National Study of Germany's Art in Architecture from 1950 to 1979

Art in architecture has a long tradition in Germany. Brief documentations of select art projects now exemplify the manifold engagement and the outstanding achievements of the Federal Republic in this area. The outcome of our study offers a representative overview of the art in architecture commissioned by the federal government within Germany and abroad since 1950.

The goal of the research project was to document and present 200 works of art in architecture commissioned by the Federal Republic of Germany from 1950 to 1979. The Study (summary in German), co-authored by Claudia Büttner and Christina Lanzl, was published by the Federal Republic of Germany's Department of Architecture and Planning (Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung) in 2014.

Concept
The study “Summary Documentation of 200 Art in Architecture Projects commissioned by the Federal Republic of Germany from 1950 to 2010” is comprised of two parts.

The introduction offers a brief overview along with the methodology and an outline of the considerations for inclusion. Artistic quality, geography and media, as well as shifting scenarios pertaining to government relocations or changes in use were among the key considerations. The section concludes with a review of the individual documentations and an analysis of the insights gleaned from the genres, the featured artists and institutions.

Part Two features the summary documentations of 200 works of art. Each of the descriptions features a photo documentation of the artwork along with a description of the architectural context. Listed are the standard data of artistic production (artist name, title, year, media, dimensions) as well as information related to the commission and the location, a brief artist biography and bibliography.
 
The summary descriptions start with an overview of the architectural framework and portray the special circumstances of each work of public art. The works are then placed within each artist’s oeuvre, followed by a formal analysis and interpretation of the artistic intent.

Results
The study documents the clearly independent, site-specific character of art in architecture. Its spectrum ranges from more ‘decorative’ to strictly autonomous statements, from single-point expressions to integrative concepts.

Also visit the searchable digital platform Museum der 1000 Orte featuring select works commissioned by the Federal Republic of Germany since 1950.
NOTE: This site is currently available in English only.