Reimagining place as situation: How has Situations challenged … · 2016-07-26 · 2 Reimagining...
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Reimagining place as situation: How has Situations challenged traditional notions of public art? Megan Collier UWE MA Curating April, 2016
Transcript of Reimagining place as situation: How has Situations challenged … · 2016-07-26 · 2 Reimagining...
Reimaginingplaceassituation:HowhasSituationschallengedtraditionalnotionsofpublicart?MeganCollierUWEMACurating
April,2016
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TableofContents
Introduction........................................................................................................................2
Traditionalpublicart.......................................................................................................2
Community..........................................................................................................................4
Time.......................................................................................................................................7
OtherOrganisations.........................................................................................................9
Challengesfaced..............................................................................................................10
Conclusion.........................................................................................................................11
Images................................................................................................................................13
Bibliography.....................................................................................................................22
Appendices.......................................................................................................................25
Appendix1:InterviewwithClaireDoherty...................................................................25
Appendix2:ArtinPublic-AGatheringofMinds..........................................................30
Appendix3:NewRulesofPublicArt................................................................................35
Appendix4:PlymouthPrinciples......................................................................................38
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Reimaginingplaceassituation:
HowhasSituationschallengedtraditionalnotionsof
publicart?
IntroductionSituationsisapublicartcommissioningandproducingorganisationinBristol,
foundedbyClaireDohertyin2002.Situationshavebecomealeaderintheir
sector,withthegoalofimprovinghowpublicartiscommissionedand
experienced,givingartiststhepotential‘tomakeextraordinaryideashappenin
unusualandunexpectedplaces’(Situations,2016:p.3).Thisessaywilldiscuss
howSituationshavechallengedtraditionalnotionsofpublicart,withinawider
movementofinternationalorganisationswhoaremovingawayfromorthodox
approaches.Beginningwithanexplorationofwhatthesetraditionalnotionsare,
theessaywillthenmoveontoexaminethekeyrecurringthemesof‘community’
and‘time’inSituationsportfolio,andhowthesedifferfromorthodoxprojects.
Twoprojectswillbeexploredindetailinrelationtotheseideas;BlackCloud
(2009),arelativelysmall-scaleprojectinBristol,andNowhereisland(2012),a
morehighprofileproject.FinallythisessaywilldiscussissuesthatSituations
andsimilarorganisationsface,whicharepreventingthemfromfullychanging
howpublicartisperceivedandhowtheyaretacklingtheseproblems.
TraditionalpublicartWhenconsideringpublicart,theclassicimagebroughttomindisthemonolithic
sculpture,apermanentmonumentthatisastaticpartofthelandscape(Forecast
PublicArt,2011).Theseartworksarefoundoncityplazas,inthemiddleof
roundabouts,adorningparks,hospitalgroundsanddecoratingurbanspaces
(Miles,1997).AclassicexampleisHenryMoore’sTheArch(1980,Figure1),
situatedinKensingtonGardens(TheRoyalParksFoundation,2016);permanent
andstatic,itdominatestheexistinglandscape.
ThisstyleofpublicartcouldbesaidtobeareflectionofClementGreenberg’s
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visionofModernism;artworkwithaestheticpurity,autonomousanddivorced
fromsocialcontext.‘Theartshavebeenhuntedbacktotheirmediums,andthey
havebeenisolated,concentratedanddefined’(Greenberg,1940:p.32).An
exampleofthismodernistsensibilitywithintraditionalpublicartisAlexander
Calder’s‘LaGrandeVitesse’,asculptureinstalledinaMichiganplazain1969
(Figure2).Calderfeltitunnecessarytoseetheplazaforwhichhissculpturewas
destinedandthuscreatedtheartworkasanautonomousobject,separatefrom
it’scontext(Kwon,1997,citedinFinkelpearl2000).
TheoristMiles,citesseveralproblemswiththisapproachtopublicart;‘the
exclusivityoftaste,thelackofspecificityofthepublic(s)forwhomitisintended,
andthetranscendentaestheticofmodernismwhichseparatesartfromlife’
(Miles,1997:p.9).Miles(1997)arguesthatpublicartfailstoconnectwithit’s
publicwhenlocatedwithintheethosofmodernismthatchampionsaesthetic
puritydivorcedfromsocialcontext.InhisfamouscritiqueofModernism,‘All
thatisSolidMeltsintoAir’,MarshallBermanstatesthatartwithout‘social
relationshipsisboundtofeelaridandlifelessafterawhile’,anddescribesartist’s
autonomyfromcontextas‘abeautifullyformed,perfectlysealedtomb’(1982:
p.30).Finkelpearlsummarisestheissue;‘thehistoryofpublicartismostoften
toldwithanemphasisontheword“art”andverylittleconsiderationofthe
publiccontext’(2000:p.5).
Inanattempttocountercomplaintsthatpublicartborenorelationtothepublic,
inthe1980stherewasamovetowardspublic‘artasamenity’(Knight,2011:
p.29),forexampleartistdesignedwalkways,seatingandplazas(Finkelpearl,
2000).AclassicexampleofthisisScottBurton’s‘chairsforsix’(1986,Figure3),
whichprovidedpublicseatingforaplazainPittsburgh.Artistsincreasingly
workedwitharchitectsonequalterms,asagentsofurbanregeneration
(Finkelpearl,2000).Asaresult‘someartistsbegantofeelthattheirvisionwas
simplyabsorbedintothesetting,bureaucratizedbeyondrecognition’
(Finkelpearl,2000:p.32).Manyarguedthatthisformofpublicartwasa‘bland
practicethatrelegatesartiststotheroleofsuperiorpark-benchdesigners’
(Joselit,1989:p.131).
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Overthepasttenyears,thesetraditionalapproachestopublicarthavebeen
challengedbyorganisationslikeSituations,whoaimto‘openupthepossibilities
fordeepermoresustainedengagementwithaudiences’(Situations,2016:p.6).
Theirprojectschallenge‘theselfcontainedaestheticofmodernism’(Miles,
1997),byusingcontextorsituationasastartingpointforartisticexploration
(Doherty,2004).Dohertybelievesthattraditionalformsofpublicarttoooften
‘embellish’aspace,andsheinsteadseekstocommissionartthatallowsfor
‘place’tobeinaconstantstateofchangeandbecoming(Appendix1).Situations
thereforetakespublicartbeyond‘thesimpleploppingofastatueonthesquare’
(Keeler,2008:p32)anddraws‘uponthecomplexdiscourseoftherelationship
betweenartistandplace,re-imaginingplaceassituation,asetofcircumstances,
geographicallocation,historicalnarrative,groupofpeopleorsocialagenda’
(Doherty,2004:p.9).Thisessaywillnowdiscusstheparticularwaysinwhich
Situationshavetackledtheseideas.
Community
Ifweconsidertheorthodoxapproachtopublicartpreviouslydiscussed,the
artistisdroppedintothepre-existingcommunity,oftenknowingverylittle
aboutit(Appendix1).DohertycomparesthisapproachtoSituations’project
BlackCloud(Figures4-6)in2009byHeatherandIvanMorrison(Appendix1).In
someways,thisstructurefollowsthetraditionalformofpublicart,inthatitwas
asculpturalpavilion,situatedinaconventionalsetting;VictoriaParkinBristol
(Appendix1).However,ratherthantargetingapre-existingcommunity,a
temporarycommunityofinterestwascreatedaroundtheproject.‘Communityis
rarelybornoutofgeographybutratheroutofcommonpurpose’(Situations,
2013:p.6),andSituations’projectsaimtocreatethiscommonpurpose.
Ratherthanhavingthetraditionalunveilingceremonythatusuallyinauguratesa
newwork,thepavilionwaserectedbyateamoflocalvolunteers,‘poolingtheir
energyandresourcesasiftheywerevillagersraisinganAmishbarn’(McQuay,
2009:p.2).Over700peopleparticipatedinthisevent,notjustthroughdirect
physicalworkbutalsocelebrationsthroughmusic,feastingandimpromptu
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story-telling(Ainsworth,2012).Thepeopleinvolvedbecamepartoftheworkof
art,theactionofconstructionbecomingjustasimportantastheobjectitself
(McQuay,2009).Throughbringingpeopleintotheprocessofcreatingthe
artwork,Situationscreatedacommunitythatfeltownershipandweredrivenby
acommonpurpose,ratherthansimply‘parachutingartlikeanuninvitedguest
intopublicspace’(Doherty,citedinKing,2015).
The pavilion became a site for social gatherings, further expanding the new
community created by the project (Appendix 1). It was the setting for a music
festival Cloud Jam (Figure 6), host to talks and workshops, as well as being
open to the public to book parties and meetings or use as a space to hang out
(McQuay, 2009). A temporary community was created around the space
(Appendix 1). ‘Communitymemberschangefromart-viewersintopublic
participantsthroughtheirownactiveengagementandcollaborationwithboth
theartistandtheartprocess’(Keeler,2008:p.32).Howeveritcouldbe
consideredimportanttonotethatthestructurewasvandalisedduringitsstayin
thepark(BristolPost,2009).Thiscouldsuggestthatsomemembersofthe
communitydidnotfeeltheengagementwiththestructurepreviouslydiscussed
anddidnotfeelpartofthecommunitycreatedbytheproject.
AlexHartley’sNowhereisland(Figures7-10,2012)anotherprojectproducedby
Situations,demonstratesthecreationofcommunityonalargerscale.Inthe
summerof2012,anislandfromtheArticregionofSvalbard,wasdraggedby
tugboattotheSouthwestcoastofEngland(Nowhereisland,2012).Asitmade
thisjourneyitpassedthroughinternationalwaters,whereitwasdeclaredanew
nation,withcitizenshipopentoall(Nowhereisland,2012).Over23,000people
from135countriessigneduptobecitizens,creatingatemporarycommunity
broughttogetherbythecommonpurposeofdefininganewnation
(Nowhereisland,2012).AstheislandtouredtheBritishcoast,followedbyit’s
embassy,itwasgreetedbycitizenmarchesandcelebrations(Dohertyetal,
2013).DohertystatesthatSituationsmostsuccessfulprojectshavebeenthose
thatbringpeoplewhohavenevermetbeforetogetherinthisway(Appendix1).
Thepublicwasencouragedtoactivelyparticipatewiththeworkbycontributing
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propositionstotheonlineconstitutionofthenation(Figure10).These
propositionswerelikedordislikedbyothercitizenstocreateaconstitutionthat
wasinaconstantstateofbecoming,togiveeveryonetherighttobeheardwithin
thenewcommunity(Dohertyetal,2013).Nearly2,700propositionswere
contributed(Dohertyetal,2013).Engagementwentbeyondthetraditional
attendingandviewingofapublicartwork;theaudiencebecameco-producers,
similartohowaudiencemembersbuiltBlackCloud(Doherty,2015).Thisform
ofpublicengagementmighttraditionallybeseenasasupplementalpartofan
outreachoreventsprogramme(Lacy,1995),buthereitwasintegraltothe
artwork(Doherty,2015).‘Nowhereislandwasnotsimplyanislandsculptureon
themove–buttoseeit,toreallyseetheworkasawhole,youhadtoengagewith
thepropositions,exchanges,disagreements,desiresanddemandsofthe
Nowhereislandcitizens’(Dohertyetal,2013:p.30).Theislandissoontobe
dispersedamongstitscitizens(Nowhereisland,2016),afinalsymbolofhowthis
artworkbelongedtoacommunityitsimultaneouslycreatedandwascreatedby.
InbothBlackCloudandNowhereisland,thereisnopredefinedaudienceinthe
traditionalsense,butratheranentirelynewaudiencecreatedbythecommon
purposetheartworkoffers(Situations,2013).Thetraditionalnotionofartand
audience,separateandautonomous,breaksdownandthetwotraditionally
isolatedentitiesbecomebound(Appendix1).Thiscreatesarelationship
betweenartistandaudience‘thatallowstheaudiencetospeakbacktotheartist
incertainways,andwhichthisreplybecomesineffectpartoftheworkitself’
(Kester,citedinDoherty,2004:p.12).Morris(1966)wouldarguethatinthis
instancetheartobjectbecomesjustoneofthetermsofanoverallsituation,
ratherthanthemainfocus;‘theobjectitselfhasnotbecomelessimportant.It
hasmerelybecomelessself-important’(Morris,1966:p.26).
Projectslikethisfallintothecategoryof,whattheoristLacyterms,‘newgenre
publicart’(1994).Lacy(1995)statesthat“publicart”isatermthathasbeen
usedinthepasttodescribesculptureandinstallationsitedinpublicplaces,
whereas“newgenrepublicart”centersentirelyaroundaudienceengagement.
Artists‘communicateandinteractwithabroadanddiversifiedaudienceabout
issuesdirectlyrelevanttotheirlives’(Lacy,1995:p.19).Inthiswaytheaudience
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becomesacollaboratorwiththeartistandintegraltothework(Lacy,1995).
TimeThisideaofartworkascommunityandaudienceascollaboratorrelatestohow
Situationsplaywithtimeintheirprojects,allowingthemtounfoldandchange
justasacommunityorplacewould(Appendix1).Atraditional,permanent
publicsculpturecanblendintotheeverydaylandscape,becomingalmost
invisiblethroughitsfamiliarity.Theoriginalcontextoftheartworkcanbecome
lostovertime,meaningitnolongermakesameaningfulconnectionwithits’
audience(Doherty,2016).Situationsarguethatpermanenceistoooftenvalued
aboveculturalimpactinpublicartcommissioningandthatartistsneedtoplay
withthelifeexpectancyoftheirartwork,inordertoreflecttheconstantly
changingplacestheyinhabit(Situations,2016).Recent‘researchshowsthat
temporary,durationalanddispersedartworkscanhavedeeperimpactovertime
thanpermanent,staticworks,becausetheylightasparktoinspirepersonal
developmentwhichcontinuesbeyondthelifeoftheevent’(Situations,2016:
p.7).
IfwetakeBlackCloud(2009)asanexample,thestructurewasinsituforfour
months(McQuay,2009).McQuayarguesthatthetemporarynatureofthe
structureactedasanimpetusforaudiencestocontinuallyengagewiththework,
withdailyusageincreasingtowardstheendofitstimeintheparkratherthan
dwindling.BlackCloudthereforeinterrupts,ratherthanbecomespartof,the
everydayandopens‘oureyestonewpossibilitiesbeyondartisticembellishment’
(Situations,2013).‘Unlikemanyobscure,neglectedorunlovedpublicartworks,
[BlackCloud]didnotoutstayitswelcomenordiditlingerlongenoughtobecome
commonplace’(McQuay,2009:p.2).Forthetimeitwasactive,BlackCloud
createdashiftinthesocialfabricoftheplace(Dohertyetal,2015).
Becauseofitstemporarynature,BlackCloudnowlivesononlythroughthe
memoriesofitsaudience;‘amythwhichmaintainsthat,forashorttime,a
mysteriousblackcloudcametoresideinVictoriaParkandtherumourwhich
warnsofthedayitwillcomeback’(McQuay,2009:p.4).Dohertyarguesthatthe
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fleetinginterventioncouldbemorevaluablethanthepermanentpublic
sculptureasit‘existsasastoryinthecollectivememoryawayfromit’sphysical
localeandtime’,stimulatingdiscussionandinterestlongaftertheartworkis
gone(2015:p.12).
DurationalartworkslikeNowhereisland(2012)reflecttheideathatplaceitselfis
inaconstantstateofbecomingandneverremainsstill(Appendix1).For
Nowhereisland,thecommunityofcitizensgrewovertime,allowingtheIslands
constitutiontoevolveastheaudiencebecomeco-producersoftheartworkover
aperiodofmonths(Doherty,2015).‘Inthisway,timecontributedsomething
thatwasimmeasurable,unquantifiableandunknowableattheoutset’(Doherty,
2015:p.23).Again,inthiswaySituationsarereimaginingplaceassituation
throughtheirprojects.
ItcouldbearguedthatthetemporarynatureofprojectssuchasNowhereislandis
anegativething,astheyleavenopermanentlegacyoreconomicbenefittoacity
(Froggettetal,2014).Astudycomparedthereceptionandimpactofthe
durationalNowhereisland,withDamienHirst’smoretraditional,staticand
permanentsculptureVerity(Figures11&12),inthetownofIlfracombein2012
(Froggettetal,2014).Focusgroupswithlocalresidentsrevealedthatthey
valuedVerityoverNowhereisland,duetotheeconomicbenefitsandregeneration
resultingfromincreasedculturaltourism(Froggettetal,2014).‘Therewas
widespreadconsensusthatVeritywasgoodforthetown,whetherpeoplelikedit
ornot.ItbringswealthandoptimismandbenefitsfromDamienHirst’s
internationalreputation’(Frogettetal,2014:p.21).Contrastingly,manywere
disappointedbyNowhereislandandthelackoflegacyleftforthetownduetoits
temporarynature(Froggettetal,2014).
Verityhadbeencreatedandgiftedtothetownbythe“numberoneartistinthe
world”providingalastingphysical,social,economicandpsychological
contribution,whereasNowhereislandhadbeenmadebyanartistmost
participantshadnotheardofandtheworkwastransitory,offeringnolasting
physicalpresence.
-Froggettetal,2014:p.22
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Howeverthesamestudyalsodevelopedamethodcalledthevisualmatrixto
evaluatetheseprojects.Aformofimagefreeassociation,thevisualmatrix
accountsforemotionalreceptionoftheartwork,allowingparticipantstoexpress
responsesthataredifficulttoarticulate(Froggettetal,2014).Itwasfoundthat
Nowhereislandhadadeeperimpactonparticipantsintermsoftheiremotional
responsethanVerity,whichwasoftenonlythoughtofintermsofeconomic
benefit(Froggettetal,2014).Nowhereislandhadmadepeoplequestiontheir
notionsofcitizenship,changedhowtheythoughtandcreatedasharedmemory
andenduringcommunityaroundtheproject(Froggettetal,2014).Thisresearch
suggeststhatthelegacyoftemporary,durationalartworks,althoughless
tangible,couldbemoresignificantthanthelegacyofpermanentsculpturesthat
aimto“putthetownonthemap”.However,theeconomicbenefitsofpermanent,
highprofilepublicartworksareveryrealandveryimportanttotownsthat
mightbestrugglingwithculturaltourism,suchasIlfracombe,andtherefore
shouldperhapsnotbeentirelywrittenoffbyorganisationslikeSituations.
OtherOrganisationsArtistsandorganisationsareplayingwithsimilarideasofreimaginingplaceas
situationinternationally(Appendix1).Thisisdemonstratedbythefortyprojects
collatedinDoherty’spublication‘PublicArt:Now’(2015),whichspantheworld.
Forexample,whenartistAlfredoJaarwascommissionedbythe Skoghalllocal
authoritiesinSweedentomakeanewpublicartin2000,hecreatedamuseum
madeentirelyofpaper(Figure13),thenproceededtoburnittothegroundafter
thefirstdayofopening(Doherty,2015).Doherty(2015)seesthisprojectasa
precursortothechangesinpublicartinternationallyoverpastyears.Itplays
withtimeinasimilarwaytoSituationsprojects,valuingthefleetingmoment
overthepermanent,staticpublicsculpture(Doherty,2015).‘Itispublicart-now’
(Doherty,2015:p12).
SituationsalsoalignthemselveswithCreativeTime,apublicartproduction
companyinNewYorkwithasimilarremit(Appendix1).DohertycitesKara
Walker’sASubtlety(Figure14),producedbyCreativeTime,asaprojectdeeply
informedbythecomplexsetofcircumstancesofitslocation,Brooklyn’sDomino
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Sugarfactory(Appendix1).Itmovesawayfromthetraditional,autonomous
publicsculptureandinsteadtakescontextasastartinganddefiningpointtoits
creation.
SituationsarealsopartoftheExpandedNetworkofPublicArtProducers
(ENAP),foundedin2010asaninitiativetocreateanetworkacross
organisationsinEuropewithsimilargoalsofchallengingtraditionalnotionsof
publicart(Dunwell,2015).ThishasallowedSituationsandlike-minded
organisationstoshareknowledgeinordertofurthertheirworkinthisfield
(Dunwell,2015).
ChallengesfacedAtarecent‘gatheringofminds’hostedbySituationsformembersofENAP
(Appendix2),thegroupdiscussedissuesfacingthosewhoaretryingto
challengetraditionalnotionsofpublicart.Oneofthemainpointsraisedwasthat
localauthoritiesstilloftenseepublicartinthetraditionalsenseandstruggleto
understandthe‘newgenrepublicart’thatSituationsandotherorganisations
champion(Appendix2).Despiteawaveofprojectschallengingtheseorthodox
approaches‘publicartcommissionsremain,forthemostpart,oflimited
ambitionwithlittleornosustainedpublicengagement’(Situations,2016:p.6).
Furthermore,manylocalauthoritiessubscribetotheideathatthepurposeof
publicartistoprovideeconomicbenefitthroughculturaltourism,aspreviously
discussedinrelationtoVerity(Appendix2).Thismeansthatcommissionersare
moreinclinedtowardsspectacularmonumentsfromwell-knownartiststhat
attractattentiontoatown,ratherthanperhapsmorecarefullyconsidered
interventions(Appendix2).Dohertyisdisappointedbythefactthatforpublic
art‘valuelargelystillresidesinitscapacitytoendurephysically,orinitsreturn
onthefunder’sinvestment’(2015:p.12).
Theserigidviewsofwhatpublicartcanandshouldbe,haveledtoaproblematic
“clientandservice”basedmodelwithlocalauthoritycommissions,inwhich
organisationslikeSituationsareexpectedtodeliverexactlywhatisexpectedof
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them(generallyahighspectacletouristdestination),leavinglittleroomfor
artisticexperimentationorunexpectedencounters(Appendix2).Withthe
prevalenceofthiskindofcommissioning,manyintheartworldarescepticalof
whatpublicarthastooffer,withartcriticslikeJones(2011)callingit‘a
productionlineforboringart’.
Bethatasitmay,itisunderstandablethatcommissionerswanttoseesomesort
oftangibleeconomicbenefitandreturnoninvestment;publicmoneyisbeing
spentontheseprojectsatatimewhenfundingfortheartsisdwindlingand
manylocalauthoritiesaredealingwithbudgetcuts(King,2015).
TheconsensusfromENAPwasthattheproblemcomesdowntodisseminationof
ideas.Dohertystatedthatlocalauthorities‘aren’treadingourbooks’and
thereforedon’tunderstandtheaimsoforganisationslikeSituations(Appendix
2).TotacklethisissueSituationsarecreatingpublicartstrategiestailoredfor
individualcities,suchastherecentlypublished‘PlymouthPrinciples’(2016,
Appendix4).Theseexplainhowthisformofpublicartcanspecificallyrelateto
andbenefittheircity.Citiesaregivenasetofrules,encouragingthemto
reimagineplaceassituationthroughtheirprojectsratherthansimplydecorate
publicspaces(Doherty,2016).
ConclusionPastprojectsproducedbySituationshavechallengedthetraditional,permanent,
staticandautonomousmonumentsofpublicart,bycreatingandengaging
communitieswiththeirprojectsaswellasplayingwiththelifespanofartworks.
Situationstakecontextratherthansiteasastartingpointandconsiderplaceasa
setofconstantlychangingcircumstances.ProjectslikeBlackCloudandNowhere
Islandareinterruptionsoftheeveryday,thatliveoninthememoriesofthe
temporarycommunitycreated.Theexperience,orthemomentanartwork
comesintobeingbecomesfarmoreimportantthantheartobjectitself.Some
argueagainstprojectslikethis,claimingtheydon’thaveapermanentphysical
legacyoreconomicimpact.However,manywouldclaimthatthisformofpublic
artsparksfardeeperaudienceengagementthatismoreimportantthansimple
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financialrewards.Ithasthepowertoprovokenewthoughtsanddiscussion,
encouragingtheaudiencetofindoutsomethingnewaboutthemselvesandtheir
surroundings.DespitetheeffortsofSituationsandotherlike-minded
organisationstochangehowpublicartisviewed,therearestillissueswiththe
expectationsoflocalauthoritieswhocommissionpublicworksbasedon
traditionalideas.Situationsaretakingstepstotacklethis,throughcreating
advocacydocumentsthathelpdisseminatetheirphilosophythatpublicart
shouldbeaboutreimaginingplaceassituation.
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Images
Figure1:Moore,H.(1980).TheArch.[sculpture:travertinestone].At:London:KensingtonGardens.[online]Imageavailablefrom:https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/kensington-gardens/things-to-see-and-do/memorials,-fountains-and-statues/the-arch-by-henry-moore[Accessed:11.4.16]
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Figure2:Calder,A.(1969).LaGrandeVitesse.[sculpture:sheetmetalandpaint].At:Michigan:CalderPlaza,GrandRapids.[online].Availableat:https://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/michigan/grandrapids/calder/vitesse.html[Accessed:11.4.16]
Figure3:Burton,S.(1986).Chairsforsix.[sculpture:granite].At:Pittsburgh:MellonBankPlaza.[online]Availableat:http://pittsburghartplaces.org/accounts/view/Chairs_for_Six[Accessed:11.4.16]
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Figure4:Morrison,H.andMorrison,I.(2009).BlackCloud.[sculpture:wood].At:Bristol:VictoriaPark.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/projects/heather-ivan-morison-black-cloud-2009[Accessed:11.4.16].
Figure5:Morrison,H.andMorrison,I.(2009).BlackCloud.[sculpture:wood].At:Bristol:VictoriaPark.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/boost-for-cultural-tourism[Accessed:11.4.16]
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Figure6:Morrison,H.andMorrison,I.(2009).BlackCloud.[sculpture:wood].At:Bristol:VictoriaPark.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/projects/heather-ivan-morison-black-cloud-2009[Accessed:11.4.16].
Figure7:Hartley,A.(2012).NowhereIsland.[land/publicart].At:variouslocations.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/projects/alex-hartley-nowhereisland-2012/[Accessed:11/4/16]
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Figure8:Hartley,A.(2012).NowhereIslandEmbassy.[land/publicart].At:Plymouth.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/projects/alex-hartley-nowhereisland-2012/[Accessed:11.4.16]
Figure9:Hartley,A.(2012).NowhereIsland:childrencontributingtotheNowhereIslandconstitution.[land/publicart].At:Plymouth.[online]Availableat:http://www.situations.org.uk/projects/alex-hartley-nowhereisland-2012/[Accessed:11.4.16]
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Figure10:Hartley,A.(2012).NowhereIslandOnlineConstitution:topsubmissions.[publicart].[online]Availableat:http://nowhereisland.org/citizenship/constitution-view/#!/citizenship/constitution-view/?o=3[Accessed:11.4.16]
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Figure11:Hirst,D.(2012).Verity.[sculpture:bronze].Ilfracombe.[online]Availableat:http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/shortcuts/2012/oct/17/damien-hirsts-verity-statue-hannibal-lecter[Access ed:11.4.16]
Figure12:Hirst,D.(2012).Verity.[sculpture:bronze].Ilfracombe.[online]Availableat:http://www.damienhirst.com/verity[Accessed:11.4.16
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Figure13:Jaar,A.(2000).TheSkoghallKonstall.[sculpture:paperandwood/publicart].Skoghall.[online]Availableat:http://www.art21.org/images/alfredo-jaar/the-skoghall-konsthall-2000?slideshow=1
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Figure14:Walker,K.(2014).ASubtletyortheMarvellousSugarBaby.[sculpture:sugar].DominoSugarFactory,Brooklyn.[online]Availableat:http://www.nyartsmagazine.com/?p=17780
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Knight,C.K.,(2011).PublicArt:TheoryPracticeandPopulism.Hoboken:Wiley-Blackwell.
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Miles,M.,(1997).ArtSpaceandtheCity:PublicArtandUrbanFutures.London:Routledge.
Morris,R.,(1966).NotesonaSculpturePartII.In:Doherty,C.,ed.,(2009).Situation:DocumentsofContemporaryArt.London:WhitechapelGallery.
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Appendices
Appendix1:InterviewwithClaireDoherty
Interviewee:ClaireDoherty,DirectorofSituationsInterviewer:MeganCollier,MAstudentDate:8thMarch2016,1:00pmDuration:25minutesInterviewconductedbyphoneNotesfromtheinterview(notatranscript)
HowhavepastprojectsproducedbySituationschallengedandchanged
traditionalnotionsofPublicart?
1.HowwouldyoudescribetraditionalpublicartincomparisontowhatSituations
isaimingtoachievewiththepublicartyouproduce?
-importanttobearinmindthatwhenyouworkwithanartistonanewwork,it’s
alivingartist
-Situationsisnotanti-pubicsculpture->KatiePatterson’sHollowisactuallya
permenantsculpturalworkofpublicartinamoreconventionalformthan
Situationsusuallyworkwith.
-However,traditionallymostartistsworkingonpublicsitescreate
embellishment-anobjectwithinthespace.
-Weshouldthinkofplaceasbeinginaconstantstateofbecoming,neverastatic
site.SeeVictoriaMasseyinPAN
-Forexample,ifwelookatapark;it’snotjustapark,it’smorethanit’s
landscape.It’salsoit’shistory,it’sencounters,strangethingsthathave
happened,memoriesoftheplace.Ultimatelyitisasetofcircumstancesrather
thanasite.Whereastraditionallypublicsculptureinstalledinapark,
embellishesthelookofthepark.
-Reimaginingplaceorpublicspaceasasituation;people,time,aplacesmemory
aswellit’sfuture.
-e.gBlackcloud-althoughastructurewithinpark,butit’smorethanthataswell;
involvedresidentscomingtogethertobuildthestructure,likeacommunitybarn
26
raising.Italsobecameasocialspaceaswellasasculpture;withworkshops,
performancesandevents.Peoplehavingsharedexperiencesofthespace.
-placesareconstantlychanging.Howcanwecommissionartworktoallowthis
tohappen?
-e.gfuturefarmers,flatbreadsociety-createdtoprotecttheharbourfromfuture
commercialdevelopment.Acommunitythatchangesandrelatestothepublic
spaceitisin.
-Hollow->althoughitistraditionalinthesensethatitisapermenantpublic
sculpture,italsocontributesasetofideastotheplace.Bringingtheplanetto
Bristolthroughcollectionoftreesamplesfromallacrosstheworld.It’salso
bringingtimeandspacetogether.
-Allsituationsprojectsareproducedinvolvingpartnershipsandparticipations-.
Engagementofthepublicisessential.
-throughthisindepthengagement,thetraditionalnotionofartandaudience
breaksdown.Theartandtheaudiencebecomesoneandthesame.
2.FromlookingatthepastprojectsIgettheimpressionthatplayingwithtimeand
permanenceisareallyimportantaspectofwhatyoudoandabigpartofhowyou
differfromthetraditionalideaofpublicarte.gastatueonaplaza.Couldyou
explaintherolethatthisplaysinyourprojects?
-Itstarted15yearsagowithonedaysculpture.
-thiswasalearningcurveforsituations,andwediscoveredthattimeisareally
interestingmaterialtoworkwith.
-It’snotthatwebelieveeverythingshouldbetemporary,butit’stheideathatan
artworkunfoldsovertime.Thisgivesitadifferentkindofimportance.
-Wearealsoreallyinterestedinhowyoucommemoratesomething-thejurors
hadarelationshiptothepastandthefuture.
3.AnotheraspectIwantedtoaskyouaboutishowsituationsblurtheboundaries
betweenartisticdisciplines,andareexploringhowperformanceandmusiccanbe
partofapublicartwork.Wouldyousaythatyouareincreasinglymovingaway
27
fromtraditionalvisualarts-,andifsowhydoyouthinkthisis?Aconscious
decision?
-Ithinkthattheartsmoregenerallyisrefusingtobecategorisedatthemoment.
Therearelotsofvisualartistsbranchingoutandusingdifferentmedia.
-Theriseofdigitalmediahasbeeninfluential->thequestionofwhereisthe
artwork?becomesimportant.
-SoSituationsisrespondingtotheartsworldgenerallyandthistrendthatis
happeningatthemoment.
-Alsotrendsinthevisualartsworldatthemoment,forexamplethesortofthing
thatisshownatSpikeIslandareoftenquitedry.It’sdifficulttothinkhowvisual
artistslikethiscouldworkinthepublicrealm.
-Liveartandperformanceartistsareperhapsmorepredisposedtoworkingin
thepublicsphere.
-Situaitons,likeanyorganisation,hasasetoftastes->tendstowardsthingsthat
arehighlyexperientialasapposedtodryorabstract.Wegravitatetoartistswho
haveaperformativecharacter.
-Igreatlyadmirevisualartistssuchasthis,butIfeeltheyarenotsuitedtoa
publicartcontext.I’mnotsurehowI’dusethem.
-Situaitonstryandfindartiststhatarereadytorespondtothepublicrealm.
->however,interestinglymostoftheartistsweworkwithhaven’tshownina
publiccontextbefore.
4.Howdoyouthinkthesechangesinpublicartareeffectinghowaudiencesengage
withartworkinthepublicrealm?
-Itreallyvariesdependingontheproject.
-Theaudiencesexperienceisbecomingmoreartistlead.
-HopethatpeopleknowSituationsprojectsandcomealongbecausetheythink
it’sgoingtobeaworthwhileandintriguingencounter.
-It’sdifficultbecauseeverysinglenewprojectwedo,wehavetostartentirely
fromscratchwithouraudience.Withmoretraditionalorganisations,whohavea
building,oraspacee.gtheRWA,theBristolMuseum,theyhaveareturning
28
audience.WhereasafterKatiePaterson’sHollow,wedon’thaveanotherBristol
basedprojectuntilnextspring.
-wehavetousedifferenttacticstoengageouraudiences->wehavedirect
participantswhoactivelyhelpproducethework.
-wekeepaskingthequestion,howdowekeepaudiencescomingback.Butwe’re
comingtotheconclusionwedon’thaveto.Wecreateanentirelynewaudience
everytime,basedontheprojectwearedoing.
-Wehavetoaskthequestionwhodowewanttoadvocate.Reallyit’sthefunders
ratherthanthegeneralpublic.Thegeneralpublicarenotthatinterestedin
definingpublicart.Whetherit’sartornotisapointlessconversationtohave
withthepublic.E.gwithSanctumitwasmoreimportanttocommunicatewhat
theexperiencemightberatherthanofferinganewdefinitionofpublicart.
5.Howdoestheideaofbuildingacommunity,comeintoyourprojects?
-ItstemsfromaBrianEnoquote
-SomethingIbecameinterestedin20yearsago
-Youcanputanartistinanareaandaskthemtocreateaworkofpublicartfor
thiscommunity.ButIdon’tthinkcommunitiesactuallyexistinthisway
-Ourmostsuccessfulprojectshavebroughtpeopletogetherwhohavenevermet
beforeandbuiltcommunitiesofinterestratherthantargetingapre-existing
community.
-ForSanctum,wedidn’ttargetaspecificcommunitywemadeone.
-IthinkthiscommunityhadareallydeepconnectionwithSanctumandwith
eachother.Musiciansetc.
-Didn’taimforsocialchange,butwhenartistsworktogetherwithpeopleto
createsomething,that’swhenthesocialchangehappensasaresult.
6.HowdoeswhatSituationsisdoingrelatetothepublicartworldinternationally-
arethereotherorganisationsthatarechallengingtraditionalnotionsofpublicart
andhowdotheycomparetoSituations?
-Europeannetworkofpublicartproducers.Apeergroupofpublicartproducers.
29
-weprobablyalignourselvesmostwithcreativetimeinnewyork.Amazing
projectslikekarawalkerssugarbaby.
-thecannonballprojectreallysticksinmymindasanimportantmomentin
publicart.
-biennialsofpublicartinMelbourne,BiennialsinSydney.
7.Intermsofthesortofprojectsyouwillbechoosingtotakeon,wheredoyou
thinkSituationswillbeheadinginthefuture?
-Howweputaprogrammetogetherislikealchemy;it’sacombinationof
opportunity,partnership,artistandfunding.
-Thingstendtocomeoutofthewoodworkandwegraboppurtunitieswhenwe
cane.ganartistcomingtouswithanidea,apotoffundingbecomingavailable.
-IthinkSituationswillkeepworkingwithprojectsofscale.
-Moreperformance
-Moreinternationalprojects
30
Appendix2:ArtinPublic-AGatheringofMindsMyownnotesfromaconferencehostedbySituationsfordelegatesfromtheExpandedNetworkofPublicArtProducersandtheVisualArtsPlatform.Thisconferenceaimedtoallowdelegatestoshareexperiences,discussurgentissuesatstakeinpublicartcommissioning,andfocusonskillsdevelopmenttocreatenewopportunitiesforpublicartintheyearahead.Date:23rdMarch2016Location:MShed,Bristol
Introductionsandchallenges:
• IntrofromDirkdeWit(VAP):
-wantstomakeaconnectionbetweenENAPandVAP
-RichtraditionofartinpublicspaceinHolland.Thereisalotoffundingbutno
centralorganisation,meaningthereisalackofstructure.
-Inthecurrentpoliticalsituationthenotionof‘public’isbecomingmore
importantthaneverbefore.
-Peoplehavedifferentexperiencesofwhatispublic.
• Discussionoftheaimsandchallengesfacedbyeachorganisation:
- Howcanwemakepublicartmorerelevanttoissuesinsociety?
- Restructuretoallowforcontinuousdevelopment.
- Temporaryprojectsaswellasthosethatcontributetourban
development.
- Weshouldperhapsrethinkthepercentforartscheme,onthebasisof
differentexperiences,tomakeitrelevanttotheissueswearedealing
with.Methodologiesforcitizenshipdevelopment.
- Contextiskeytoourpractice
- StellaD’Ailly(Director,Mossutstallningar,Sweeden)talksaboutthe
studiocomplexsetupforoperativeincome.
- Aimtochallengeartiststotakeonnewaudiencesandspaces.
- Aworkinggroupofwriters,musicians,designersetc.Acollaborative
programmeforartists.
- Institutionalisationofartproduction.
31
- Providesasocialmeshforartistsinthecomplex.
- Theydroppedthesearchforpublicfundingayearago-itwastakingup
toomuchoftheirtime.
- Thereisashifttowardsgivingartistsandthepublicinvolvementinthe
planningofprojects.
- Thecurrentconservativegovernment,meansadvocacyand
communicationofideasisimportantaswellastheactualproductionof
projects.
- Politicalsituationhasabiginfluence.
- LiviaPanchu,co-directiorofTransitLasi(Romania)discussesthe
situationinhercountry.
- Noinstitutiondedicatedtopublicart-onlytheministryofcultureandself
initiatedschemesforthearts.
- TransitLasiisoneoftheonlyindependentartsinstitutionsinRomania,
notrelatedtootheragendas.
- Aninterestinganddifferentstartingpoint-Independentratherthanstate
funding.
- PoliticalsituationinRomania
- HowcanTransitalignthemselvescoherentlywiththeartisticpractices
theysupport?
- SophieGoltz(artisticdirectorStadkuratorinHamburg)
- ArtinarchitectureusedtobestronginGermany-thisischanging,
allowingartiststoworkindependentlyfromarchitecture.
- Questioningwhite,hetro,maleconceptsofpublicspace.
- TrulsRamberg(CuratorKORONorway)
- Moneyforpublicartgenerallycomesfrombuilding-artsmustaccountfor
12%ofthebuildingbudget.
- Thetraditionalwayofworking,withpercentforartschemes,undermines
itselfbecauseofthelowqualityoftheartwork.
32
- Thechallengeistogofromthetraditionalwayofthinkinginwhichthe
buildingisimportant,totheplaceandcontextbeingimportant.
- Theartistneedstoworkwiththewholecomplexsituation,notjust
decoratethebuilding.
- ClaireDohertysummarisesissues
- Issueswithlocalauthoritiesunderstandingwhatpublicartproducersare
tryingtodo.
- “They’renotreadingourbooks”
- Issueswithadvocacyanddisseminationofideas.Localauthoritiesstill
thinkofpublicartinatraditionalsense-monumentsetc.
- Peopledon’tunderstandthatmoneyandtimeisneededtocommission
publicart.
- Problematicclientandservicebasedmodelemerges,thatdoesn’tallow
foradialoguebetweenproducer,councilartistandpreventsrisktaking
andexperimentation.
- JoBaxendale,(RelationshipManagerartscouncilEngland)
- Pressureforeconomicbenefitofpublicartprojectse.gtourism.Councils
arethereforemoreinclinedtogoforspectacular,largemonumentsrather
thanmorecarefullythoughtoutinterventions.
- Thereisnodedicatedbodyforpublicart.
Establishingpriorities:Wherefromhere
- Suggestionofastrategicpaper,writtenbythecollectivegroupabout
publicart-awayofsharingthegroupsknowledgeandexperience.
Advocacytool.
- Whoistheadvocacyfor?
- Strategiesforcommissioningbodiestogenerateattentionandmoney.
- Expectationsforwhatpublicartcandoandwhatitsbenefitis.
33
- Thisproposedcommondocumentcouldmakethecaseforthekindof
worksweproduce.
- Relevance-ifwecanprovehowrelevantpublicartisitismuchharderto
shutdownandcutfunding.
- TheproblemwithSCORE(organisationthatnolongerexists)wasthatit
neverexplainedwhyitwasrelevant.
- BUTifyousaythereasonswhy,itbecomesanobligationthatturns
againstyou-alistoftickboxesfromlocalauthorities.
- Perhapsitshouldmorebeacaseof‘showitdon’ttellit’
- Conviction,tosocialrelevanceandsocialchangeaswellasprotectingand
nurturingartists.
- Whodoestheadvocacypaperreach?
- Adifferentsortoflanguageandemphasisneedstobeusedwhenapplying
toeachdifferentfunder.
- Recognition.
- Sharingwhatwearedoingandexperiences.
- Againthereisanissue-‘theydon’treadourbooks’
- SuggestionofaBibliography-asurveyofresearchinthefield.
- Readableforarchitecture,financeandplanning.
- Knowledgesharingwithsocialsciencefieldaswell.
- Goalofknowledgeintheplanningcommunityaboutwhythereshouldbe
publicart->fundingratherthaninfrastructureetc.
- Afoundationofresearchtopresenttofunders,localauthoritiesetc.,to
advocateforchange.
- Preventcommissionersmakingthesamemistakesagain-e.gfunds
misspentonbadprojects.Shareknowledgeandexperienceofwhatwe
do.
- Thereisnooverallorganisationsodecisionmakingisdispersed.
- Oftenlocalcounciladvisorypanels,whicharepoorqualityandonlybased
onlocalinterests.
34
- Artistsworkingwithplanners?
- Needimprovementsonfeedbackandevaluationofprojectsfrom
audiences.
- Verydifficulttoassesswithpublicart-workingoutsideofplacesthat
requiretheaudiencetocrossathreshold.
- Thequestionwhoisthisfor?Isaskedfarmorethantraditionalarts
organisationswithabuildingandfrontofhouse-theyhavebuilta
returningaudience.
- Withpublicarttheaudiencedoesn’tmakeaconsciousdecisiontoengage
withculture-itsunexpected.Sohowdoyouassesstheimpact?
- Visualmatrixmethodofevaluation->freeassociationwithimages-to
mapthelevelsofexperience.Ithasbeenfoundthatthedepthof
associationforprojectssuchasnowhereislandwasfardeeperthan
traditionalsculpture.Withthefocusgroupmethod,thesculpturewas
judgedasmorevaluablepurelybecauseofitseconomicbenefits.The
visualmatrixmethodalsotakesintoaccountnegativeassociations.
Askingnotjustwhoengaged,butwhatthenatureofthatengagementwas
andwhetherinsucceededingoingdeep.
• Summary
- Thereisurgentworktodoonadvocacyofartworkinpublicplacesandits
valueandsocialimpactonacity.
- Morecommunicationandvisibilityneeded-useofambassadorsandother
publicorganisations.Collaborationwiththemedia.
- Educationofartistsaswellasaudiences->artistsoftenaren’tinterested
inworkinginpublicspaces.
- Thereisalackofstatusforpublicart.
35
Appendix3:NewRulesofPublicArtSituations,(2013).TheNewRulesofPublicArt.Bristol:Situations.Publishedasabooklet,tocoincidewiththelaunchof‘PublicArtNow’,aprogrammeofevents,discussionsandpublicationswhichexplorenewformsofandapproachestopublicart.THE NEW RULES OF PUBLIC ART
Rule no. 01
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO LOOK LIKE PUBLIC ART.
The days of bronze heroes and roundabout baubles are numbered. Public art can take any form or
mode of encounter – from a floating Arctic island to a boat oven – be prepared to be surprised,
delighted, even unnerved.
Rule no. 02
IT’S NOT FOREVER.
From the here-today-gone tomorrow of a “one day sculpture” to the growth of a future library
over 100 years, artists are shaking up the life expectancy of public artworks. Places don’t remain
still and unchanged, so why should public art?
Rule no. 03
CREATE SPACE FOR THE UNPLANNED.
Commissioning public art is not a simple design-and-build-process. Artworks arrive through a
series of accidents, failures and experiments. Moments of uncertainty and rethinking are the points
at which the artwork comes into focus. Let responses to the artwork unfold over time and be open
to the potential for unforeseen things to happen.
Rule no. 04
DON’T MAKE IT FOR A COMMUNITY. CREATE A COMMUNITY.
Be wary of predefining an audience. Community is rarely born out of geography, but rather out of
common purpose – whether that be a Flatbread Society of farmers, bakers and activists building a
bakehouse or 23,000 citizens across 135 countries writing a constitution for a new nation. As
Brian Eno once said, “sometimes the strongest single importance of a work of art is the
celebration of some kind of temporary community.”
Rule no. 05
WITHDRAW FROM THE CULTURAL ARMS RACE.
36
Towns and cities across the world are locked into a one-size fits all style of public art. In a culture
of globalized brands and clone towns, we hanker after authentic, distinctive places. If we are
place-making, then let’s make unusual places.
Rule no. 06
DEMAND MORE THAN FIREWORKS.
Believe in the quiet, unexpected encounter as much as the magic of the mass spectacle. It’s often
in the silence of a solitary moment, or in a shared moment of recognition, rather than the
exhilaration of whizzes and bangs, that transformation occurs.
Rule no. 07
DON’T EMBELLISH, INTERRUPT.
We need smart urban design, uplifting street lighting and landmark buildings, but public art can do
so much more than decorate. Interruptions to our surroundings or everyday activities can open our
eyes to new possibilities beyond artistic embellishment.
Rule no. 08
SHARE OWNERSHIP FREELY, BUT AUTHORSHIP WISELY.
Public art is of the people and made with the people, but not always by the people. Artists are
skilled creative thinkers as well as makers. They are the charismatic agents who arrive with
curious ideas – a black pavilion could be barnraised in a Bristol park, a graveyard could be built to
commemorate the Enrons and West India Companies of our fallen economy, the sounds of a
church organ might bleed out across the city through a mobile app. Trust the artist’s judgment,
follow their lead and invest in their process.
Rule no. 09
WELCOME OUTSIDERS.
Outsiders challenge our assumptions about what we believe to be true of a place. Embrace the
opportunity to see through an outsider’s eyes.
Rule no. 10
DON’T WASTE TIME ON DEFINITIONS.
Is it sculpture? Is it visual art? Is it performance? Who cares! There are more important questions
to ask. Does it move you? Does it shake up your perceptions of the world around you, or your
backyard? Do you want to tell someone else about it? Does it make you curious to see more?
Rule no. 11
SUSPEND YOUR DISBELIEF.
37
Art gives us the chance to imagine alternative ways of living, to disappear down rabbit holes, to
live for a moment in a different world. Local specifics might have been the stepping off point –
but public art is not a history lesson. Be prepared that it might not always tell the truth.
Rule no. 12
GET LOST.
Public art is neither a destination nor a way-finder. Artists encourage us to follow them down
unexpected paths as a work unfolds. Surrender the guidebook, get off the art trail, enter the
labyrinth and lose yourself in unfamiliar territory.
38
Appendix4:PlymouthPrinciplesSituations,(2016).ThePlymouthPrinciples.Plymouth:PlymouthCulturePublishedasabooklettocoincidewiththenewPlymouthstrategyforpublicart.ItexplainshowPlymouthisredefininghowitsupports,commissionsandexplorespublicartinfuture.
1. BROADENHORIZONS
Plymouthwillcommissionambitiousprojectsthatcapturethe
imaginationofthousandsandopenupthepotentialforpersonal
developmentbytacklingthemostpressingissuesofcontemporarylife,
andwilldosobyidentifyingkeyopportunitiesforthecitytocommission
landmarkprojectsoverthenextfiveyears.
2. SHAKEUPPERMANENCE
Plymouthwillsupportandadvocateforareconsiderationofthelifespan
ofpublicartworks,advocatingforde-accessioningwherenecessary,
investinginmaintenancewhereappropriateandsupportingworksand
projectsthatunfoldovertime,investingindeeperengagement.
3. GIVETIME
Plymouthwillinviteartistsandcommunitystakeholderstothetableas
oftenandasearlyindevelopmentdiscussionsaspossible,allowing
enoughtimeforfalsestarts,valuingslowprocessesasameanstobuild
relationshipsandknowledge,sothatanexchangeofexpertisemighttake
place.
4. AVOIDFIELDSANDJUMPFENCES
Plymouthwillembracecross-artformcommissioninginpublicart,
movingbeyondanemphasisonpermanentsculptureorarchitectural
embellishmenttopromotethepossibilitiesfordifferenttypes,formsand
timespansfortheartsinthepublicrealm.
39
5. LISTENTOYOUNGVOICES
Plymouthwillcreateopportunitiesforchildrenandyoungpeopleto
contributetothecity’slivingculture,builtandnaturalenvironment
throughtheirinvolvementwiththemaking,shapingandcommissioning
ofpublicartandthepublicrealm.
6. TESTANDSTRETCHTHEPOSSIBILITIESOFTHEDIGITAL
Plymouthwilltestoutnewartisticapproachestodigitalmediato
capture,extend,enhanceandenrichtheexperienceofplace.
7. GROWPRODUCING,ASWELLASARTISTIC,TALENT
Plymouthwillinvestinitsproducingandcuratorialtalentacrossthecity
tobringambitiousnewpublicartprojectstofruitionandtoensurethat
localknowledgeissustained,withtheaddedbenefitofcreatingnew
incomestreamsforlocalartsorganisationsandinitiatives.
8. INVESTWISELY
Plymouthwillpioneeranewpolicyforpublicartfunding,poolingCIL
moniesforuseinthecommissioningofpublicartworksandactivities
acrossthecity,andsupportingtrainingopportunitiesandemerging
artistsandproducers,whilstmaintainingasetofexistingpublicart
assets,aswellassupportingmoreambitiousandsensitiveproposalsfor
projectsthroughSection106planningconditions.
9. PROMOTEGENEROUSLY,OWNCAUTIOUSLY
Plymouthwillsupportacultureofco-productionandcollaboration
throughworkinthepublicrealm,fosteringacultureofgenerosity
betweenorganisationsandsharingofdataandskills,whilstbeingcareful
aboutmaintainingqualityandintegrity.
40
10. PASSON
Plymouthpledgestopassoninformation,evaluationoutcomesanddata
toothercitiessothatthecityactsasatest-siteaswellasapioneerinthe
exchangeoflearningandskillsinthesupportofprogressivepublicart.
11. MAKEMAKINGVISIBLE
Plymouthwilltakeprideinopeninguptheworkingprocessofartists,
whereappropriate,tocreateagreaterunderstandingandownershipfor
artsinthepublicrealm.
