Federal Association of Artists of the Fine Arts
 
Assignments
The Federal Association of Artists of the Fine Arts (BBK) is the fine arts' large professional association in Germany. It represents 15 Land (states) associations with their district co-operative associations on a federal level.
The Federal Association of Artists of the Fine Arts (BBK) protects artists' interests towards the federal government which has a voice in determining the basic conditions for artistic professions with its home, financial and foreign policies and administrates works of art connected to federal building projects.

Membership
District co-operative associations respectively Land associations decide on admissions into BBK. Membership can only be acquired in connection with federal membership.


Structure
Nation-wide 10,000 members belong to BBK.
 
 
associations
The federal managing committee represents its members in the following associations:

- International Society for Fine Arts (IGBK): The IGBK is a member of the International Association of Art

(IAA), which is the lagest international non-governmental association of visual artists. The IAA has a consultative status at UNESCO. Further members of IGBK are Deutscher Künstlerbund and GEDOK;

- Verwertungsgesellschaft Bild-Kunst: represents artists' copyrights and re-sale rights towards users in Germany and abroad;

- Social Welfare Fund of VG Bild-Kunst: offers support with emergencies, with inability to earn a living or unemployment or with age plights. The Social Welfare Fund's means come from VG Bild-Kunst's profits;

- Stiftung Kunstfonds: supports contemporary fine art by way of an organisation self-determined by artists;

- Kunstrat, the fine arts' branch within the Deutscher Kulturrat: the Deutscher Kulturrat is a platform for associations and organisations from the area of arts and media; on a federal level about 200 associations belong to them.

aims
BBK supports the following aims:

- co-determination in the political area by way of advisory boards and 
  co-operation in expert groups
- improvement of arts and artists promotion and support
- protection of employment in the fine arts by way of

 * promoting education and knowledge in the visual area

 * facilitating the creation of new enterprises in the artistic and cultural field

 * realisation of a favourable tax law for cultural enterprises, especially 
    introduction of a tax-free allowance for art purchases from living artists

 * national and international copyright observance for the arts

 * implementation of an exhibition royalty into the copyright

 * securing the artists' participation in federal building projects and 
    transparent competitions

 * improvement of social security systems for artists through special 
    legislation

 * removing the disadvantages of artists

 * securing the supply of studios for reasonable prices