Publiek Park 2021
Kristaps Ancāns, Ines Claus, CMMC, Marc Cosyns, Koba De Meutter, Stefanan Dheedene, Marcin Dudek, Helen Anna Flanagan, Mark Grootes, Polina Kanis, Gaëlle Leenhardt, Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe, Quenton Miller, Mountaincutters, Anthony Ngoya, Shalva Nikvashvili, Jacopo Pagin, Laure Prouvost, Clara Spilliaert, Evita Vasiļjeva, Xuan-Lin Wang, Lois Weinberger
The first edition of Publiek Park was held in 2021 at the Citadelpark of Ghent (BE), which surrounds the Museum of Contemporary Art of Ghent (S.M.A.K.). In collaboration with the museum and twelve other cultural organizations, Publiek Park built upon the layers of narratives already present in the park – its history, surrounding myths and social dynamics. The landscape park was approached as a total installation and the exhibition as a promenade.
A selection of twenty-two international artists presented artworks, which reflected and expanded the experience of the Citadelpark as an urban and natural public space. Through its public programme the multidisciplinary project united visual art, performance, music and film at the interface of culture, nature and heritage.
The accompanying Walking Guide assisted the visitors in navigating through the park and included a contribution by every participating artist, in-depth research into the history of the park and seven essays by contemporary thinkers, each presenting their specialized view on the current condition of this public sphere.
The first iteration of Publiek Park was initiated and curated by Jef Declercq, Anna Laganovska, Koi Persyn & Adriënne van der Werf / the Young Friends of S.M.A.K. Publiek Park 2021 was supported by the Province of East Flanders, the City of Ghent, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and SIGN Groningen, S.M.A.K., MSK, GUM, 019, KRAAK, Monterey, Art Cinema OFFoff, BLANCO, Kunstencentrum Voo?uit, Ensemble and Bocca.
Photography: Michiel De Cleene & Lars Duchateau
Project website