Founders of Public Buildings Must Spend 1% on Art
The new law, under which at least 1 percent of the construction budget of public buildings must be allocated for the commissioning of artwork, has created confusion among some establishments.
The one million euro vocational training center, currently under construction in Järva County, is one of the first projects to test out the new legislation. Enforcing it, however, is moving slowly, as some paragraphs in the law still remain unclear, Margus Jaago, construction consultant at the center told Päevaleht.
The construction of the main building of the training complex is funded by the EU, yet there is still confusion whether the money coming from EU funds can be used to acquire art, said Jaago. In addition, the 1 percent only covers the cost of the commissioned work and founders must bear the expenses of conducting a public procurement and assembling a panel of experts that will choose a suitable concept.
Currently the Ministry of Culture is putting together a guide, to help organizations to better understand the law.
Ingrid Teesalu