Integration of art into public buildings
INTEGRATION OF ART INTO PUBLIC BUILDINGS
Art integration refers to works of art that are conceived in relation to the specific characteristics of the building (space, light, use, residents and users). The clients formulate the framework of the specific environment to which the work of art must relate.
'Any public legal body that establishes or renovates a building fully or partly financed by the Flemish Community budget, any private legal body which establishes or renovates a building with at least 30 percent subsidy from the Flemish Community, as well as any private or public legal body with which the Flemish Community enters into a hire-purchase contract, a leasing contract or a rental contract for 25 years, must spend a certain amount of the building costs on art works integrated into the building, according to the following scale:
- 2 percent for the first tranche, less than or equal to 250,000 euro
- 1.5 percent for the second tranche, over 250,000 euro and under 1,250,000 euro
- 1 percent for the third tranche, over 1,250,000 euro and under 2,500,000 euro
- 0.5 percent for the tranche over 2,500,000 euro.'
This was published in the Belgian Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees: the decree of 12th May 1998 regarding the amendment of the decree of 23rd September 1986 regarding the integration of works of art into the buildings of official departments and equivalent departments and in organisations and institutions subsidised by the government and located in the Flemish Region.
This selection is often linked to competitions organised by the client. The competition may be open to all interested artists or a limited number of artists who are invited to take part in the competition.
