Art in public - example

Public art is an art genre in which the concept, function, and form of the work are created through public discourse and for the general public. The works of public art are there for public access and often appear in public spaces, serving as a powerful avenue for the artist to express to the general public.

Essentially, public art engages the viewer outside of traditional exhibition halls, museums, and art galleries. It appeals to the masses through interventions, ideas, actions, performances, and visuals. Today’s public artists look to redefine cardinal concepts such as social engagement, collective identity, social contract, and community.

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Metalmorphosis in Charlotte – A giant rotating head sculpture by David Černý

Sculptures / 4 minutes of reading
David Černý is one of the most celebrated artists and sculptors in the Czech Republic. A rebel sculptor inspired by many things, including his own anger, Černý’s works always inspire controversy. The artist has built a name for himself in the global art world thanks to his shocking and provocative public works. Among his …

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Richard Wilson’s Turning the Place Over – A radical intrusion in Liverpool

Architecture, Installations / 4 minutes of reading
Turning the Place Over was a temporary artwork that was created for the European Capital of Culture. Liverpool got its turn to host the European Capital of Cultural in 2007, a few years after the city received its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The European Capital of Culture saw several events and art exhibitions …

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Marc Chagall’s Four Seasons in Chicago – His largest mosaic work

Installations, Mosaics / 5 minutes of reading
Chicago is a bustling city with numerous buildings. In the midst of all the bustle is one magnificent landmark: Marc Chagall’s Four Seasons mosaic. Located in front of the Chase Tower Plaza, the mosaic spans over a 70-feet (21-meter) length and wraps around a rectangular support. In its dazzling display, themes of nature emerge …

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Carve - Marmara Forum Cloud Playground, 2020 feat

This cloud playground is too much fun – Marmara Forum’s Oyun Alanı

Architecture, Sculptures / 4 minutes of reading
The roof park of Marmara Forum is perhaps one of the most photographed in Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated in the Bakirköy district and a marvel of architecture located in a residential area in the city. Bakirköy is a crucial shopping and commercial center and is one of the most visited in the country. …

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Ernesto Neto’s Gaia Mother Tree crochet work & 420kg of spices

Installations / 5 minutes of reading
In 2018, the atrium of Zurich’s main station basked in the glory of a giant, colorful installation by the Brazilian contemporary artist Ernesto Neto. The huge Amazon tree-like sculpture stretched from the ceiling to the floor of the Swiss central station, helping set the mood and brighten the travelers’ spirit. It is the star …

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Isamu Noguchi - Red Cube, 1968, steel, aluminum, 24 feet tall, installation view, 140 Broadway, New York feat

Isamu Noguchi’s Red Cube sculpture – A masterpiece in New York

Sculptures / 6 minutes of reading
Red Cube is a gigantic monumental sculpture by the American landscape architect and artist Isamu Noguchi, located out in Lower Manhattan. The minimalist masterpiece combines architecture and art, creating a fascinating monochromatic cube that balances nimbly on one of its corners. Notwithstanding its title, Red Cube isn’t an actual cube but rather looks as …

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Benjamin Vautier’s gigantic Wall of Words at the Fondation du doute

Installations / 3 minutes of reading
The Wall of Words by French artist Benjamin Vautier (b. 1935) is one of the most visited attractions in Blois, France. Ben was commissioned to develop the wall, which consists of paintings/writings that he has been creating since the 1960s. The artworks have been applied to 313 enameled plaques that have then been placed …

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Stephan Balkenhol - Sphaera, 2007, steel, plastic, bronze and gold leaf, 8,8-meter height, 5-meter diameter, 3,5 tonnes, installation view, Kapitelplatz, Salzburg, Austria feat

Stephan Balkenhol’s massive, golden sculpture in Salzburg – Sphaera

Statues / 4 minutes of reading
The sculpture Sphaera by Stephan Balkenhol was installed as part of the Art Project Salzburg in the 2007 Salzburg Festival and is based on various medieval mysteries. Construction & design The artwork, situated outside of the Salzburg cathedral on the Kapitelplatz, is easily recognizable from afar thanks to its golden sheen that reflects light …

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David Černý - Head of Franz Kafka, 2014, 40 layers of polished stainless steel, motors, electronics, 10.6 meters tall, 39 tonnes, installation view, Prague, Czech Republic feat

Franz Kafka’s giant rotating head – A statue in Prague by David Černý

Statues / 4 minutes of reading
One of the most outstanding attractions in Prague is the piece of Franz Kafka, an outdoor sculpture that is more of a technical wonder. The work of art is part of the Quadrio shopping and office complex on Národní třída, created by controversial artist David Černý who had on several occasions along his career …

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Adrian Paci - Centro di Permanenza Temporanea (Temporary Reception Center), 2007, 16-9 video projection, color, sound, 5’30’’

Adrian Paci’s Temporary Reception Center – Hope for a better future

Video Art / 5 minutes of reading
Adrian Paci’s artwork, Temporary Reception Center (2007), is a powerful take on the political themes of displacement. Paci, an Albanian artist, captures the drama of migrants, the denied hope, and the uncertainty of life in a new environment in this art piece. With his work, the artist makes a statement on the refugee crisis …

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Why is there a statue of Shiva the Destroyer at CERN?

Sculptures, Statues / 9 minutes of reading
If you have been keeping up with the happenings of the CERN, the world’s most advanced scientific research facility, you might have noticed the statue of Shiva the Destroyer. Shiva, the cosmic dancer, symbolizes the natural flow of divine energy. He takes part in Rudra Tandava – a dance representing destruction and rebirth- to …

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Kiev’s UFO – A modernist masterpiece

Architecture, Modernist Architecture / 7 minutes of reading
Deservedly nicknamed the “Kiev flying saucer” or “Kiev UFO,” the Kiev Institute of Information is an authentic work of modernist architecture that stole the limelight during the Soviet era. This awe-inspiring, alien-like piece of Soviet architecture has again come to the spotlight because it is being threatened by the mushrooming of modern shopping malls. …

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Fumiko Hori - Utopia, 2014, 4,5 x 5,5 meter, ceramic relief, installation view, International Lobby on 1st Floor of Terminal Building, Fukushima Airport, Japan feat

At age 95, Fumiko Hori created this mural for the Fukushima Airport

Ceramics, Murals / 3 minutes of reading
Fumiko Hori supervised the installation of the mural herself, quite an impressive feat for a woman aged 95 at the time. The giant relief wall was based on Hori’s original painting at the CREARE Atami-Yugawara Studio. The relief carving at the airport helps to create an illusion of depth on an otherwise shallow surface. …

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Olympic Flame mosaic at the end of the central hall in the metro station Olimpiiska, Kyiv, Ukraine feat

Olimpiiska – One of Kyiv’s most intriguing metro stations

Architecture, Installations, Mosaics / 4 minutes of reading
The Olimpiiska Station, located in Kyiv, Ukraine, stands in the same spot as the former Ploshchad Lev Tolstoy station. It is a part of the third section of the Kurenevsko-Krasnoarmeyskaya line and was launched just 12 months after the commissioning of the second section. Most of the stations that were built on the Obolon …

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African Renaissance Monument, 2010, bronze, 49 meter (161 feet), Ouakam suburb, Dakar, Senegal feat

The African Renaissance Monument – Africa’s most controversial statue

Sculptures, Statues / 12 minutes of reading
This 49 meters tall bronze statue is located on top of the Collines des Mamelles – one of the twin hills – in the Senegalese capital Dakar. It overlooks the Atlantic Ocean just outside the city in the Ouakam neighborhood. The African Renaissance Monument was designed by renowned Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa following …

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Lin Yilin - Safely Maneuvering across Lin He Road, 1995, performance, Guangzhou, China feat

Lin Yilin – Safely Maneuvering Across Lin He Road

Performances, Video Art / 4 minutes of reading
Lin Yilin Lin Yilin needs no introductions in the world of performance art. As one of the most well-known Chinese artists, Yilin has made a name for himself for his contemporary interventions and performance pieces that often criticize China’s extreme urbanization, modernization, commercial globalization, as well as its geopolitical conflicts. Lin was born in Guangzhou, …

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Xu Zhen’s In just a blink of an eye – Defying the laws of physics?

Performances, Sculptures / 5 minutes of reading
Have you ever seen one of those perfectly timed photos that capture the exact moment someone begins to fall on their bum? With modern technology, it is not hard to capture that “perfect moment”. However, capturing that “perfect moment” in a live performance is nearly impossible; unless you are Xu Zhen. Chinese artist Xu …

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