The Art in the City exhibition programme consists of projects by artists on various scales and of differing duration. What they have in common is that they formulate an artistic, visual response to questions about art in public space. These include: What is the present-day role of monuments? Which people deserve to be placed on a pedestal in the city? How do we relate to collection items from the past when the social context in which they were created is substantially different from today’s society? Which other art forms might enrich our public space in addition to the traditional statues?
These short-term projects are a way of putting the existing historical collection in dialogue with contemporary perspectives and art practices. They are also the perfect way of giving shape to new aims and ambitions for Antwerp’s public art collection, of investing in young artists, and of listening to innovative voices in the local and regional art world.
Exhibitions in the city shorten the distance between the public, the artwork, and the artist. As such, questions concerning the social predicament of life in the contemporary urban context are never far off. The short-term projects by Art in the City make it possible to respond to current issues and to link up with an international frame of reference.
