Public Art in (Local) Communities: Multiple Publics and the Dynamic Between Them

Abstract

The paper’s goal is to investigate the question of the type of public, which serves as a recipient of a particular work of public art. That is, the paper researches the process of how the public is attracted by a given artwork, how this process influences a local community, and what is the actual nature of these publics. As a result, it is argued that some public artworks are intended to have more than one public or, to put it in stronger terms, their task is to bring into play the inner dynamic between numerous publics. Moreover, the possibility of conceptualizing public art not only as a means responsible for facilitating peace but also as revealing the hidden conflicts among the members of the community, to which it is introduced and by whom it is analyzed.