It is a fact: the relationship between art and city, long forgotten by the artistic world and neglected by utilitarian programs, is on the agenda for a lot of creators as well as for policy makers. Singularly in its live and temporary aspects, at a time when our social space has actually largely become virtual.

It raises aesthetic questions – How can less “monumental” contemporary art dialogue with urban space which is more diffuse than ever? –, it raises social issues – should art reweave social fabric, as it is often hoped for? – it raises philosophical questions – what part for the spectacular, what part for underground work? –, it raises issues of production too – what price (moral or financial) are we willing to put in a "free of charge" cultural activity bringing non-quantifiable "takings"?

During five days, different debates, workshops, discussions and experience sharing will be proposed to consider these issues – local by definition – through the prism of other experiences from elsewhere. Because beyond (as well as within) the city, there is the world… and the best way to see our own city, is to see the world.

Programme

Mornings (10 - 1 pm): « Sharing », 15 workshops or specific talks:

Cultural Projects

Five urban project tackling different dimensions of public spaces

• 27.08 : Massimo Carosi (IT) Dance in urban landscapes : the experience of Danza Urbana à Bologne.

• 28.08 : Sabine Cornu (BE) Nuit(s) blanche(s), in Brussels and elsewhere?

• 29.08 : Wolfgang Preisinger (AT) : Exchange Radical Moments, a live art European project 

• 30.08 : Johanna Tuukanen (FI)  ANTI in Kuopio : an « in situ » festival

• 30.08 : Sophie Perrier (FR)  Rayons Frais in Tours : reinventing a urban imaginary

Cultural Policy

Impacts, interests and problems linked to urban cultural policies

• 27.08 : Sarah Munro (Glasgow) From European Capital of Culture to Commonwealth Games. 

• 28.08 : Davor Buinjac (Ljubljana) Public Policy and the Arts in Urban Spaces 

• 29.08 : Jean-Paul Deplus (Mons) and Krzystof Czyzewski (Wroclaw) Waiting to become European Capital of Culture 

• 30.08 : Charlotte Morel (Lille)  From Lille 2004 to Lille 3000 

• 31.08 : Katrien Laporte (Ghent) A Nile is running through Ghent…

Artistic Practices

Five meetings to consider artistic philosophies implemented in urban projects: transfiguration, contamination, participation, perturbation, occupation…

• 27.08 : Claudia Bosse (AT) Overwriting Space: some thoughts, perforations and methods 

• 28.08 : FrenchMottershead (UK) People Places Process 

• 29.08 : Ian Smith (UK)  Mischief in the City – Healthy Disrespect 

• 31.08 : Rajni Shah (UK)  Glorious - Gift and Conversation

• 31.08 : Thibaud Croisy (FR)  The Citizen as Audience

Afternoon (2 - 5 pm): « Debates », five round tables gathering  artists, cultural operators, local cultural policy makers and thinkers to discuss cross-section questions.

• 27.08: Please, Draw me a City...

In the urban fabric torn by urbanisation, brutalised by speculation, jostled by local and international migration movements, art is often called for help as a social bandage.  Sometime it manages to recreate a common urban imaginary... sometime it fails to do so. Beyond urban strategies and perennial monuments what is the role of those temporary artistic projects? Can they re-enchant a city?

With Sarah Munro (UK), Massimo Carosi (IT), Claudia Bosse (AT), Myriam Stoffen (BE) and Olivier Bastin (BE). Facilitation : Benoît Hennaut.

• 28.08: Is there a « European » City?

Are European urbanities specific? The Political European Project values diversity; in this context, how is the variety of urban spaces taken into account? Is the relationship to memory, history or heritage – a European characteristic – an advantage or a handicap in our relation to the city? Can these artistic projects travel within Europe without visa?

With Davor Buinjac (SI), FrenchMottershead (UK), Sabine Cornu (BE), Bernard Boon Falleur (BE) and Joanna Warsza (PL). Facilitation: Yohann Floch.

- 29.08: Art Side Story : Artists vs Politics

As old as the couple artist / politics can be, making an artistic project in urban space can reveal confronting strategies, sometime painfully.  Political instrumentalisation of art, or conscious less artist provoking social break, traps are numerous and relationships are delicate... even though happy meeting are not impossible. What guide lines should we imagine to help this relationship?

With Jean-Paul Deplus (BE), Krzystof Czyzewski (PL), Wolfgang Preisinger (AT), Ian Smith (UK), C\&H (BE-NL) and Emina Visnic (CR). Facilitation: Yohann Floch.

- 30.08 : Party or Mind!

Two main logics seem to be opposed in urban artistic projects today: the first emphasises on fun and big events, the second concentrates on recreating social bonding through in-depth developments. Are these two options incompatible? Are there any other ways? Should it be rethought according to technological mutations occuring since the rise of Internet and the development of virtual worlds?

With Charlotte Morel (FR), Rajni Shah (UK), Sophie Perrier (FR), Fabienne Verstraeten (BE) and Toma MutebaLuntumbue (BE). Facilitation: Yohann Floch.

Speaker

Claudia Bosse is a Director and works with citizens and / or public space.

Davor Buinjac is a Cultural Advisor at the City of Ljubljana. 

Massimo Carosi leads the Festival Danza Urbana Bologna. S

Sabine Cornu is Cultural Mediator at Nuit Blanche in Brussels. 

Thibaud Croisy is an interpreter for the choreographers Annie Vigier and Franck Apertet (Les Gens d’Uterpan). 

Jean-Paul Curnier is a philosopher and works with the action group LFKs coordinated by Jean Michel Bruyère. 

Krzystof Czyzewski is the Artistic Director of Wroclaw 2016. 

C \ &H is an action group which developed the project « Postcards from the future » in Brussels. 

Bernard Boon Falleur was the kindpin of the « Cultural Plan for Brussels ». 

Jean-Paul Deplus is Cultural Deputy Mayor at the City of Mons. 

Yohann Floch coordinates the network Circostrada and is in charge of International Relations at HorslesMurs, Paris. 

FrenchMottershead is a couple of British artists working on social exchange inprivate and public space. 

Benoît Hennaut is an independant expert in the performing arts and researcher.

Katrien Laporte is a political attaché (Culture, Tourism and Events) at the City of Ghent. 

Charlotte Morel is P.A of Head of Cultural department at the City of Lille. 

Toma Muteba Luntumbue is an artist and teacher at “Urban Space” at La Cambre, Brussels. 

Sarah Munro is Art Director at « Glasgow Life », structure in charge of Sports and Culture in Glasgow. 

Sophie Perrier coordinates the Festival Rayons Frais in Tours. 

Wolfgang Preisinger coordinates the project « Exchange Radical Moments » for Die Fabrikanten, a structure based in Linz. 

Rajni Shah is a British artist who recently created the project « Glorious » with citizens in Mons. 

Ian Smith is the Artistic Director of Mischief La-Bas, a Scottish Street Theater and Urban Intervention company. 

Myriam Stoffen is the Director of Zinneke Parade in Brussels.

Johanna Tuukannen leads the Festival ANTI in Kuopio. 

Fabienne Verstraeten is Director of Les Halles in Brussels. 

Emina Visnic directs the Cultural Centre Pogon in Zaghreb and is a cultural activist. 

Joanna Warsza is critique and curator of the Berlin Biennale 2012.

Illustration : Chloé Perarneau

Cifas offers contemporary artists to illustrate its communication. Chloé Perarneau illustrated the Summer University "Urbi et Orbi: Living Art, City and City Dwellers".

Chloé Perarneau grew up in the coutryside, where she liked drawing houses and huts. Graduated in illustration from the Royal ACademy of Fine Arts in Brussels, she still likes drawing houses, cities as playgrounds where stories appear.