AtCultura — Update
Sunday, I wrote about an interesting email I received asking me to be a part of a book project. As I expected, spam. To be included in the book, there is of course a fee. If I had heard of the book, or if I had solicited them, sure, I might consider it. Thanks, but no thanks, guys.
Like Dad always said, “Nothing’s free”. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
If you’re interested in reading the terms, you can check out the application form here [link].
I received the same email, in fact this is the second email I received from the new wave of scammers who are targeting artists. I can only guess that they are banking on our thirst to have our art seen and to be recognized as artists, but we are not fools!
Well this thing has spread – even to Denmark, the homeland of the Cartoons.
I am a visual artist and I got the same offer a few days ago.
I have a past in the editorial business. Some points hits me.
AT Cultura are still looking for artist even though there is only two months to launching of the book in Argentina…
No technical specifications for the pictures are made…
No of the claimed previous publications from AT Cultura has an ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
I believe this is really No Big Deal
;0)
( http://www.qunst.dk/No_Big_Deal_-_Jacob_Gadd.htm )
Hm…
After writing the previous, I have now recieved the following information: “For example previous book “Arte Iberoamericano Contemporáneo” have ISBN
987-22393-0-4″
This information is not verified by a simple Google search. But the same can be said for numerous danish books.
So what is right and what is wrong?
@ Jacob,
Near as I can tell, this is bunk. If you decide to shell out some of your cash to them to be included in what looks to be a scam, please drop back and let us know how it goes.
To me, it begs the question: why would anyone invest in this book that no one’s heard of? What return would you get on your investment? What kind of exposure could you possible hope to get?
Hi Marc,
I agree in your point of you.
I have decided not to be a part of this project.
I have been in contact with one who have. If I get to know his experience, I will pass it on to you.
Jacob ;0)
Hi Marc
today I got the invitation to participate in the book-project too.I am a Dutch artist and gallerist ( http://www.galeriedonkersvoort.nl) I thought it was spam. I visited the website of atcultura and there was not much to see. I searched by Google for information and so I find you. Thanks for the information, I decide not to go into the project.
Yes, for us its the same. I will try to contact to this “dipl” through the Argentina embassy. If i have news i will write it here, but yes!…is weird.
Hello, I´m artist from Finland. I got messages from atcultura about a year ago and now I got same messages again. I think Atcultura is trying to fool us. Don´t be involved. I think it´s absolutely immoral to try to fool us artists cause we are usually poor already.
Last year I connected via e-mail to sculptor in USA that “had been in one book”and payed it ofcourse and she said that she never got any books. Thats that.
I am just another who nearly got into
this rip off project. Actually I had
already exchanged US dollars from the
bank and was going to pack the parcel
for atcultura with cash, CD-R of my
works, CV etc blaa…But luckily I went to Google and found interesting
comments on atcultura. From the beginning I have had a suspicious feeling about this project: all emails
and application files were written in a poor English (maybe on purpose to confuse people to get on the hook). Stay away from this!! Just another rip
off in the artistic circles. Ari Alatalo, graphic artist from Finland.
http://www.arialatalo.net
Hi! I am an artist from the northern part of sweden who also got the mail with proposal to be represented in that book. Went a bit suspicious and search information by Goggle about Atcultura.Didn´t find so much information about it, came on to different strange pages which didn´t impressive me at all, but then I found you, thanks for that! As an poor artist is so important be ware, as you say, when the company also want some money for to be published or what ever!! I will follow the disusssion at your blog further on! Thank you again! Lotta Engström Lodin Sweden
@Ari & Lotta – It would seem that Art Cultura has just sent out another round of spam. Glad I could help you both in your decision making. These guys must be avoided at all costs.
Spread the word.
Hi! I am an artist from Estonia and also recieved the same e-mail from ATCultura. Actually I could’nt take my stand. But it sure seems slippery…And all your opinions only confirms it. I won’t participate. Thanks!
ME the same!!!
Both me and my college, artist from Denmark. got invited. I had decided not after seeing the prize, and just wanted to double chek who they are. and found you!!
oh my!!
Hi Marc! Thanks for your responding answer on my comment about the ATcultura. One thing i would like to spread about this offer from ATcultura is the email adress from the sender, it stands:
From: “Ricardo Cesar Lescano Grosso” . my question why is “Ricardo” uses this Yahoo adress (no fee adress) when they are trying to look serious? Looks like a real bluff, really! Lotta
I got the same message and at first I thought it was a good deal. One of the things that sounds phony is what benefits do we have for appearing in such a book? Another thing that sounds weird is that they send e-mails to everyone, claiming that they have been carefully chosen. Then they have different dates for the same publication, for example, on the message I received it says that they´re going to publish that book in August of 2009, another message received last year might say that they´re going to publish it around March.
If for example they´re going to have limited artists(100?)chosen to appear in the book, why do they send an e-mail message to thousands and thousands of artists all around the world stating that they were carefully chosen and they´re going to appear in the publication guaranteed if they send money to Mr. whatever Ricardo.
Yeah, right!
Hi Marc,
I,ve got 2 e-mails from Ricardo.
I had my suspicions after the first mail and receiving the second today I went to google and found your blog.
Well, I’m sure Mr. Ricardo is bluff.
Maru
Hi there everyone. I’m a New Zealand artist who has also received the email from Ricardo Grosso. I was suspicious about the validity of the organisation and did a bit of searching n the net. I also found no recorded ISBN for the previous book, contacted an artist in USA who also didn’t receive her book even after contacting them several times. The emails are in broken English and one would wonder at the quality of such a book being printed in English and Spanish. The date they gave me for publication is November of 2009 approximately. Sorry Mr Grosso, too many red flags!
it reached Norway aswell! Thank you for your post -will not attend either!
rock on
Hi artists.
I just got the mail from ATcultura today Oct 24.2009 and my immediate response was negative and as i investigate nothing is clearer than this blog. You guys are probably right and I feel it is better to team up with other artists to make a book together than to be mislead by such unknown galleries/publishers soliciting artists for money. Peace, Brian P.S. check out my online art gallery at soulforms.com
got an e-mail from them today. it seems they reached UK and Poland now (as I’m Polish living in England) that’s sad, because you feel flattered at the beginning that someone noticed you and then you research it and find out that it’s scam….
thanks for this page, I haven’t even replied them yet, now I know I won’t do it!
Hello!
At Cultura (Ricardo Lescano Grosso) wrote me. He asked me if I wanted to write 12 articles (I am Art Teacher & writer) . They didn’t pay me, but Lescano said that they will publish a pair of my paintings in the book. The book should be published last year….but ne
ver appeared. I wrote him mails, but they never answered.
I just receive a similar invitation to join an art book paying some good money. Before any decision I Searched for information and I found relevant the following post
http://danielnorth.blogspot.com/2007/09/scam-or-need-editor.html
Hi! Thank you for your post… I received this e-mail couple of days a go- so they still look for Artist to be involved in their scam, luckily i googled and found this. ;-) I really hope they did not receive any money from Artists…
I got a mail from them today too. doesn´t look serious.
after googleing, I found this site. thanks for the infos.