Art in Public Space Competition - Akbild x Bank Austria

Deadline: Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026, 11:00am

The competition is open to graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
The winning project will receive a prize of 20,000 euros and is installed at the “Spitz” next Friedrichsstraße and Operngasse for a period of approximately one year.

Objective

As part of the project Die Summe der einzelnen Teile, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, in cooperation with Bank Austria, is launching a competition for the realisation of a sculpture in public space. From 2027, the work will be installed temporarily – for approximately one year – at the "Spitz", on the area between Friedrichstraße and Operngasse, within the visual axis of the Academy building. The aim is to give graduates of the Academy visibility through a sculpture in public space and to activate the urban environment as a publicly accessible exhibition space. Accompanying the artwork, a booklet with images and texts will be published. After the initial presentation period, the sculpture will be given a further temporary placement in the Bank Austria Park (also known as the André-Heller-Kunstpark) in Vienna's 21st district.

With the project package Die Summe der einzelnen Teile, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and Bank Austria are creating a joint art and support platform to strengthen Vienna as a location for the arts. Its central components include, alongside the awarding of funding scholarships to students (Die Summe), the realisation of a temporary sculpture in public space by a graduate (Die Teile), as well as a discursive format addressing Vienna's international positioning as a contemporary art destination (Die Summe der einzelnen Teile). The project title refers to the question of when and how an arts location benefits from synergies, such that the whole becomes more than the mere sum of its parts.

Eligibility

The open call is addressed exclusively to alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
Individual artists, collectives, and cooperative working groups are all eligible to apply. The fee is calculated per submission and not according to the number of applicants involved.

Project Scope

The competition calls for a representative sculptural work that makes a statement about Vienna as a location for the arts.
Projects pursuing commercial, party-political, or religious purposes will not be considered.

Requirements and Conditions

By participating in the open call, each applicant agrees to the conditions set out herein.

Technical Requirements

No permits are required for the submitted project proposal, but the following technical requirements are binding:

The sculpture must be structurally stable above ground; anchoring must be achieved באמצעות
The construction must withstand wind loads, self-weight, and, if applicable, snow loads in accordance with current standards.
Maximum dimensions: see defined design space (appendix).
Maximum total weight (including substructure and anchoring): 1 ton per m².
The structure must withstand weather conditions (rain, frost, UV radiation, heat, temperature fluctuations) for an intended duration of at least two years.
Only durable, weather-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials may be used.
Highly reflective or glare-prodocing surfaces are not permitted.
Integrated light sources that cause glare or interfere with street lighting is not permitted.
Sound or acoustic elements are not permitted.
The sculpture must be static (no moving or easily detachable parts may be incorporated).
Damage to existing surfaces or infrastructure must be avoided.
Surfaces must not include sharp edges or hazardous elements.
The sculpture must not be climbable or invite stepping, sitting or lingering.
Risks such as trapping, falling, tripping, or collision must be excluded.
The artwork must not create hidden or unsafe spaces (corners or angles).
Relevant sightlines should be preserved.
Orientation and visibility must not be impaired.
All relevant legal, safety, and technical regulations must be observed.
Ongoing maintenance requirements are to be kept to a minimum.
The sculpture must be designed for dismantling and reinstallation for subsequent placement in the Bank Austria Park.

Project Duration

The winning project will be installed for approximately one year at the "Spitz", on the area between Friedrichstraße and Operngasse in Vienna's 1st district. Production and realisation is planned from spring 2027, with a public presentation of the sculpture scheduled for June 2027.

Following the initial presentation period, the sculpture will be given a further temporary placement in the Bank Austria Park (also known as the André-Heller-Kunstpark) in Vienna's 21st district. Bank Austria will be responsible for the subsequent use, including dismantling, transport, and reinstallation.

By participating in this open call, applicants expressly declare that they hold all copyright and related rights to the work in their own name and without restriction, and that the work does not infringe upon the rights of any third party.

Participants advancing to Competition Stage II agree to provide image material of their works for public relations purposes within the context of the competition. The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and Bank Austria reserve the right to use images free of charge for public relations purposes related to the competition and the presentation of the winning project in June 2027. For the accompanying publication, images and works may be used free of charge by the Academy and Bank Austria with full image credits and copyright attribution.

Temporary objects remain the property of the submitting artist, who is responsible for their maintenance throughout both presentation periods.

For the purpose of the sculpture's subsequent placement in the Bank Austria Park, Bank Austria will enter into a separate usage agreement with the artist.

Prize

The winning project will receive a prize of 20,000 euros (including VAT).
All other artists advancing to Competition Stage II will receive a participation fee of 2,000 euros each (VAT included).

Production | Production Budget

The winning project is to be realized from spring 2027 at the "Spitz", on the area between Friedrichstraße and Operngasse in Vienna's 1st district and installed for a duration of approximately one year. The Academy will cover the production costs (materials, specialist contractors, etc.) up to a maximum amount of EUR 55,000.

Modifications to the winning project during realization are permitted, in particular those that are technically or economically necessary. Such modifications will be coordinated between the Academy and the prize winner. It is noted that the realization of the winning project, including any possible modifications, is contingent on financial feasibility. Only costs directly related to the project may be invoiced.

Selection Process

This is a two-stage competition.

Competition Stage I

In the first stage, the jury will select up to five submissions whose project sketches and artistic practice proved compelling. These will subsequently be reviewed by a structural engineer and, upon positive assessment, advance to the second stage, for which the participating artists will be commissioned to develop detailed proposals.

A development contract will be drawn up for this purpose. The payment of the participation fee is conditional upon the conclusion of this development contract. The participation fee covers all work and incidental expenses in full.

Competition Stage II

Nominated artists will be asked to develop a more detailed proposal, which will be presented to the jury on 5 November 2026. It is intended that nominated artists present their project in person to the jury during the jury session, enabling direct dialogue with jury members (digital presentation is possible in exceptional cases).

Any travel costs incurred for this appointment cannot be reimbursed. The jury will select one winning project for realization and temporary installation at the "Spitz".

Jury

Chair
Johan F. Hartle, Rector, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Members
Ingeborg Erhart, Vice-rector for Art and Teaching, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Sonia Huber, Head of the Visual Arts and New Media Division, City of Vienna Department of Culture (MA7)
Brigitte Huck, Curator
Nora Schultz, Professor, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Nicole Six, Artist

Non-voting member
Representatives of Bank Austria

Technical Review
Competition Stage I: Werner Skvara
Competition Stage II: Peter Bauer

Submission Requirements

When developing the concept, a production budget for materials, specialist contractors, etc. of a maximum of EUR 55,000 must be taken into account.

Competition Stage I (Submission deadline: 9 June 2026, 11:00 am)

Fully completed application form
Professional CV (max. 3 DIN A4 pages)
Artistic portfolio with selected works and projects documenting prior artistic practice. The portfolio must not exceed 15 MB.
Written description of the project proposal (design concept), including a brief description of materials, functionality, weather resistance, necessary structural provisions, and timeline (max. 4 DIN A4 pages)
Mandatory: a visualisation of the sculpture and a floor plan showing the placement within the design space, in the form of sketches, renderings, or model photographs (max. 4 DIN A4 pages).
The provided materials must be used for preparation: Download

Competition Stage II (Submission deadline: 22 October, 11:00 am)

Please note: This submission deadline applies exclusively to those applicants whose proposals were selected and positively assessed in Competition Stage I and who have subsequently been invited by the jury to participate in Competition Stage II.

Updated concept description (max. 3 DIN A4 pages)
Presentation of the design and spatial visualisation comprising at least 2 perspective drawings and/or a model and/or a filmed visualisation (max. 2 min.), with all material deemed necessary to illustrate the submission (max. 8 MB)
Presentation of details and explanation of construction and materials, and – if applicable – preferred approach/contractors for realization
Cost estimate (gross), including:

Material and production costs
Fees for external services (specialist contractors, on-site production assistance, etc.)*
Maintenance and cleaning costs
Any incidental costs (e.g. transport)

* Daily allowances and subsistence costs cannot be reimbursed.

Decision

The following criteria are essential to the jury's and advisory board's decision:

Artistic engagement with Vienna as a location for the arts
Artistic quality
Precision in concept and planning
Technical feasibility
Economic feasibility and realizability

Following consultation with the prize winner and in order to preserve the artistic integrity of the work, the Academy reserves the right to request any modifications that may be required during negotiations or in the course of realization, where compelled by objective or economic reasons or considerations.

The competition winner agrees to acknowledge the Academy's technical framework and requirements in the course of the technical review and realization. The recommendations of the jury and advisory board are to be followed.

Timeline

9.6.2026, 11 am Stage I deadline
23.7.2026, 14-15 h Online info session (for shortlisted participants)
22.10.2026, 11 am Stage II deadline
5.11.2026, 13-17 h Jury presentations and selection
Spring 2027                             Production and Placement of the sculpture
June 2027                                Presentation
Until approx. June 2028 Installation at the “Spitz”
Afterwards                               Installation at Bank Austria Park by Bank Austria

Please note that only submissions that meet all the listed criteria and are received by the deadline will be accepted. Late or incomplete submissions cannot be considered. Any travel or transportation costs incurred during the competition process will not be covered. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process by email no later than November 2026.

Contact

For further information please contact Barbara Pflanzner (b.pflanzner@akbild.ac.at, +43 1 588 16-1204)

submission form

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