28 Aug 2015

Out in the Open: Artistic Explorations in the Public Domain

What constitutes a piece of public art? Should it be outdoors and monumental? Permanent and made of strong, long-lasting materials? Or is it something that can be more fluid, intimate in scale and ephemeral in execution; operating in our constantly changing urban environment in new ways, inviting us to consider our surroundings in a new light and asking difficult questions about how city spaces are developed and controlled.

Household is pleased to announce 'Out in the Open', a 3-day programme of new commissions, screenings, interventions and conversations about what it means to make art in the public domain in 2015.

As well as premiering new artworks in the city of Belfast we are inviting leading local and international artists, curators, researchers and producers to present key projects and case studies that explore the transformative possibilities of public art. Through this discursive programme of talks and discussions we will examine how artistic and curatorial strategies in cities such as New York, London, and Helsinki could inform how art in public is currently thought about in Northern Ireland, and what it may look like in the future.

International organisations involved include Checkpoint Helsinki (Finland), Creative Time (U.S.), and Artangel (UK).

Artists presenting work in the project include Bedwyr Williams, Martin Boyle, Mitch Conlon, and Philip Ewe.

Household is a curatorial team of five people who organise projects that encourage audiences to re-negotiate the way in which they view and interact with art in Belfast. We realise events that offer artists and viewers an opportunity to create and experience new work in unrestricted, non-commercial, and non-institutional contexts.