Apr 4, 2009

Art, Space and the Public Sphere(s).

Some basic observations on the difficult relation of public art, urbanism and political theory by Oliver Marchart

"Social space is produced and structured by conflicts. With this recognition, a democratic spatial politics begins." - Rosalyn Deutsche

As we know, "art in the public space" can mean at least two things. For one, art in combination with architecture and artistic urban outfitting; this is the traditional conception - among other things, a conception of space as a physical geographical urban and architectural space. Yet on the other hand, "public art" in the sense of more recent forms of "art in the public interest" (or "social interventionism", "community art", etc.) - not least in Austria - has also been developed into a secure niche in the canon of available art practices and forms. Sending Austrian artists, usually subsumed under this header, to the Biennale of Venice is just the keystone of sanctioning social interventionist art practices in art history (and could very well be their gravestone, too).

debalie: cultureel politiek debat centrum

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