Sculpture 2012 - 23rd International Sculpture Center Conference: Process, Patron and Public

Sculpture becomes part of our culture in three stages: The artist’s creative process, the patronage that supports the artists’ work and the interaction of the created sculpture and the public. The ISC’s Chicago Conference will address these three phases of sculpture: creation, support and reception in the contemporary art world. This conference is for an audience of artists, patrons, curators, students and the sculpture community at large.

The 23rd Annual International Sculpture conference is a two-track conference, spanning three days (October 4-6), will include lively discussion and debate from leaders in the contemporary art world. Fourteen workshops and three keynote speakers will give everyone an opportunity to meet and connect with peers while participating in well rounded debates and dialogue. Optional tours such as the Frank Lloyd Wright tours and tours of Millennium Park, to name a few, gallery “hops” and additional networking activities, will also be included in programming.

The program committee will accept abstracts on the following topics:

THE TRANSFORMATIVE NATURE OF SCULPTURE ON AN URBAN COMMUNITY
Sculpture is at the forefront of the creation of successful and vibrant public spaces in cities like Chicago, St. Louis and Berlin.
Can these models be exported to other cities?
Does each city need to reinvent the relationship between sculpture and its own public space or are there strategies from successful models that can be adapted to local conditions?
How can sculptors be involved in these projects from the beginning?
What are other visions of how sculpture and sculptors can be integral to the reviving of urban communities?

PUBLIC ART: ALTERNATIVE MODELS
In a time of transition in the process of public art commissioning, the development of new ways to place art in public spaces becomes vital.
What other financial models have already been developed?
Can sculptors be empowered to initiate the installation of their work in public spaces?
Are there other public institutions that can play a role in new public art models?
What is the role of temporary public art projects, established and new arts organizations and artist-initiated projects in creating new forms of public art?

HOW CAN ARCHITECTS AND SCULPTORS WORK TOGETHER?
In both public and private developments, architects, landscape architects and artists are often mandated to collaborate on new construction projects.
What makes artist/architect collaborations successful?
Should artists be involved in the initial stages of planning a project rather than simply brought in at the end to site a work?
Are there different skills, educational approaches and points of view between artists and architects that can work to the advantage of both and benefit of the project?

EXPERIMENTAL, ARTIST-INITIATED AND ALTERNATIVE CURATING
What are the new models for presenting sculpture to the public in museums and art spaces?
Are the leaders of curatorial innovation professional curators, artists, or others?
Are there new, non-traditional, or inventive ways of bringing sculpture into dialogue with artists, public, and patrons?
Does the process of curating or exhibiting need rethinking? Is the situation different for curators working with sculpture (i.e. - Is it easier or more difficult)?

RELEVANCE OF THE GALLERY SYSTEM: GALLERIES, THE INTERNET AND ART FAIRS IN A CHANGING MARKET
The energy in the gallery system worldwide is shifting to art fairs and the Internet.
How is that shift affecting artists?
Are sculptors at a disadvantage in the new mobile or virtual art market?
Who are the artists that have been the most successful in this environment and which kinds of galleries or venues have worked best for them?

IDEATION AND PROCESS
How do sculptors today develop ideas?
What are the most relevant processes today for transforming their ideas into three-dimensional art?
Is the studio still the most creative space for artists today?