From now until May 2013, you can see a sculpture pretty much every few hundred yards near Chicago’s lakefront path, from Belmont Harbor on the north side through Grant Park, next to the Magnificent Mile in the downtown Loop area.
Public Art
Posted inNews
Some Italian Americans Call Columbus Project “Disrespectful”
Some of us are really excited about the Public Art Fund’s upcoming project Discovering Columbus, for which Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi will construct a living room around the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle. A living room six stories above the street, mind you, bringing visitors nose-to-nose with the Italian explorer himself (or at least, his likeness). But some Italian-Americans are less than thrilled about it; in fact, they’re pissed.
Posted inOpinion
The Joe Paterno Statue and Questions of Public Art
In light of Jerry Sandusky’s recent conviction for sexually abusing 10 boys, the statue of Joe Paterno, the former football coach of Pennsylvania State University who failed to alert authorities to the abuse, outside the school’s Beaver Stadium has quickly become an extremely controversial symbol. Although Paterno died of natural causes this past January at 85 years old, his statue remained as a glaring reminder of Sandusky’s horrific actions and the inexcusable inaction of Paterno and others. With threats of the statue’s destruction and a strong public outcry against it, Rodney Erickson, president of Penn State, released a statement last week explaining his intentions to immediately remove the statue.
Posted inOpinion
What Does Meaningful Engagement with Public Art Look Like?
After “Statue Porn,” my first post for Hyperallergic, was published earlier this year, some commenters responded by asking what a quality interaction with public art might look like. It’s easy to spot silly or sexual interactions, but what are examples of people engaging with public art in a more serious or meaningful manner?
Posted inArt
Is that the Washington Monument in Your Pants or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
Although phallic forms in public space is nothing new, the documentation of the public interaction with them is newly available online, and hilarious.
Posted inArt
Statuesque! Manhattan’s Most Popular Public Art
Lady Liberty receives more than 3.5 million tourists every year. But how does that match up with some of New York’s other public art that do not have ticket sales to track attendance? For stats we turn to Foursquare.
Posted inOpinion
Do Jay-Z and Jeff Koons Really Need $1 Million for Water Tank Art?
For twelve weeks in the spring of 2013, the organizers of the Water Tank Project, a public art project set to raise awareness on water scarcity, plan to decorate 300 water tanks around New York City with big name artists. But you have to wonder, is it worth it?
Posted inArt
Bringing a Burst of Color to an Urban Intersection
CHICAGO — “Color Jam,” a public art piece by Jessica Stockholder, was completed on Tuesday in the downtown Loop section of Chicago.
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Dumbo’s New Recycled Watertower
As either an antidote or a companion (depending on your view) to its uber-expensive and iconic Clock Tower building, Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood will get a different kind of tower this week — a water tower, which is actually a giant art project, a large and colorful public sculpture by Brooklyn artist Tom Fruin.
Posted inArt
Finding Common Ground at City Hall
City Hall Park’s newest exhibit has artists realizing public monuments as acts of memorial and common experience, as well as shared moments of public art whimsy.
Posted inArt
Cleaning Up Public Art
CHICAGO — As long as there have been cars, there has been automotive grime. And as long as there has been grime, there has been grime graffiti. You know, the sarcastic messages drawn into the dirt with the end of a finger, saying “Wash Me Now!” or “Clean Me Quick!” British artist Ben Long has decided to raise this casual form of street notation to the level of public art.
Posted inOpinion
A River of LED Fireflies in Tokyo
LOS ANGELES — Unlike the bright cities that surround them, rivers are usually dark spots at night, recognizable only as absences between well-lit buildings and highways. That’s what makes the image of 100,000 LED lights floating on Tokyo’s Sumida River so evocative. Installed during the Tokyo Hotaru festival, these “prayer stars” are powered by solar energy and light up when touching water.
