Search Result

This article outlines the political underpinnings of public art in historically marginalized neighbourhoods. By interconnecting political theories of conflict with public art, the article discusses the empirical case of downtown Chinatown in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and four commissioned artworks placed in its public realm in 2019. The politics of public art revolve around the administrative goals and management practices that govern public art, aiming to produce consensus, cohesion and order. The political of public art, by contrast, inscribes itself into urban space via unregulated creative articulations. This article unpacks the implicit and explicit differences between artists, policymakers, planners and community organizers, and offers a unique conflict-theoretical framework for public art.