Public art is any work of sculpture that is created for a public space and intended to be seen by the general public. The work can be indoors (such as foyers, atriums or airports) or outdoors in parks, squares, streets and freeways. It is a vastly different genre from the art displayed in museums and galleries, which is intended to be appreciated by an educated audience of specialists. Public art also differs from graffiti or street art in that it is rooted in place and does not go on tour. Many artists dedicate their entire careers to creating public works.
In addition to its role as a way to beautify the landscape, public artwork can be used for a variety of other purposes. It can be a means of commemoration and memorial, either to celebrate or rebuke the past. Or it can be a vehicle for social change. For example, in Brooklyn Bridge Park, artist Siah Armajani wanted to create a sculptural installation that caused viewers to reconsider their relationship with their urban environment. He conceived a series of structures that moved around pre-existing trees, encouraging people to explore the phenomenological experience of nature in their cityscape.
Historically, the most common function of public art is to commemorate important events and values that society deems worth celebrating or reinforcing. Hence the big bronze statues of great politicians and military leaders that populate parks and plazas, or the murals of battles that adorn public buildings; these art forms serve as reminders that patriotism and self-sacrifice are worthy of recognition and that they should inspire the same virtues in others.
The role of public art has broadened significantly over the 20th and 21st centuries. During the Russian revolution and the rise of Stalinism, art was used as a means of propaganda and state-endorsed hagiography. The ubiquity of monumental heroic style posters, paintings and sculpture helped to legitimize the new regime by proclaiming its ideals in a very visible manner.
More recently, public art has served a more elegiac function. Memorials to the victims of war or violence are often erected as an attempt to give meaning to the tragedies that occurred. British sculptor Rachel Whiteread’s solemn Judenplatz Holocaust Memorial in Vienna, made from concrete that resembles stacks of books with their closed pages, is a stark and evocative reminder of the horrors of Nazism.
In more contemporary times, artists have also sought to enliven and regenerate the urban landscape by creating art that is colorful, evocative or illuminating. Public installations that encourage playful interaction, such as a series of brightly patterned crosswalks designed by Nigerian-born British artist Yinka Ilori, can stimulate local economies by attracting pedestrian traffic and fostering an atmosphere of excitement and energy. Studies have shown that a vibrant streetscape can reduce crime, increase visibility and make neighborhoods more safe.