HDK-Valand – Academy of Art and Design | Fountains Failures Futures: The afterlives of public art
Research and discussion of public art frequently focuses on conditions of emergence and production for public works. This symposium starts at the other end – thinking about the afterlives of public art with respect to processes of decline, decay, acts of reparation and reimagination, transformation and change. We are interested in questions of sustainability, custodianship and whether “failed” works can be revitalised and thought anew; how this raises implications for their authorship and ownership, and what challenges it presents for commissioners, artists, architects, and urban designers. How can producers, owners and custodians of public artworks and the communities and publics living with these works anticipate and accommodate complex afterlives of public art?
Our research draws connections to contemporary processes of revision and contestation of historic monuments. We relate these tensions to other, seemingly benign, artistic objects situated in city squares, urban parks, on redeveloped waterfronts and university campuses––objects that are often commissioned without consultation and with intentions of permanence or longevity. We also want to consider the changing terms through which futures are imagined – from progress narratives of the modern to crisis narratives of climate change – and what the implications are for commissioning public artworks and their evolution in the design of public space.
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS: We welcome case study contributions that help navigate the questions and complexities outlined above. Expressions of interest should be submitted as a short proposal (500 words with 2-3 images) together with a brief bio (150 words) to maddie.leach[at]hdk-valand.gu.se
Submission deadline: 30 November 2022
For more information, please see here.