Art and Urbanism

Sociology & Urbanism

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet Khushbu Patel

 Art is a creation based on a free expression of
individuals. It affects the psychological needs of people. It
is a unique production.

Public spaces are a reflection of society and its culture. With

urbanization and integration of the global economy, it is
essential to build an image for a city.

The image of the city is its soul— its distinctiveness, sense of

aesthetic and cultural aspects define its appearance.

Art is a strong medium to propagate or spread a message;

it holds the power of creativity and can aesthetically express a
cause, value, or an issue that society embraces. It reflects upon
who we are as a city and what we like ourselves to be
surrounded with while affecting the sub-consciousness of the
community at large.

Art and design play a valuable role within societies,

interpreting cultural symbols and integrating them into the
public space.

Art adds massive value to the social, cultural, economic and

aesthetic value of a city. art contribute to a city’s identity, its
legibility, encouraging community pride, a sense of belonging
while enhancing the visitor travel experience.

Public art is not a new concept, it has existed since

ancient times. It has deep historical roots and traditions in
different cultures and periods. Public art in a generic sense is
an art placed in public space.

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 Artworks in public places can be significant in a variety of
ways - through physical nature, visual effect, public presence,
cultural influence and spiritual significance.

• Monuments and memorials are examples of public art and they

arise out of the desire to publicly celebrate individuals or events
of importance. They can be statues, landscapes, built and
virtual environments and, most times, there is little or no
controversy as to their existence.

(The National War Memorial  India Gate, New Delhi)

• These works are part of the official record of history and

heritage in public places.
• The public space becomes an outdoors and alternative theatre
or gallery space.

(Fremantle Esplanade Youth Plaza, located in Fremantle, Australia)

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• The public place that promotes cultural interchange and
influences a heightened awareness, represents defining
measures of art and can be an artwork in itself.

As citizens, we identify with cities and remember places that

have been empowered with their own icons and have created
landmarks. Appeasing and engaging public art leaves an imprint on
the passer-by’s mind, thus manifesting itself as a significant factor
in the visual recognition of a particular area.

Different types of art can result in promoting various kinds of

collaborations and engagement; static art can be quiet and
contemplative, whereas dynamic art is often thought-provoking
and open to various interesting interpretations.

Along with predominant social relevance, the cultural

importance of public art is an integral component of its overall
value. Inhabiting space on an everyday basis in the form of
sculpture, statue, installation etc.

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet 3

 art is created as per site context and the community,
generating awareness amongst the viewers and emphasizing the
broader context of their surroundings. These installations and
artworks create unforgettable memories, or what constitutes the
imageability of a place, or neighborhood.

Not only does it provide professional opportunities to

budding artists, but it also cultivates an environment in which the
creative class thrives.

Globally, public art serves as a catalyst to economic success

boosting the tourism sector and playing an important role in
drawing crowds.

The structural collaboration between art and audience

Today “artworks that go beyond simply commenting on social,
cultural or political subjects through visual metaphors and relate to
their immediate context and spectators in a more engaged way
have been key to the development of art created over the last
fifteen years.

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet 4

 Public art is a challenging and dynamic field spanning a range
of disciplines from traditional sculpture to light and sound
installations, and social media interventions.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE

Single objects of art in the street can have a great influence

on our sense of place but there is often little interrelationship
between the installation and the wider workings of the city, the
infrastructure, or how people use, walk through and encounter the
greater space.

When street art can be stretched into something that

interacts with the city itself, it can fundamentally change an aspect
of how people use and perceive a space and in doing so create
something truly memorable.

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet 5

HIDDEN ART

Art can also be subtle. The beauty inherent in a good piece of

engineering can be so simple that you do not notice it.
In these spaces, something really special occurs. The experience of
space is heightened, yet there is no immediate sense that
something extraordinary has happened.

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How is public places art significant?

• The physical nature can bring significance through the relations

of form, scale, use of
materials and/or construction, when these create the language for
a story to be told.
• The visual effect is significant when the image of the place is
made memorable.
• An artwork has a significant public presence when it brings a
focus to the officially
recognized stories, such as wars and public heroes.
• Cultural significance is created in a place when its art and
design connects to a particular group or activity. The place
becomes significant for a culture of its own.
• When the non-material meaning of a place and its identity
transposes to people, then it achieves some level of spiritual
significance.

Business and property values are improved by being neighbours

with public places that
are used more often and in better ways.

Role of the visual arts

The role of the visual arts is arguably to invest processes of
dwelling with greater meaning and impact.

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Current Condition
(This line of inquiry explains why art is becoming a subject as well as an
object.)

With rapidly changing urban development, the value of art

and culture in Indian cities is fading away. The rich Indian
landscape has rather poor policy support towards the
development of cultural infrastructure, unlike social and
economic infrastructure like schools, hospitals and corporate
offices.

The approach of building an identity for the city is lacking

along with a lesser priority towards the art and culture
industry.

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet 8

Resources:

https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2015/10/23/why-design-matt
ers/

https://www.e-flux.com/journal/21/67676/culture-class-art-creati
vity-urbanism-part-i/

https://whyy.org/articles/praxis-dialogues-public-art-and-urbanism
/

https://vbn.aau.dk/en/projects/art-and-urbanism-public-art-and-t
echnology

M.Arch-I Sem-II, Scet 9