Public Paradoxes - Art in Public Space

"Public Paradoxes" was one of the first official European Capital of Culture projects and featured artworks at unusual, yet typical locations around the Ruhr region in 2010. In an international competition in 2007, artists were asked to propose works for display along streets and autobahns, in downtown commercial areas and new, immaterial spaces which have arisen with the era of mobile telephoning. The prize-winning proposals were documented in an exhibition and four of the works were presented in a museum and in public space.

The first prize was awarded to the Viennese artists Felix Lüdicke and Korbinian Lechner for their work which will be displayed at the autobahn junction "Duisburg Kaiserberg". The second prize went to the Swiss group île flottante / Nica Giuliani and Andrea Gsell for the work "expansion sonore" in which passersby were able to make the buildings in downtown Duisburg "speak" to them with the aid of their mobile phones. Karin Lingnau and Martin Hesselmeier presented their kinetic light-sound installation "SARoskop" at the Lehmbruck Museum. Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth presented a growing sculpture titled "For an Economy of Exchange" at the CityPalais where shoppers could trade in their personal items for artworks.

Artistic Director: Dr. Söke Dinkla