»What is can never be justified by what was, no matter what conclusions we draw about the past« [1]. This sentence by the philosopher Jacques Rancière could be used to summarise the 41 years that Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Hamburg has now been running. The program began in the 1980s in the spirit of democratic processes in art and culture. A lot has happened since then and the idea of the public sphere has changed under conditions of its increasing privatization. Today the projects and monuments in public space often seem empty, abandoned and almost forgotten. However, it is perhaps more important than ever to raise questions about the role of art for the digital, material and cultural commons, for the formation of collective infrastructures, but also for the possibility of conflicts that are not undermined by resentment. Under all these conditions: How could an art education for art in public space in Hamburg look like?
The seminar held by Nora Sternfeld and Hamburg City Curator Joanna Warsza is dedicated to the history of art in public space, with a special focus on Hamburg. The discussion explores curatorial and educational approaches to the public sphere, engaging with both a tangible and intangible public collection. Historical projects and archival documents serve as case studies to develop ideas for a public program, potentially realized in the summer in collaboration with Hamburg City Curator.

[1] Jacques Rancière, The Unforgettable, in: Figures of History, Polity Press:Cambridge/Malden 2014, p. 4

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