015 PaPs 2017 international visibility – Public Art & Public Space

international visibility

the topic of international visibility based on the remarkable results achieved on a previous annual project “the city we need: open for art” (2016) realised in cooperation with the department of architecture, design and urbanism in alghero, university of sassari. the experience helped us to recognise the importance to strengthen the international visibility of PaPs. therefore, we decided to act in various ways to intensify our international visibility. firstly, statistics about infrastructural capacity, the PaPs website, illustrates great increasing of internationalization. secondly, PaPs is being invited to participate in international projects about the topic of public art frequently. thirdly, a few educational and research activities about PaPs experiences were implemented out of Serbian borders. fourthly, we gave an example of the first results.

PaPs website:

The statistics about the official website and experience of PaPs show virtual representation through the website important for visibility and networking at the global level. The website agility contributes dissemination of knowledge and experiences on a global level, towards very distant (physically) places and people. Besides, it allows a contact and networking with people who recognize shared interest in the activities of the PaPs. The possibility for realisation of joint projects grows simultaneously.The official website of the PaPs has existed since January 2005. Despite potent technical preconditions, database have not been fully complied and few materials about PaPs activities were available until 2012. On occasion of the 10th anniversary of PaPs, we upgraded database of a website significantly. From this point onward, we are trying to keep the website’s visitors and users updated about our activities without much delay. Thus, we were curious to investigate the ability of PaPs website due to crux periods of its growing and peoples’ interest in the website. All statistics are official data of Google Analytic service. All calculated periods start on 1st January 2005, when the website was registered. The information collected about website users are ‘location’ and ‘session’. ‘Location’ is the geographical position of the user. ‘Session’ metrics measure activities of people who are visiting and using the website. Google analytics define the ‘session’ as a unified information about ‘visitors’ (those who enter the website) and ‘active’ users (those who browse pages, download resources etc.). Parallel, we extracted data about ‘new users’ (those who visit a website for the very first time) from the total number of ‘session’. The crux points are marked in red.

We can summarise that PaPs website started to function from January to February 2012, when it attracted about 100 users in a month; 104 ‘new usurers’ and 124 ‘sessions’. In the 2013, the website registered about 1.000 users; 924 ‘new users’ and 1.199 ‘sessions’. In the 2015, more than half of users were not visiting the website from Serbia. In the 2016, we reached the number of 10.000 ‘sessions’ (it grew ten times in three years from 1st January 2013-2016). At the 1st January of 2017 the gap in numbers between ‘new users’ and ‘sessions’ increases that means also, people are not only attracted by our website but they are returning to research it more times. In addition, we can conclude that the location of the access to the website varies, but the most people reach the website from Italy and US. This conclusion about the location of the access to the website are not coincidences. We have the highest number of projects realised in collaboration with Italian people and institutions. However, the countries consequently listed, such as Brasil and India, representing the territories where we have never had an implementation of a project.

In conclusion, the increase of the visibility that PaPs website has orients to the growing number of visitors rather than coverage by various locations from which they are accessing the website. The augmented number of non-Serbian visitors dysplay the issue. Furthermore, the statistics that we are demonstrating about the PaPs website are barely comparable with the websites of huge, commercial companies that implement their activities in the similar thematic fields as PaPs does. But our goal is not oriented towards general communication. We are focused on strengthening the ’family’ within limited resources we can afford. Thus, we are proud of the results and we are grateful to all faithful visitors and their precious support!

PaPs participation in the international projects_arts forum marrakech, morroco

PaPs has an honour to be invited and participate in the first arts forum on art, Public Space, and closing societies hosted by open society foundations’ arts exchange, held in may 2017 in marrakech, morocco. participants of the forum included 40 artists, arts leaders, and cultural producers with 35 open society foundations staff from across the network, and several representatives of other donors, including the prince claus fund, the arab fund for arts and culture, and the british council. choreographed as a series of intimate conversations, the forum led to honest dialogue and debate between artists and funders, and a deeper understanding of the needs of artists working on the front lines. the arts forum marked the beginning of a two-year initiative on the part of the arts exchange to engage a conversation around the relationship between art, public space, and closing societies (societal changes).

the invitation to the art forum is an important result of PaPs’ activities on increasing the international visibility. PaPs is recognized as a relevant, desirable and a valuable representative from the western balkans in the field of public art. thus, PaPs gained the promising opportunities as a stakeholder of such an important and specific global network, focused on art, public space, and public (society).

PaPs collaboration on international projects_”learning economies” (ongoing)

The research project „Learning Economies. Modelling Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) for the Sustainable Economic Trajectories of the Negotin and Zlatibor Regions“ is part of the “Executive Programme for Scientific and Technological Cooperation Between The Italian Republic and The Republic of Serbia for The Years 2016-2018”. The institutions in charge of the co-ordination of the present Executive Programme are for the Italian Party: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Directorate General for the Country Promotion (Economy, Culture and Science), and for the Serbian Party: Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development. This bilateral research project is considered to be a Joint Research Project of “Particular Relevance” (“Progetti di Grande Rilevanza” aisensi della I. 401/90) and has been granted a financial contribution from Italian Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale, Direzione Generale per la Promozione del Sistema Paese (MAECI). The partners in this project are: Fondazione Di Vittorio (ex IRES – Istituto Ricerche Economiche e Sociali) from Rome, University of Belgrade-Faculty of Architecture, Università Di Roma La Sapienza Facoltà di Architettura, Università di Sassari Dipartimento di Architettura, Design e Urbanistica, University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia (IAUS) and Riserva Naturale dei Monti Navegna e Cervia. The Italian scientist responsible for the project is Dr Elena Battaglini (Dirigente di Ricerca/Senior Researcher from di Vittorio Foundation) and Serbian scientist responsible for the project is Jelena Živković (Associate Professor from University of Belgrade – Faculty of Archtiecture and one of the liders of PaPs). PaPs was invited to offer logistical support for the project in front of Serbian section, also. The researchers on the project are: Fondazione Di Vittorio: Dr Elena Battaglini, Dr Pasquale Pignatale; University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture: Dr Zoran Djukanović, Dr Vladan Djokić, Dr Jelena Živković, Dr Ksenija Lalović + Dr Jasminka Cvejić (Faculty of Forestry); University of Rome La Sapienza – Faculty of Architecture: Dr Francesca Giofrè; University of Sassari – Alghero Department of Architecture, Design and Urbanism: Dr Arnaldo Cecchini, Dr Giuseppe Onni; University of Belgrade – Faculty of Philosophy: Dr Marija Babović; Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia (IAUS): Dr Marina Nenković-Riznić, Dr Nikola Krunić.

A two years project aims to identificatify and construct a CLLD-intervention model for the regional sustainable development. This model will be the core section of a feasibility study for the implementation of a proactive decision-support web-platform providing a valuable interface between firms, communities, authorities with solution-oriented innovative approaches in a public and participatory dimension. Conceived dynamics of the project include four meetings and online communication of included parties. The first presentation of the project is held in Belgrade, May 2016. The specific goal of the meeting was the introductory presentation of the project “Learning Economies” and state of the art.

It was followed by the meeting in Rome, November 2016. This meeting concentrated on methodological framework and very first findings about related topics.

The last meeting is held in June 2017 and another one is foreseen in 2018. The workshop with stakeholders is held at the last meeting at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade.

PaPs out of serbian borders_japanese experiences

From the beginning of 2017, PaPs has two educational experiences in Japan at the Keio University in Tokyo (Japan), Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Systems Design Engineering, Architecture and Urban Design Laboratory Co+labo Radović.

Chronologically, the first PaPs experience was 6 months visiting research student (February – August 2017). An integral part of the PhD research was conducted in Japan. A global topic of UNESCO’s Geo-mining heritage was analysed through three Japanese cases, Honshu Island, Prefectures of Shimane and Yamaguchi. Firstly, Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape (World Heritage Site by UNESCO). Secondly, Oki Islands Geopark (one of eight sites that makes UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in Japan). Thirdly, the City of Hagi, Meiji Industrial Revolution (one of eight sites in Japan that are representing Industrial Heritage, World Heritage Site by UNESCO). A global character of UNESCO heritage allowed examination of such as diverse cultural context from Europe and place oriented research. The research task founds in PaPs approach to social-spatial relationships and context specific ‘production of space’. In particular, the domain of interest was organisational structures, principles of making decisions and choosing priorities for local development, collaboration and investment patterns, the role and recognition of local communities and practices, local knowledge and social experiences. The research engaged about twenty stakeholders from private, public and civic sector.

During the visiting research period, alongside the PhD research, PaPs actively participated in the realisation of various co+labo activities, also. These activities include: participation with Eureka + Akiti Architects at the international competition “Wakayama Project” for Kumano Kodo, listed on UNESCO World Heritage list (March 2017), role: a member of a design team with Sano Satoshi, Yunya Inagaki, Kuniichiro Yoshida, Ai Yoshida, Ryohei Tanaka, Takuo Nagai, Eisuke Hori, Akifumi Hara, Kiyofumi Miura and Hideyuki Iishi; preparation of Bruno Taut Symposium and Exhibition (Villa Hyuga, Atami, Shisuoka Perfecture), realized in Tokyo (26.04.-02.05. 2017); organisation and participation in the workshop “Methodology-Observation” (seminars and lectures included) with Leonardo Chiesi (18-20 April 2017); organisation and participation of guest lectures, e.g. Alison Young (24th of April 2017); organisation, participation and poster presentation at the Amsterdam+Tokyo Symposium (24th of May, 2017) and many other quotidian activities of the PhD and post-doctorate reserch group of co+labo.

Sequentially, PaPs experience in Japan continued with a Guest Associate Professor (Global), from 1st to 14th of November 2017. The activities included guest lectures about PaPs programme and following discussions. A further engagement was organized in the form of intensive work in small group and individual, formal and informal meetings, aiming at the advancement of the ideas discussed with the students of co+labo (Undergraduate, Masters and PhD Research).

Harvest

The first result of our efforts invested in increasing of international visibility paid back immediately. In November 2017, Miss. Rachel Klipa (an art historian and Program Manager at the Office of Public Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US) discovered PaPs as a desirable program for her research in Belgrade. After her coming in Serbia, she became the consultant at the PaPs educational course at the Faculty of Architecture (University of Belgrade), during the winter semester, academic year 2017/18. PaPs had an honour to host Rachel as an expert consultant, lecturer and critic for the students’ works.

At the end of the year 2017, the success of our important steps in a wide field of internationalisation was obvious.They improved PaPs capacity and enabled numerous future possibilities to enlarge our family. Also, they are opening the new prospects for exchange of knowledge and experiences with people from all around the world, who share our interests and passions.