Call for applications: Commissioning and Curating Contemporary Public Art

Distance course online with intensive workshops in Gothenburg, Helsinki and Copenhagen: January 20, 2020–January 17, 2021

A distance course, at advanced level, introducing key issues and practices in working with art in the public realm targeted at continuing professional development for curators, commissioners, policy-makers, artists, communities, community organisers, activists, planners, decision-makers, other professionals, practitioners and publics interested in the questions of commissioning and curating contemporary public art. This international course, delivered in English, in partnership with Public Art Agency Sweden and the University of Arts Helsinki is based on a combination of distance education and participation at two intensive workshops (from a choice of four) in: Gothenburg, Copenhagen and Helsinki. 

This part-time course is designed to facilitate professionals and people with existing commitments to access continuing professional development in university education in a flexible manner.

The course is free to EU nationals. Students are responsible for their own costs of attending the two selected intensive workshops. Admission is based on letter of intention in English stating why you wish to attend the course, 200 to 350 words in length.

The teaching team includes: Jason E. Bowman, Kerstin Bergendal, Kjell Caminha, Dr Daniel Jewesbury, Suzanne Mooney, Dr Sarah Tuck, Professor Mick Wilson, and special guests.

Content
What is the nature of public art? What do the policy-makers, commissioners, curators, artists and other specialists working with public art need to know about this rapidly changing and expanded field of practice? What do communities wishing to invite public art into their environments, or wishing to instigate public art commissions, need to know in order to pursue their desires and ambitions? Who can commission public art? What—if any—is the relationship between public art and local democracy? What does “public-ness” mean in the contexts of public art? What are the spaces of “public-ness” in an era of network technologies, population displacement and changing political imaginaries? What are the processes and frameworks that operate when art is created in, and for, public space? Who is it commissioned for? What are the challenges of curating art in the public realm? How can curators, commissioners, diverse publics, communities, artists, and other practitioners effectively move between ideas and ideals of public culture, and the pragmatic contexts of actual decision-making, production, procurement, installation, and planning processes? What, if any, are the possible relationships between public art and local democracy?

These questions are approached through conflicting perceptions of public space, public culture, and the contested themes of “the public sphere”. We emphasize the interaction of theory and practice, so as not to privilege theory over practice, but rather to look at how different perspectives—rooted in practice as well as informed by theoretical analysis—connect to different possibilities in realising art as an integral part of public life.

Practicalities
Please note: all times are based on Swedish time (CET). You will require a good reliable internet access and headphones. Content from the workshops will also be posted online for course participants to access. Participation in the workshops means that your contributions to discussion may be recorded for this purpose. Students are responsible for their own costs of attending the workshops.

Workshops
The intensive workshop, involving physical attendance, is chosen from two of the following four options. (It is possible to attend more if you wish, you are expected to attend at least two.) The dates for 2019 intensives are: February 19–21, May 13–15, September 23–25 and December 2–4.

Application is via University Admissions

Read more about the course: Commissioning and Curating Contemporary Public Art

Coming soon: call for applicants for our international MFA Programmes in Film, Fine Art and Photography and distance course in Art and Politics.