Public art is artwork that breaks free of the confines of the gallery or museum to engage with the world at large through its physical presence in public spaces. It can be permanent, such as a statue or a civic monument that is meant to remain in place for long periods of time, or transitory, such as a mural painted on the side of a building. This form of artistic expression has been around for thousands of years, in numerous cultures and societies.
Public spaces can be indoors, such as foyers and atriums or outdoors, such as parks, squares, freeways and shopping centres. Unlike other forms of art, which can be displayed in a gallery context and sold or removed at the discretion of an artist, public artworks are designed to last for many years, sometimes centuries, in an outdoor environment that is generally unprotected. This means that artists who work with public art must consider how their works will stand up to the elements as well as the potential for vandalism, graffiti or other forms of tagging.
Whether monumental sculptures that adorn city squares or intricately painted murals on the side of buildings, many public art projects are intended to be used as tools for education or to promote certain ideas, events or messages. Some are even a form of social protest, such as a political statement or campaign slogan inscribed on a wall or a piece of sculpture. These artworks can have a strong impact on people’s perception of a city, and can contribute to its sense of identity and community.
While the public’s interaction with public art can often be passive, some artists want to encourage direct hands-on engagement. These types of art works may include interactive musical, light or video components. One example is the fountain and musical instrument (hydraulophone) by Steve Mann, which the public can play. Other examples of these types of installations are the kinetic works by Nick Selenitsch, which involve using water to make music and light patterns, or Salifou Lindou’s installation Face a l’eau, Bonamouti-Deido in Douala, which allows people to block jets that force water through sound-producing mechanisms.
The increasing popularity of these interactive forms of public art shows how the aims of this type of art are changing. As the “social turn” in art since the 1990s has emphasized, public spaces provide a much more effective canvas for promoting communalism and enabling the involvement of participants rather than simply spectators.
This has led to an increased emphasis on participatory or dialogical practices in Public Art, which is intended to create an ongoing dialogue between an artist and the public. While this may seem like a radical departure from traditional, static pieces of art that have always been viewed as something to be admired and elitist, it is a very real way to help build a more vibrant, diverse culture.