The eternity of temporary artworks

What happens when temporary art commissions become permanent in public space?

In recent months, I have been working on my practical project for the postgraduate course ‘Curating and Commissioning Contemporary Public Art’ at the University of Gothenburg / HDK Valand.

‘The eternity of temporary artworks’ highlights 5 case studies – 5 public commissioners in Flanders with artworks that were intended to be temporary but have nevertheless found a more permanent place in our public space. Six ‘topics for thought’ challenge commissioners, artists and other professionals to reflect on both temporary and permanent art commissions.

Due to a tradition of temporary art festivals in public spaces in Flanders (Belgium) for over 30 years, many temporary artworks never left their temporary locations nor their temporary status. The reasons vary. Sometimes the audience or policymakers liked a temporary work so much that they wanted it to stay and bought it or made other arrangements with the artist. Less flattering reasons include high removal costs or poor arrangements regarding the status of the work and who would oversee its maintenance. Since these temporary artworks were never intended for a permanent life in public space, the quality of materials is not always high, leading to higher potential restauration costs. Cities in Flanders (who are not always the owners of the works or the specific locations) deal with these ‘leftover’ artworks in various ways.

In this practical project, I explore different methods, trials, and errors in dealing with art commissions that were meant to be temporary but became permanent in public spaces. Based on lessons learned from five different case studies in public space in Flanders, I will share six ‘topics for thoughts’ useful for every stakeholder involved with public art commissions.

If you’re interested in reading the entire paper, please contact me by mail.