On our agenda

Boost
The public space of Amsterdam isn’t a site that is anchored and demarcated, but an area that remains open, changes character continuously and allows all kinds of uses. This dynamics require involvement and a constant questioning attitude. In the view od the Stadscuratorium, the public space should not be filled in, but rather stretched. The public domain is also a place for experiment, where Stadscuratorium Amsterdam functions as a catalyst for new forms of commissioning and artistic expression. By generating challenging assignments, space is created for experimentation, which offers new opportunities for both artists and their practice.

Connect
There’s a lot of expertise on art in the public space in the city. Stadscuratorium aligns its views and policies with existing cultural networks of artists, mediators, trailblazers, officials, designers and residents dedicated to art in the public space. Together, we work on art in the city at both the district level and the municipal policy level. The Stadscuratorium’s activities are in line with relevant strategic policy agendas such as the Environmental Vision and its role is supportive rather than directive. The ideal is a city in which the public space can be questioned time and again, by artists in practice, by citizens in daily life, by thinkers with ideas and by officials with an open mind. In all of these cases, the Stadscuratorium functions as a central point of contact.

Collaborate
Stadscuratorium Amsterdam believes being committed to the city is of the utmost importance and makes every effort to create optimal collaborations. It monitors the parties involved in projects in the public space to make certain that agreements about process, content and financing with major players such as housing associations, developers and the (port) industry are made on time. In addition, Stadscuratorium ensures that there is room and attention for art projects throughout development trajectories. All too often, the context in which artists are expected to create their work are laid down without consultation with experts, leaving them too little room for artistic experimentation or innovation. To prevent this, the Stadscuratorium supports processes in which there is sufficient time and space for research and in which art projects can be realized that fit in with the ecology of a location.

Value
The management and preservation of existing works are crucial to the public character, atmosphere and overall quality of the public space. Management involves more than the maintenance of works of art. Management also means sharing the care and keeping works alive spiritually, for example by providing good explanations. Stadscuratorium also labours for existing works in semi-public locations: works of art that, although the city does not own them, are of image-defining value to Amsterdam. Urban renewal can threaten the city’s long tradition of building-related art, either by making such art invisible or by even removing it. Cities are constantly changing, but the preservation of their visual memories is important, too. This can be done by taking care of works of art that have played an important role in the development of the city. If a work of art cannot stay in its existing location, the Stadscuratorium will investigate possibilities to have it placed elsewhere.

Initiate Dialogue
Today, works of art in the public space are often expected to bridge differences and provide narratives – but how they are supposed to do this remains unclear. Works of art that focus too emphatically on the interests or tastes of a particular demography exclude other demographies, whereas works of art that want to please everyone are often no more than non-committal decorative pieces that offer nothing extra to the public space. Social support is an apparently simple concept that hides a complex reality. Stadscuratorium Amsterdam  intends to investigate, support and test new ways to involve citizens.