In honour of the achievements of art historian and curator Werner Fenz (1944-2016), the City of Graz’s Department of Cultural Affairs established a biennial grant for art in public space in 2020. Starting in 2023, it will be awarded jointly by the steirischer herbst festival for contemporary art and the city of Graz and is aimed at national and international projects that deal with the cultural and political context of the city of Graz.
The aim of the Werner Fenz Fellowship is to promote an art form that provides decisive impetus for the development of public space and for social change. This means an art form that ‘claims social responsibility’ (Werner Fenz) and seeks dialogue with citizens.
The tender is international. The winning project will be presented publicly in spring 2026 and realised as part of the steirischer herbst 2026.
The Werner Fenz Scholarship for Art in Public Space is endowed with 17,000 EUR, of which 12,000 EUR is available for the realisation of an artistic work in public space and 5,000 EUR is available as a fee. The production will be directed by steirischer herbst, thus drawing on the festival’s resources and long-standing experience with artworks in public spaces. On-site research and accommodation for the artist/collective during the production period in Graz will be covered as part of the grant.
