Art Commission – the idea
As part of the design of public spaces, particularly within the context of urban development projects, a new planning culture is to be established in Düsseldorf. The idea is to appoint a dedicated commission of qualified artists and experts who will work closely with the other stakeholders throughout the planning process on selected construction projects.
A cosmopolitan city provides opportunities for both local and international artists to contribute to the artistic interpretation of specific construction and urban development projects. By engaging with local and global perspectives, the city strengthens its unique profile. To this end, it will be important in future to attract more internationally active artists, curators and curatorial concepts to participate in projects in Düsseldorf.
Art in architecture and in public urban spaces can, through the contribution of artists, become an integral part of public architectural culture. It shapes the cityscape, creates landmarks and points of identification within neighbourhoods, and plays a part in the city’s developments and changes, which it both reflects and brings to the fore. For art stands in direct interrelation with the social, political and economic processes of transformation that define our present and challenge us. Art raises questions and sparks controversial discussions.
The works of art found in the city form part of a cultural history that is continually enriched by new additions. Temporary art projects, in particular, are well-suited to repeatedly reinterpreting and discussing the city’s art collection in the light of contemporary attitudes and ideas. Inventorying, preserving and maintaining the collection are essential prerequisites for a vibrant engagement with the city’s history and stories.
An organisational structure is being put in place for the Commission that learns from its work and gathers and reflects on practical knowledge. This will enable the Commission’s working methods to be continuously developed and refined, ensuring that it remains at the forefront of contemporary academic discourse.
To this end, on 18 May 2017, the City Council of Düsseldorf adopted the ‘Guidelines of the City of Düsseldorf for Art in Architecture and Public Spaces’ and, on this basis, appointed the first Art Commission.
The experience gained during the Commission’s first term led to a number of adjustments to the regulations, with the result that on 1 July 2021 the Council adopted a revised ‘Guideline of the City of Düsseldorf on Art in Public Spaces’. The guidelines continue to provide for the appointment of an Arts Commission, the majority of whose members are art specialists, to act in an advisory capacity to the Council.
The Art Commission advises the City Council, acting with political and financial independence, on:
- Implementation of art projects – whether temporary or permanent – as part of all local authority building projects falling within the remit of municipal departments, as well as in public spaces and in the context of urban and neighbourhood development.
- Initiative for the realisation of art projects – whether temporary or permanent – in public spaces and in the context of urban and neighbourhood development.
- Relocation, reinstallation or removal of works of art owned by the city to or from municipal buildings, as well as in or from public spaces.
The Art Commission decides on the competitions to be organised and on the winners of these competitions within the framework of all municipal projects for art in architecture and in public spaces. Since the start of its second term of office, the Art Commission has been composed as follows: