Service & Institution

The Lower Austrian State Department of Art and Culture / Art in the Public Space (KOERNOE) promotes contemporary art and cultural projects in public spaces and on public buildings that address history and specific current circumstances and explore the possibilities of the public space in a multi-layered way. The artistic works should open up new perspectives and develop forms of design that enter into an active dialog with the local environment as well as with viewers and users.

Lower Austria has made a name for itself both nationally and internationally with art in public spaces. There is no comparable region in Europe with such a high density of high-quality artworks in both rural and urban spaces.

The core mission of KOERNOE is to activate a continuous exchange of contemporary art with the current issues of the public space and to promote artistic projects throughout Lower Austria that deal with current social developments and issues and are positioned in the midst of the everyday life of the population.

KOERNOE sees itself as a communicative and operational interface between project sponsors (municipalities, cultural institutions, private associations, etc.), artists, and users. With the support of a committee of experts that changes every three years, KOERNOE offers advice on artistic projects in the public space, organizes artistic competitions, and accompanies the implementation of juried projects.

In addition to funding, one of the core tasks of KOERNOE lies in the mediation and documentation of realized projects.

KOERNOE is convinced that artistic approaches can provide important impulses in the design and negotiation of public spaces by making innovative, unexpected, and reflective contributions to the perception of everyday life.