Art and Place

Veronika Kastlová, Petra Vlachynská

“Art is what makes life more interesting than art.”
(Robert Filiou, member of Fluxus)

Art in the public space always becomes part of the environment, be it permanent or fleeting. All places go through several physical transformations during their lifetime, they carry the stories and needs of the modern city and they are shaped by the people who live there. All that can affect the meaning of artwork, develop it further, or justify its existence. At the same time, the artwork penetrates the meaning of the site; it has the power to make it important, to interpret, draw attention and inspire action.
When a municipality or a state starts to support art in its public spaces, it affects the conditions of its creation and thus the artwork itself. Both art and the processes that enable it reflect the contemporary society and its values.
It is impossible to find an unequivocal definition of art in a public space. Today, it involves so many various forms – not just the timeless statue or memorial, but also temporary and permanent installations, performances, happenings, community and social art, theatre, busking, and others.
This issue attempts to present the range of contemporary artforms, from permanent to ephemeral, that influence public space and architecture, not just on the conceptual level, but also physically (aesthetically) and processually (socially) enrich the environment.
The selection of the projects is in many ways necessarily fragmented, as such we hope to inspire you to further explore the subject on your own.