Public Art, Public Sphere, and Urban Development in the Chinese Metropolis

Unfolding China’s Urban Development: The Implementation of Public Art in Beijing and Shanghai

“…GROUND The term "public art" has a distinctive discursive history and is used to refer to a diverse range of art practices and cultural phenomena [1] . For the purposes of the present paper, it refers to artworks installed in open urban spaces that are freely accessible by the general public, as opposed to artworks presented in galleries and museums [1] . This category of cultural production is implicitly receptive to public participation and engagement in the creation and reception of the work [2] .…”

“…This interrelationship of public art, public sphere, and urban space allows for the artwork to play different roles within the context of urban development [1] . According to Zebracki (2011), the roles that public art plays in the definition of urban space can be divided into five broad categories: the aesthetic aspect, the economic aspect, the political aspect, the cultural aspect, and the social aspect [7] .…”

“…According to Zebracki (2011), the roles that public art plays in the definition of urban space can be divided into five broad categories: the aesthetic aspect, the economic aspect, the political aspect, the cultural aspect, and the social aspect [7] . Public art can play an aesthetic role by enhancing the attractiveness of a site and contributing to the formation of new places [1] . It has the potential to refine, sublimate, and display distinctive urban cultural characteristics through aesthetic means, which may contribute to an improved urban image [1] .…”

“…Public art can play an aesthetic role by enhancing the attractiveness of a site and contributing to the formation of new places [1] . It has the potential to refine, sublimate, and display distinctive urban cultural characteristics through aesthetic means, which may contribute to an improved urban image [1] . Economically, the cultural capital that public art potentially provides may help attract inward investment to a particular urban area and consequently boost local economies [1] .…”

“…It has the potential to refine, sublimate, and display distinctive urban cultural characteristics through aesthetic means, which may contribute to an improved urban image [1] . Economically, the cultural capital that public art potentially provides may help attract inward investment to a particular urban area and consequently boost local economies [1] . In its cultural aspect, it can create and carry symbolic value and identity.…”