Socially engaged and public art in St. Petersburg: changing the cultural map of dormant districts

In her talk Maria Veits will speak about art projects in public spaces in Russia and the city of St Petersburg in particular. Research-based art projects aimed at work with different communities and spacial contexts are becoming more and more popular in Russia. However, the fragile concept of the public space in Russia and the question of its belonging makes it sometimes difficult for artists and curators to work in public places and avoid control on the part of the local authorities. Maria will speak about recent art projects in public spaces in St Petersburg and will specifically focus on the international project of public art "Critical Mass" run by the Creative Association of Curators TOK, which she cofounded in St Petersburg in 2010 for organizing multidisciplinary art, research and educational projects and initiatives. 

Duesseldorf-based artist and curator Andrea Knobloch, known for her works in the public sphere in Germany, will join the talk and speak about her project Worringer Square Guesthouse, which main idea is to held exhibitions, performances and installations dedicated to an urban square in the busy city center of Duesseldorf. 

After their presentations Maria and Andrea invite the audience to engage into the open discussion and talk about similarities and differences of socially engaged art practices in Germany and Russia and the notion of public space in both countries. 

The event will be conducted in English.