The Sum of Its Individual Parts

As part of the project, eight support scholarships of EUR 18,000 each will be awarded for the 2026/27 academic year to students of the Academy who are in the final phase of their studies or preparing for their diploma or master’s degree (“The Sum”). In addition, a competition will be announced in the summer semester of 2026 for the creation of a temporary sculpture in public space in the vicinity of the Academy building, open to one graduate of the Academy (“The Parts”). Complementing these activities, a discourse format will take place in autumn 2026 addressing the international positioning of Vienna as a site for contemporary art (“The Sum of Its Individual Parts”).

The project title refers to the question of under what conditions and through which synergies an artistic location benefits – so that the whole becomes more than the mere sum of its individual parts.

The call for applications for the Bank Austria support scholarships is aimed at individuals who are the first in their family to pursue higher education and/or who are disadvantaged due to their background or social circumstances. The goal of the scholarship is to provide financial support to recipients during the final phase of their studies and to help cover their living expenses. This support is intended to enable more focused work on their final projects, strengthen the quality of these works, and facilitate the transition from academic study to independent artistic practice.

The installation of the sculpture in public space aims to increase the visibility of Academy graduates and to activate urban space as a publicly accessible exhibition site. Accompanying the artistic work, a booklet with visual and textual material will be published. After the presentation period, a further temporary installation in Bank Austria Park (also known as the André Heller Sculpture Park) in Vienna’s 22nd district is planned by Bank Austria.

This cooperation creates concrete opportunities for social participation and increases the visibility of the Academy’s emerging artists. At the same time, it sends a signal for greater equality of opportunity and represents a sustainable contribution to the cultural development of Vienna.