A reference library on Public Art in Hamburg and beyond

Website of the project

Who makes decisions about art in public sphere? Who has made art in public sphere and why? How has Public Art changed? ReferenzBibliothek is a collection of diverse references to art in public spaces in the city of Hamburg and beyond. It traces connections, paths, links, deviations, the lost, the precarious, the artivist and global perspectives in the local, in order to map the complexity of the various stages, trace local histories and open it up to the public.

The para-education e.V. started by talking to key figures about their projects and their artistic practice. All materials that the interviewees named as their central points of relevance are referred to as references, without any claim to be exhaustive. These references form the basis of the collection, which continues to grow through research by the project participants and donations. The collection includes mainly books, but also photos, videos and ephemera on Public Art in Hamburg, primarily from 1981 onwards – the year marking the establishment of the Kunst im öffentlichen Raum (Art in Public Space) program in Hamburg. Fostered by this initiative, several hundred artworks have been created in the city, establishing Hamburg as one of Germany’s most vibrant centers for critical Public Art.

Collection of references can be accessed digitally through the ReferenzBibliothek website.
An initial analogue selection of references on the topic of curating the city that are part of the ReferenzBibliothek is available to the public in the foyer of the Kunsthaus Hamburg. They can be viewed without prior appointment during the institution's opening hours. The presented publications emphasize the close collaboration between artistic visions, cultural authorities, and Hamburg’s art institutions, which together have shaped the city’s public art landscape.

ReferenzBibliothek is an open library that is intended to grow through collective knowledge and a collective collection process. If you have an idea or material to share, please contact para-education at info@para-education.de
The project team keeps on looking for materials on Public Art in Hamburg since 1981:
- Books, flyers, posters, program booklets
- Audiovisual materials (videos, photographs, interviews)
- Documentation of art actions and artistic projects
- Archive material on topics such as the culture of remembrance, protest movements and Hamburg's urban space

ReferenzBibliothek is a project founded by para-education e.V. (Dörte Habighorst, Sarah Savalanpour, Thesea Rigou and Malin Kuht) initiated by the City Curator Hamburg and evolving in cooperation with Kunsthaus Hamburg and the Ministry of Culture and Media Hamburg.

The launch of the ReferenzBibliothek took place on 16 November 2025 at the Kunsthaus Hamburg.