Artistic Work in Progress

The public spaces of a city belong to everybody. Yet what do processes within planning and building actually look like? What is it that actually creates shared, common environments? As part of Artistic Work in Progress, the artists in residence are researching the changing circumstances of our public spaces, and potential features we can imagine adding to our cities. Kerstin Bergendal asks what power in the commons looks like, whilst the artist duo MASU are interested in the types of communities art and ‘doing’ can inspire. Saadia Hussain researches what constitutes a home, raising questions about inclusivity, diversity, and welfare.

Over the past decade there has been a shift in public art, architecture, design and cultural heritage, from physical objects to an interest in process and context. This change of course has expanded the idea of the commons and highlighted how crucial the social dimension is when planning and constructing enjoyable and sustainable public spaces. A key question, that we who work with art in public spaces, often return to is:  how can art in the public space create vibrant environments that serve as a backdrop, enabling citizens discover new relationships to themselves and to others?

Four young people from the Halmstad area with an interest in art have formed Unga Redaktionen (an young people’s artistic editorial board) as part of the residency Artistic Work in Progress. The group have taken part in a series of workshops and field trips during the spring, where they have met artists, visited art institutions and developed working methods for their editorial practice.