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- Yuri Suzuki, Sonic Bloom. London, UK, 2021. Doesn’t this just look like a Dr. Seuss book come to life? Created by the renowned sound artist Yuri Suzuki, Sonic Bloom is an interactive sound installation that allows participants to create their own music using a field of colorful, oversized, flower-like sculptures.
- Daniel Buren, Les Deux Plateaux. Paris, France, 1985. These sculptures are so much a part of the Parisian landscape that I never registered them as art when I lived in Paris.
- Olafur Eliasson, Waterfalls. New York City, 2008. Olafur Eliasson creates works that shift our perspective and play with our sense of our surroundings. I often feel like I need to rub my eyes when looking at an Eliasson piece — elements like fog, mirrors, and strange light blur the boundaries between real and unreal.
- Craig and Karl, Hereafter. London, UK, 2021. This installation sees an old gas station transformed into a vibrant artwork, featuring an array of bold colors and patterns.
Public Art Archive is your authoritative source of public artworks curated by public and private arts organizations around the world. Search. Explore. Learn. Share. Grow.
Dec 6, 2021 · Researchers agree: Studies show that public art has a host of benefits for communities. Its community-building powers can combat feelings of anxiety and social isolation. When locals participate in creating public art, these effects are amplified.
- Beginnings of Public Art
- Concepts and Styles
- Later Developments - After Public Art
Historical Precedents
Public Art has existed for thousands of years, across numerous cultures and societies, and has served a range of functions. In ancient Greek and Roman culture, for example, sculpture played an important role in communication between the state and the people. Mass-produced statues of the Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar were placed in various public locations to function as propaganda, communicating particular attributes of the leader. This persistent sculptural presence brought to mind his posit...
The Emergence of Modern Cities and the Public Sphere
In the wake of the Industrial Revolution, and the resultant relocation of high numbers of people from rural areas to urban centers, the modern city took on new importance in the cultural and social spheres, and became a discerned space of existence with particular effects on the human psyche. Consequently, all Public Art located in modern cities comes into conversation with urban life and mentality. American historian, sociologist, and philosopher Lewis Mumford wrote in 1937 that the city is...
Public Art as Pride: Community and Memory
French philosopher Maurice Halbswachs asserts that rather than functioning solely on an individual, isolated level, memory is codependent and co-constitutive, writing that, "It is in society that people normally acquire their memories. It is also in society that they recall, recognize, and localize their memories ... It is in this sense that there exists a collective memory; it is to the degree that our individual thought places itself in these frameworks and participates in this memory that...
Public Monuments and Memorials
Monuments and memorials are usually sculptural (sometimes architectural) artworks that are created for the purpose of commemorating or remembering a person, group of people, or historical event. They are often located on a site of importance, such as the site of an important battle or a tragic societal experience. They can mark unifying celebration as equally as facilitate the processing of communal grief. As Federico Bellentani, professor of semiotics and geography, explains, "monuments play...
Public Murals
Major muralism movements of the twentieth century, particularly post-Revolution Mexican muralism, and WPA-sponsored murals in the United States, were characterized by content that focused on developing national pride, asserting core national values, and championing technological progress in the wake of devastating events (the Mexican Revolution, and the Great Depression). These murals were not only intended to beautify public spaces, but also to communicate important messages to even the illi...
Public Sculpture
When not seeking to commemorate or memorialize, public sculpture serves a range of purposes. Many artists aim merely to beautify and leave their mark on public spaces (such as Jeff Koons' Balloon Flower (Red) (1995-1999, New York City)). Others hope that their works will cause viewers to reconsider their relationship to their urban environment. For example, in Bridge Over Treein New York's Brooklyn Bridge Park, Iranian-born, Minneapolis-based artist Siah Armajani aimed to create a sculptural...
A number of organizations support, commission, and fund Public Art projects in the United States and beyond. The National Endowment for the Arts (founded in 1965) recently renewed their commitment, in their 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, to "dedicate a portion of grantmaking funds to projects that integrate the arts into the fabric of community life," i...
- Economic Growth and Sustainability. By engaging in public art as a tool for growth and sustainability, communities can thrive economically. Seventy percent of Americans believe that the “arts improve the image and identity” of their community.
- Attachment and Cultural Identity. Public art directly influences how people see and connect with a place, providing access to aesthetics that support its identity and making residents feel appreciated and valued.
- Artists as Contributors. Providing a public art ecosystem supports artists and other creatives by validating them as important contributors to the community.
- Social Cohesion and Cultural Understanding. Public art provides a visual mechanism for understanding other cultures and perspectives, reinforcing social connectivity with others.
Why public art? Public art is a part of our public history, part of our evolving culture and our collective memory. It reflects and reveals our society and adds meaning to our cities. As artists respond to our times, they reflect their inner vision to the outside world, and they create a chronicle of our public experience.
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Oct 21, 2014 · Conscious that traditional bronze statuary commemorating dignitaries and worthies had become commonplace and overlooked, modern artists vied to produce memorable works of art for public spaces.
