OPEN CALL: KUNST IM ÖFFENTLICHEN RAUM FÖRDERSCHWERPUNKT 2026

About the Open Call

'Seelenschwitzen' describes the tension between physicality, emotional transformation, collective experience and individual processing. How can social, psychological and political tensions be made visible? Who sweats - and why? Where does anger, fear, confidence, hope bubble up? What remains when the emotion evaporates? And how can we as a society come closer together again through shared 'sweating'? Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Tirol invites artistic works of all disciplines – intervention, sculpture, sound or performance – under the thematic focus 'Seelenschwitzen' 2026 to transform public space into a playground of different emotional and physical processes. The funding program 'Kunst im öffentlichen Raum' has been carried out since 2008 in cooperation between the Land Tirol and the Künstler*innen Vereinigung Tirol and is financed by funds from the Land Tirol. For 2026, this will be advertised for the sixth time under a thematic focus drawn up by the Künstler*innen Vereinigung Tirol, which is intended to serve as a thematic bracket for the drafting of concepts and the implementation of projects. The aim of the funding focus is to promote contemporary art and cultural projects in public space in order to make the engagement with current social issues accessible to a broad public and to initiate a dialogue on cultural, social and political topics. Art in public space should trigger discussions and be an integral part of the development of perspectives. There are no limits to the artistic formats. Both permanent sculptural art projects, temporary interventions as well as participatory, performative and dialogical formats in public rural and urban spaces are promoted. Special attention is paid to project submissions that are site-specific, take into account mediating formats and have a sustainable implementation. In order to reach as diverse an audience as possible, the projects should represent a synergy between artistic practice and everyday culture. In this sense, the venues of the projects are as diverse as the projects themselves and open up the possibility of making art experienceable beyond the boundaries of cultural institutions. Sensitivity regarding gender issues and social exclusion mechanisms in the conception and implementation of the project is expected. Barrier-free access to the respective project should already be considered in the concept.

What is Offered

The Aktion Kunst im öffentlichen Raum of the Land Tirol is endowed with EUR 80,000 for 2026. Two to four projects will be selected for realization, with funding up to 100% of the eligible total costs. Curatorial and production-technical support is also provided.

Requirements

The project must be based on the open call text and serve as a thematic bracket. Projects must be realized in Tirol, in public rural or urban spaces, and engage with the specific conditions of the chosen location. Selected projects must be implementable between March and November 2026. Funding is contingent on obtaining all necessary permits for realization and consent from the local municipality(ies) to the submitted project. The applicant is responsible for securing official permits. Excluded: retrospective funding or purchase of already realized artworks, classic 'Kunst am Bau' projects, publications not part of a project, and public events such as concerts or theatre performances without thematic connection to the funding action. The call is open to artists, artist collectives, architects, and curators active in contemporary art, residing in the EWR (European Economic Area) or EFTA (European Free Trade Association).

How to Apply

Submissions exclusively via email to koer-tirol@kuveti.at with the subject 'Einreichung KOER 2026'. Required documents include: detailed project description (max. 8 pages, DIN A4) with text, visualizations (sketches, renderings, model photos); cost and financing plan (material, production, travel, accommodation, fees, research, production assistance, technical implementation, setup/dismantling, maintenance, mediation, communication); project timeline; completed data sheet; applicant information; documentation of previous artistic activities.