Public art: what is it good for?
- Karolina Sotomayor
- 18 ene 2017
- 2 Min. de lectura
Here is what I learned after a few encounters with people within the art world: the art market has turned art into a commodity, a purchasable experience.
If you're lucky enough to have a sufficiently fat wallet, you may be able to enjoy the pleasure of buying and collecting art, or even of going to a museum. Experiencing art, whether you're buying it or not, has become a luxury, which is why public art serves as a small reminder that art can be seen and lived no matter what your income is.
As always, New York city was filled with public art this Summer. As I walked through Park Avenue, Central Park and Brooklyn, I encountered artworks the made me think, they challenged me to look at my environment differently and made me observant of how other people engage with public art.
My first encounter was Anish Kapoor's Descension. When I first approached this, I felt consumed by a feeling of emptiness and completion at the same time. I was overwhelmed by the rumbling sounds of water turning ceaselessly and the only thing that made me feel safe was the rail separating me from the artwork. a spiraling and seemingly endless pool of water.
Kapoor's work is all about materials. The transparency of the water is a political critique, while at the same time acts as a continuation of the East River, where it's located in Brooklyn, New York. Through Decsension, the artist reflects on the current situation of American politics, and has worked in cooperation with 200 artists to exhibit artworks against right-wing populism. The artwork has been exhibited in India and France, and by comparing images, we can see that its effect varies based on location. Dissension is a clear example of how art interacts and fluxes as it encounters different environments and different observers.
The artwork is not accompanied by a lengthy summary of its meaning, its public appearance allows visitors to experience the piece on their own, to interpret it using their vast or limited knowledge of art. What amazes me about public art is that some people will not even be aware that a piece like Descension is made by an internationally renowned artist, and does it really matter? The art market has turned artists into superstars, and more often than not, the critique of buying art is that new collectors care more about who the artist is, than how the piece actually makes them feel.
This is what public art is good for: it doesn't matter who did it, or if you know the artist's oeuvre or not. Enjoy it, engage with it, allow it to make you think and question things; you may not be a changed person afterwards, but who knows what can happen if you give it a try!
Comments