Public Art: What can place-shapers learn?

2019
Certificate in BID Management Dissertation
Writing

In Summer 2019, I completed the British BIDS Certificate in BID Management (CiBM), during which I wrote an essay on the challenges of installing art in the public realm. I focused on three examples of public artworks: Tilted Arc by Richard Serra, Cornhill Gateways by Hall McKnight architects, and The Scallop by Maggi Hambling; all of which received significant public backlash, and two of which were removed shortly after installation.

In the study I explore a range of issues including artist’s autonomy, public consultation, interpretation, and meaning.

Extract:

Most towns and cities in the UK have some form of art in their public spaces; whether it is a monument in a square, a sculpture on a roundabout, graffiti on a building, exhibitions in an art gallery, or installations in a park.

Public art can be an impactful yet sensitive tool for place-shapers to create, establish, or enhance a sense of place, whilst encapsulating or empowering the identity of a community. On the other-hand, public art can be divisive and controversial; perceived as pretentious, a waste of public money, or not representative of the community.

How can place-shapers achieve the former and avoid the latter? What are the pitfalls of public art projects? How can place-shapers achieve success for a public art project?