes; therefore, I believe that international cooperation, the presentation and the promotion of projects shouldn’t be managed by state institutions or organisations. In the planning of an exhibition it’s the social context in which it takes place that must be considered.

> SIRJE HELME
The independency of art and the freedom of curators must be vindicated. The curators’ work is to propose: they must be left free to do that without having to take the reactions of public opinion into account, even if it might mean scandals caused by legitimate provocations.

> COLLEN OVENDEN
I study problems of identity and I’m particularly interested in how the project “Continental Breakfast” will be developed: identities are not strictly definable and I think that seems to be the idea here, equally inaccessable to the definition of its ingredients… Regarding the intervention of governments in the contemporary art field, I believe one can’t really consider art projects without the active presence of those institutions which include in their structure culture and art. A good example is the Venice Biennale where the works exhibited represent different countries and are often an expression of their respective governments.