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Articles on Public art

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The Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. memorial sculpture at Boston Common is called ‘The Embrace.’ Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Reaction to bronze sculpture of Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. in Boston hasn’t been good – and that’s not bad for art that shatters conventions

A memorial to Coretta Scott and Martin Luther King Jr. has received stinging criticisms, but time will tell whether ‘The Embrace’ will endure as a cherished work of public art.
The monument ‘Rumors of War’ depicts a young African American in urban streetwear sitting atop a horse. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Old statues of Confederate generals are slowly disappearing – will monuments honoring people of color replace them?

With a few notable exceptions, public monuments across the United States are overwhelmingly white and male. A movement is slowly growing to tell a more inclusive history of the American experience.
‘Ice Watch,’ an installation by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, put 12 blocks of ice harvested from a fjord in a clock formation in a public place in London, in December 2018. (Sarflondondunc/Flickr)

Eco-art, design and architecture can be agents of environmental change in the public realm

From installations of ice to projected art generated from air quality readings, artists and designers offer powerful experiences where people become witnesses to what’s happening and what’s possible.
Members of the Japanese artist collective Me (meaning “eyes” in Japanese) launch an inflatable artwork entitled Masayume, on the occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Yoshio Tsunoda/AFLO/Alamy Live News

Giant inflatables and flying dancers: Olympic art has always turned heads

The giant head spotted hovering over the Tokyo skyline in recent weeks is the latest in a long line of Olympic art moments. Debate and controversy are never far behind.
A woman walks past a mural in Vancouver, B.C. The power of public art is its ability to turn artistic practice into a social action. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Marissa Tiel

Bringing art into public spaces can improve the social fabric of a city

When public art pairs artistic expression with community engagement, it can honour the diverse communities that share public spaces and spur important conversations.
Artist Steven Shearer’s untitled billboard images of reclining and sleeping people were displayed as part of Capture Photography Festival in Vancouver but were soon removed due to complaints. (Dennis Ha)

Vancouver billboards by artist Steven Shearer evoked intimacy where people least expected it

Examining parallels between Steven Shearer’s billboard images and religious figures of 17th century baroque art allow a consideration of how context is everything when it comes to reading images.
Artist Joi T. Arcand explains ‘Never Surrender,’ ‘translates a …1980s Canadian pop song into the Cree language and recontextualiz[es] the lyrics as an anthem of Indigenous sovereignty.’ Here, the image layered over a photo of a Winnipeg sidewalk. (Noor)

Nuit Blanche Toronto goes virtual to change how people see art and public space

Both the COVID-19 pandemic and urgent debates around public heritage and monuments shape how Nuit Blanche Toronto is seeking to engage artists and viewers in remapping cities.

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