BIP Spring Academy ‘Art, Space & Public(s)’

What is public art? What kind of art is ‘public’? What does art for the public(s) mean? Public art – or art in public spaces – ranges from monuments in historical places and façade art to street art, community art, and artistic interventions – and much more. Public spaces, seen as meeting points for and with art, have been continuously changing, especially since postmodernism. Art (genres) in and for the public as well. The BIP Programme provides an introductory overview of historical developments and discusses the theoretical framework of Art, Space and the Public(s) in an online symposium. These impulses serve as a foundation for exploring art in public spaces through field trips, guest lectures, and selected best practices. Thus, the focus is on contemporary forms and recent developments. Work-in-group sessions are dedicated to reflection and interdisciplinary exchange.

The department of Art History (Catholic Private University Linz) is the host and coordinator of the BIP Programme. Four cooperating partner universities (West University of Timisoara // Faculty of Arts and Design; University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerpen (Belgium); Károli Gáspár, University of the Reformed Church in Budapest (Hungary); and the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Osijek (Croatia)) are participating in the BIP by sending one (accompanying) teacher/staff member and five students (up to six).

The BIP Programme is open to BA (from the 2^nd year) and MA students (and optional PhD) in the field of Art, Art History, Art Education, Design, and Cultural Studies (and similar). In total, the programme comprises online units, a block on site (in Linz), and self-learning sessions.

The BIP Programme is divided into three parts:

1st Phase: (Online-)Symposium, 17th/18th March 2025 - open acess!

“Art, Space & the Public(s): What about Democracy?!”

As a prelude to the BIP Spring Academy ‘Art, Space & Public(s)’, this online symposium provides an introduction to key terms relating to public(s), the public sphere, and public art. These terms are analysed in the context of democratic processes, their opportunities, as well as their challenges: What is the current state of democracy – in the face of increasing global political uncertainties? How is our understanding of the public sphere changing (as a result)? What are public spaces – in times of social media and fake news? What and how can the arts contribute to ensuring that public art fosters democratic processes?

Three thematic blocks address these questions: Block A focuses on the question of `What is the Public, and Why Does It Matter for Democracy?’ (Lukas Kaelin, Agustin Rodriguez, Remmon Barbaza); Block B `Public Art in Specific (Anti-)Democratic Contexts´ deals with nationally specific issues of art in public spaces(Barbara Balen, Gabriella Uhl, Ann Leanen, Cezara Carla Pădurean); and Block C is dedicated to `Art in Public Spaces´ and its potential for `Fostering Democracy?´ (Andrej Mirčev, Siglinde Lang, Annelys De Vet).

>> Program Overview Symposium (pdf)

>> Contact & Registration (Zoom): s.lang[at]ku-linz.at 

2nd Phase: ON Site Site, 7th until 11th April 2025
>> Program Overview On Site (pdf)
>> Details (Workshops & Lectureres)(coming soon)

3rd Phase: Final presentation of the groups, 5th of May
(coming soon)

The BIP-Spring Academy is part of the research focus ‘>>Discourses of the Public Sphere’.