Call for art project Submissions: The Werner Fenz Grant for Art in Public Space 2026

The Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Graz, Austria and Steirischer Herbst invite applications for the Werner Fenz Grant for Art in Public Space 2026. This biennial grant aims to explore and assess the current status of art in public space. Proposals may engage with economic, political, social, ecological, architectural, or urban development themes. Projects should contribute meaningfully to the ongoing discourse around contemporary public art and address the sociopolitical context of both the City of Graz and the Province of Styria. The grant focuses on temporary projects that interact with everyday life and integrate into existing public structures. In addition to the grant funding, on-site research, as well as travel and accommodation costs for the artist during the production phase in Graz, are covered. The winning proposal will be selected by the international jury, consisting one member from the initiators’ committee, two nominated by steirischer herbst, and two by the City’s Cultural Affairs Department. The selected project will be announced by January 2026.

The Werner Fenz Grant for Art in Public Space was initiated in 2020 in memory of the late art historian and curator Werner Fenz (1944–2016). Awarded biennially by the City of Graz and steirischer herbst, the grant is endowed with €17,000, of which €12,000 is allocated for the realization of the artwork and €5,000 serves as the artist’s fee