Public art and percent-for-art

There is a long tradition of artistic engagement with public spaces, buildings and civil engineering works in Berlin. Funding for projects of this nature is provided in accordance with state regulations (Anweisung Bau).
The Senate Department for Culture and Europe is assisted in administering these programmes by an advisory committee (Beratungsausschuss Kunst – BAK).
A host of art and design competitions and other selection processes, including both open and invitation-only formats, are open to visual artists, architects and designers wishing to create work in Berlin. These competitions are carried out in compliance with state regulations (Richtlinien für Planungswettbewerbe – RPW 2013). Not only does this culture of competition ensure transparency around selection processes and outcomes, it cultivates public discourse around contemporary artworks in the context of both historical and social issues.
Public art and percent-for-art projects are located in many different sites within the public space across Berlin. These ‘low-threshold’ artworks allow the public to engage with contemporary art outside of museums and similar presentation contexts. They are an open invitation to grapple with art, to explore the challenges that it presents or to simply revel in its wonders.