Art in Frankfurt: Everything in its place in public space

Ms. Beebone, since this year you have been head of the department for art in public space at the Frankfurt Cultural Office.

What can that mean?

Christopher Schutte

Freelance author in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Imagine Frankfurt's urban space as an "outdoor museum".

Basically, the same core tasks of museum work apply here, i.e. collecting, preserving, communicating.

This means that works of art are acquired for public space and cared for in terms of conservation.

And since neither the Heine monument nor, say, Sol LeWitt's "Open Cubes" are self-explanatory, we offer information on more than 400 sculptures on a specially created website.

What is that anyway, art in public space?

Goethe?

The euro sign?

The Hesse monument?

If you take a look at our site

, you would assume that there is pretty much everything in terms of art and cultural assets that can be found in the urban space.

Basically, I think differentiation is extremely important.

The properties that we look after include around 100 mostly historical fountains.

In addition, however, it is no longer a question today that not only sculptures and monuments fall under the concept of art in public space.

Graffiti art or performance and artistic interventions, which are widely known under the name of urban art or street art, are also included.

And contemporary art?

How does it get into urban space?

And who decides that?

First of all, new works are preferably developed in invited competitions.

And the following applies to the inventory: each work must be assessed individually.

After all, the occasions are as different as the functions, artistic media and locations.

Location decisive for the success of the work

But the public is not always happy with it.

Of course, that's in the nature of things.

But there can also be very different reasons for this.

In my opinion, the context and therefore also the location is always decisive for the success of a work - regardless of whether it is a memorial, a performance or a sculpture.

But doesn't that apply to all art?

The conditions here are very unique.

The urban space, for example, works completely differently than a park and even more so the exhibition space of a museum.

Always and at all times.

Art in public space is an art form with its own history and development.

And what it should be and what it should achieve is the subject of social discourse.

This means that it is about art from different times, sometimes separated by centuries.

And differently constituted Frankfurt societies.

What does that mean?

It is precisely these insights into social constitutions and changes in the public sphere that make the topic so exciting.

A wayside shrine or wayside cross from the early 16th century in Eckenheim, for example, was part of a resting place where country people moving to the market in Frankfurt sat down to pray.

500 years later, in Cyprien Gaillard's "Frankfurter Schacht" in the Taunusanlage, deeply profane human needs find a dignified place and retreat - regardless of religion, origin or gender.

Can the Cultural Office decide at all?

The works don't all belong to the city, do they?

No, not at all.

We have recorded a total of almost 600 objects.

Around 480 of these are owned by the city.

All others belong to private real estate owners, the Goethe University, the Städel Museum and numerous others.

Numerous new works have been added in recent years.

What characterizes art in public space today?

It is perceived more strongly because public space has gained in importance.

But it is also an instrument that is still misunderstood in many places and is intended to serve city marketing and square beautification.

But their quality is much more subversive.

She has a sensitive sensory system for questions that affect society and our future coexistence.

A city and a city society must be ready to ask themselves these questions.

Not everything is possible everywhere.

But we are working to make many things possible.

In your opinion, what is the relevance of this?

What can art achieve in public space?

Let me tell you what, contrary to widespread expectations, it cannot do, among other things: solve problems and rectify mistakes in urban planning.

For me, the artists themselves are still relevant today.

Namely as dialogue and cooperation partners who should be involved in urban development processes at a very early stage.