Registration deadline: March 6th. See details below.

Brief

An interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge on methodologies and artistic tools used in engaging with and creating works for public space. A theoretical, interactive, practical exploration of ways in which artists can benefit from the working process employed in different disciplines, such as visual arts, architecture, dance/choreography, critical theory and sound.

If the construction site were our classroom, what type of knowledge would surface in it?

In the workshop, we will try to take a closer look into a construction site. A place usually not approachable to us – a site already occupied by an activity. A site in transfiguration; a fenced area where the information about what was there before still lingers, yet the atmosphere of what's next (the future) begins to be projected. Halfway there, in the midst – at the intersection of decisions.

The construction sites we will take as our case study will be Papirøen and Operaparken (TBC), both designed by the architecture firm Cobe. This location is poignant for us because of its almost 300-year history in which the rise of the city is inscribed. The island was built on waste discarded from the surrounding city, has fulfilled multiple functions for the citizens, and we are currently witnessing the latest phase of change from being an abandoned paper factory to gaining a new, hybrid role.

Engaging with the construction site

The off-site seminar will take place over three full days from 10-16, each consisting of three parts: guided walks through the site led by professionals from different disciplines, discussions with participants, and practical tasks and exercises related to artistic engagement with the specific site.

The guided walks will be led by: a professional with deep knowledge of urban research (especially regarding the developments happening in the city over the past decade), a professional who will present us with the current state of the construction site and its plans for the future, and the duo of visual artist Lea Anic and choreographer Lana Hosni who will guide a walk with the aim of experiencing the site through movement and sound. The latter will form the basis of entering the site from the perspective of an artist and open a dialogue on the question: Which information lingers on the site, beyond what we can grasp by sight and language?

The dialogue and discussion will revolve around the walks taken, as well as the excerpts from selected texts, films and various artworks in connection to artistic practices engaging with the public space, such as works by the likes of Renata Lucas, Alvin Baltrop, Gordon Matta Clark, Sandi Hilal, Alessandro Petti, etc.

The practical tasks will be given to participants with the aim of collecting different clues and inputs in relation to their interests from the construction site. Through a series of exercises, we will investigate how we can inhabit a site with our bodies, with our voices. From the collected materials and different methods employed, collective knowledge of working within the site will be created and shared.

Registration

The off-site seminar is aimed at students and professionals working in the field of visual arts, architecture, dance, and sound, who have an interest in working with/within the public space, and learning more about artistic practices related to developing art projects in public spaces.

The participation is free and will be limited to a maximum of 15 participants.

The registration is open until the 1st of March. To register, please write a brief motivation letter and send it to niels.christensen@kunstakademiet.dk. The applications will be processed by mid-March.

The off-site seminar is facilitated by Lea Anic, together with Carla Zaccagnini, the professor at The School of Conceptual and Contextual Practices. It is organized in collaboration between The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Copenhagen Architecture Festival, supported by Statens Kunstfond.