Public art is artwork that engages with a broad audience outside the context of galleries and museums. It can take a range of forms from monumental sculptures and statues to community murals, site specific installations, actions, interventions, and landscape/environmental art. It may be permanent, semi-permanent or temporary; it can be conceptual, social or discursive in nature. But the common denominator for all Public Art is that it is meant to be accessed by the public and can serve multiple purposes, from aesthetics to education, commemoration, social or political activism, or simply represent a community’s ethos.
Public Art often involves a large number of people who interact with it, from project selection committees to construction teams and funding agencies. These diverse groups bring their own backgrounds and viewpoints to the work, which can sometimes create controversy. But controversies are not always negative; they can help to raise awareness and bring attention to the project.
One of the most significant challenges for public artists is to educate viewers about their artworks. This can be done through a variety of means, from educational outreach programs to guided tours. It can also be achieved through art-related activities such as concerts, exhibitions and other events that are designed to promote an understanding of the artworks.
Some works of public art are intended to teach, for example by demonstrating the interdependence of humans and other living things. Others, such as Siah Armajani’s Bridge Over Tree, are meant to prompt viewers to rethink their relationship to their urban environment. And still others, such as Maurizio Bolognini’s Flowing Waters, aim to stimulate the senses through an interactive, phenomenological experience.
A public artwork’s impact can go beyond mere aesthetics, and in some cases can have a significant economic impact on the community. For example, an elaborate mural highlighting local history can have the effect of gentrifying an area by raising real estate values. This type of “artwashing” can have the unintended consequence of displacing low-income residents who identify with their neighborhood culture and history.
The success of a piece of public art depends on how the artist responds to the challenge of communicating its message to a diverse public. The challenge is to make a work of art that appeals to as many people as possible without losing its unique qualities or meaning. While it is impossible to satisfy all audiences, the challenge can inspire new directions for sculptural practice and open up fresh perspectives on the interaction between art and the public. This is what makes public art such a fascinating field of inquiry.