Anna Luyten introduces the Belgian nomadic contemporary art project Publiek Park, which explores public city parks and gardens as its exhibition grounds. The project invites both international and local artists to create artworks that draw inspiration from the surroundings in a site-sensitive manner.
Walking is employed as a curatorial methodology to discover the parks with artists, researchers, partners, neighbours and other stakeholders. Publiek Park aims to uncover the social and historical layers of public green spaces through a vibrant public programme that brings together visual art, music, film, and performance. Each edition is complemented by a Walking Guide, including artist’s contributions, historical overview, and essays by contemporary thinkers. This comprehensive publication accompanies the visitors in their journey, providing diverse perspectives on the project and its unique natural and urban settings.
Publiek Park is initiated and curated by Jef Declercq, Anna Laganovska, Koi Persyn & Adriënne van der Werf, – this presentation was made by Jef and Koi.
Walking Arts & Local Communities (WALC) is an artistic cooperation project, co-funded by the European Union, Creative Europe, starting in January 2024 for four years. With seven partners from five countries, WALC establishes an International Center for Artistic Research and Practice of Walking Arts, in Prespa, Greece, at the border with Albania and North Macedonia, backed up by an online counterpart in the format of a digital platform for walking arts.
WALC builds on the previous work of hundreds of artists and researchers already practicing Walking Arts as a collaborative medium, and having met at the significant previous walking arts events and encounters in Greece, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and during online activities at walk · listen · create.
We acknowledge the support of the EU Creative Europe Cooperation grant program in the framework of the European project WALC (Walking Arts and Local Community).
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.