Who decides over public art? What does it mean? What are the consequences for an artist and his
or her artistic work when the division between public and private in the field of arts gets blurred?
What differences are there in the interests of the public and the private commissioning of works?
What is public space and who is allowed to use it? Art used to be commissioned for specific places
and purposes, and patronage, both public and private played an important role, but all this changed
during the early stages of modernism when artists started to make their work first and sell it only
afterwards. Today, this structure is yet again facing major changes; museums are being privatized
and private agents are increasingly commissioning public art.
The seminar aims to open up a discussion about the changes in the structure of the art world and the
consequences these changes bring or can bring, as well as pose the question what the implications
for contemporary artistic practices are.
The seminar is organized by Praxis Master Program at the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts.
Program
10.30 Opening of the seminar
10.45 James Lingwood (Artangel, London)
11.45 Erik Söderblom (Helsinki Festival)
12.15–13.15 Lunch
13.15 Maitreyi Maheshwari (Zabludowicz Collection)
14.15 Martta Heikkilä (KuvA, HY)
14.45–15.15 Coffee
15.15 Paula Toppila (Pro Arte)
15.45–17.00 Time for discussion