“Art aims to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”, Greek polymath Aristotle remarked. Public art in cities worldwide seeks to pursue this aim by offering a sense of meaning and identification to its residents. Taking the form of murals, installations, sculptures, and statues, public art engages with audiences outside of museums and in the public realm. This art presents a democratic manner of collectively redefining concepts like community, identity, and social engagement.
Public art is an efficient way for communities to create a new image, solve a problem, or tell a story. This form of imagery takes the public domain as a locus for inspiration and expression, employing a participatory process to create the pieces. Along with the community, the artist follows a civic design-making process. The collaboratively created artwork may be permanent, temporarily installed, or completed only upon participation with it. The site-specific and people-centric practice is a pivotal contributor to the social fabric of urban areas.
The Positives of Public Art
In the 21st century, where a city in Japan can look identical to a city in Colombia, public art solidifies a shared identity built on the city's cultural context. The communicative medium can produce memorable places in a locality that strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging. Works of art in the public realm have proven to be a tool for community building and storytelling. The participatory process of making art can be cathartic for communities with forgotten pasts and untold stories. Not only does it foster a sense of local pride, but it also elevates the area's cultural relevance and aesthetic appearance.
Placemaking relies on strong community ties around location and culture, and artwork lends a hand in tying collective identity to a space. Public art can reinforce the foundation of communities, building an image of their past and projecting a vision for their future. It boosts social capital and improves local economies. Artists involve a creative approach in fabricating interactions for cultural exchange, using public art to revitalize neighborhoods and cities.
Public art has been seen to promote urban regeneration. It offers a combination of aesthetic values and social identity to activate public spaces. Cities that demonstrate an active and dynamic culture are more attractive to individuals and businesses. Arts and culture also play a key role in developing tourism opportunities while enhancing the city’s public image. These factors create jobs from new business ventures, bringing revenue into the local economy.
The Perils of Public Art
While elaborate murals and interactive installations spruce up blighted neighborhoods, they may also contribute to gentrification in the area. Public art is capable of enhancing the perceived value of a neighborhood, offering better facilities and quality of life. Communities that see an influx of art witness simultaneous rise in real estate prices. Developers may sponsor local artists to create artwork that drives housing prices upwards. The phenomenon - termed “artwashing” - eventually displaces lower-income residents who identify with the community and place.
The relationship between art and public space has often been criticized for being non-democratic. State-sponsored urban memorials seek to concretize public history - or at least a version of history that represents the dominant sections of society. Symbolism through statues has long been used as a means of reiterating political agendas. Colonial figurines that commemorate racist history are scattered across continents like Africa, Australia, and North America. One can come across a carving of Cecil Rhodes in Johannesburg, in Kyiv, a statue of Lenin, and in Baghdad, one of Saddam Hussein. Across the thousands of statues scattered across New York City, only five depict historic women.
Who is the Public in Public Art?
Artists find a place at the frontline of international social movements, utilizing artwork as communication of dissent. Graffiti, street art, temporary installations, and performances allow the community to participate in civil disobedience. This form is important in crafting social consciousness, creating networks, and being cost-effective. Public art as a means of protest allows a community to exercise its power effectively and peacefully.
The impact of public art on communities and their places is substantive, weighing responsibility on the state and free-spirited artists. To ensure that public art serves its intended purpose, it becomes important for the community to question its civic ownership. The purpose of artwork in public spaces is to represent and benefit the people of the city, rather than capitalist or political forces. Public art positions itself at the intersection of shared history and evolving culture. The use of the medium will concurrently determine how public art shapes cities.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on September 05, 2022.
