Member-only story
The Art in Democracy: Public Art as Mediator
As governments become more authoritarian while technological advances in surveillance at the same time allow business interests to increasingly outmaneuver civilian privacy rights, democracies across the world face ever-growing threats to their viability and in some cases, their very existence. During such a crisis, the vitality of public spaces in city centers becomes critically important.
Parks and public squares provide opportunities for residents to engage with each other: they gather for the purpose of recreation and collective experiences, such as live events and public art, but also for practicing speech and free expression. Not only are these shared spaces part of what makes cities livable and therefore desirable but their usage as forums for the community-at-large to exchange information and ideas is what makes them especially valuable at a time when democratic institutions are under strain.
European cities have a long tradition of cultivating public spaces and recognize them as a vibrant component of a healthy democracy but cities in the United States lag behind.
Here, public spaces are starving, as are many downtown districts. Many of them suffer from neglect, often choking under the strain of a stubborn and sustained emergency in homelessness, and they’re rarely valued in the same way as their European counterparts. In cities across the nation, there are too few parks and squares to begin with, and even fewer resources for under-served, lower-income communities.
Gentrification often makes the problem worse, especially when it arrives with large-scale corporate developments that frequently feature the private encroachment of public space. As a result, local residents are in many instances displaced to the outskirts of the city, especially those who’ve lived in the neighborhood for decades and are valued contributors to the community.
Even worse, public art projects are sometimes part of the problem itself, which is ironic because art — none more than public art — is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. Yet some art serves as beacons for wealthier transplants, drawing them…
