Art and Intervention | Public Sphere

Art in public space has consistently had to face not only the changes in the general perception of art, but also the shifting ideas of the “public space” – its definition, task, use, and design as much as the question of who possesses the power to dispose of this scarce commodity “public living space”. Artistic work in the context of public space consciously aligns itself to social everyday life and thus addresses not only artistic projects in the exterior urban space but also architectural work at/on and inside buildings and their facilities. From the artistic perspective, “art in public space” is widely seen as an enlightening term that aims to sensitize city dwellers and users towards interventions in the urban space. On the common ground, won to varying extents, of urban officials, builders, and carriers of art, art in the outdoor space and outside the scope of institutional presentation must be understood as a specific opportunity for society to connect to urban situations, which, in turn, will trigger new processes of thought.

Thus, the studio aims to prepare students for the exceptional standing of fine art in the public space, which is determined through a plethora of competing and often diverging social, economic, political and participatory claims, and to enable them to artistically and autonomously intervene in this context. Apart from reflecting and elaborating on their individual points of view, students will be expected to discuss in groups the term “public”, whose meaning is subject to continuous socio-political change. These discussions will be based on the variety of attitudes, strategies, and interventions of artists working in the public space.

The definition of artistic work in the public space comprises not only an involvement with material, form and technical precision but also a deft handling of various communicative instruments. In this respect, great value is set upon an intensive networking with architecture, spatial and urban planning, and ecology.