Austria | Werner Fenz Fellowship for Art in Public Space 2026

The City of Graz’s Department of Cultural Affairs is calling for applications from national and international projects that deal with the cultural and political context of the city of Graz for their biennial grant for art in public space, to be realised as part of the steirischer herbst festival for contemporary art (September/October 2026).

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.

Projects can deal with economic, political, social, ecological, architectural, or urban development issues. They should contribute to the discourse on current forms of art in public space and address the sociopolitical context of the city of Graz and the province of Styria. The focus lies on temporary projects that infiltrate everyday life and latch onto existing public structures.

Support

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.

Werner Fenz Scholarship for Art in Public Space application guidelines

Deadline: 12 August 2025