A total of 87 cases from all over the world were received to participate in the 2024 International Award for Public Art, covering a wide range of forms including installations, architecture, sculpture, murals, performance art, events and so on. From November 25 to 26 2023, the jury selected 34 cases for the shortlist based on the selection criteria and their professional experience and fully explored the public art value concept of “place remaking”. The shortlisted cases reflect the innovative exploration of global public art practice in terms of concept and approach in recent years, and reflect the development trend and value guidance of public art.
President Nie, chairman Lewis Biggs, and chairman Fang Bin delivered speeches respectively. President Wang Dawei gave a detailed introduction to the judging of the 2024 Public Award for Public Art. The judges of the 2024 International Award for Public Art, along with Andrew Brewerton announced the 7 regional awards and the 2024 International Public Art Grand Award respectively. The award presenters included: Dong Huafeng, representative of the government department of the host city of the 2022 International Award for Public Art and Director of Foreign Affairs Office, Party Working Committee of Qingdao West Coast New Area, China, Zhao Jian, Vice Chairman of the Design Education Committee of the Chinese Association of Higher Education, Former Vice President and Professor of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Gao Jun, Vice President of China Advertising Association of Commerce, Chairman of Meikao (China), He Jie, Vice President of China Nationalities and Folk Arts and Crafts Artists Association, Executive Director of Public Art Specialized Committee of China Culture and Art Development Promotion Association, Professor of Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University, Chen Jing, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Shanghai University, Guo Xianlu, Chairman of Shanxi Artists Association, Former President of Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Jiao Xingtao, President of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute.
The purpose of International Award for Public Art is to disseminate the core value of public art, and to empower the hosting places by studying outstanding cases all over the world, revealing international successful experience of public art in improving the public environment, improving the quality of life, upgrading the standard of culture and art, and promoting the development of society and culture. The concept of local reshaping is an important value of public art, which promotes cultural development by means of art, serves urban construction, solves social problems, and has a positive significance and important value for the reshaping and enhancement of local spiritual life and cultural connotation.
Date: 2021
Spirit Walk is a permanent AR public art land-based educational exhibition as a part of the on-going Dakota Spirit Land maps project in the public park Bruce Vento Sanctuary in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. The piece, designed by artist Marlena Myles consists of location specific computer augmented art and storytelling, requires downloading the Revelo AR app to a mobile device or smartphone and launching the geo-guided map to view the imagery and the temporal specters and general frameworks of cultural and historical Dakota connections to sacred stories and sites along the walking path.
Pokemon Go might be considered an analogous technology to the mobile app based spirit images conjured up throughout the nature walk. Myles' animated creations drawn in Adobe Illustrator of the Dakota spirits are superimposed on the landscape, transporting the viewer to another level of consciousness. Visitors with headphones can listen to Native speakers tell stories.
Todd Boss has created an exhibition platform with Revelo AR with the assistance Zach Chapman of Pixel Farms, who worked as the main developer on the project. While the stories have always been orally passed down from Dakota elders, which most people cannot see. The Thunder Being presents itself in the mobile app at the entrance to the cave, a spring flows from the cave that one was filled with prehistoric petroglyphs carved in rock of a rattlesnake that is a protector of Dakota medicines and burial mounds. The visual stories are told in five stops on the trail through artist Myles illustrations in the AR application; integrated by Pixel Farm and hosted by Todd Boss’s Revelo AR gallery.
Within American history Dakota Tribal culture and spiritual life is taught as a small detail existing only in the past or relegated to gated museums. Marlena Myles creates a living history geolocated on Dakota land conjured up with modern technology breaking down the walls of disregard and nescience for cherished grounds.
Marlena Myles is a self-taught Spirit Lake Dakota artist located in St Paul, Minnesota. Her art brings modernity to Indigenous history, languages and oral traditions while using the land as a teacher. Her professional work includes children’s books, augmented reality, murals, fabrics, animations and has shown her fine art in galleries such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Museum of Russian Art, and the Minnesota Museum of American Art to name a few.
She has installed three site-specific augmented reality public art installations: the Dakota Spirit Walk (Saint Paul), the Sacred Hoop Walk (Minnesota Landscape Arboretum) and the Wodakota Walk (Caponi Art Park). She owns a Dakota publishing company, Wíyouŋkihipi (We Are Capable) Productions, to create a wider platform that educates and honors the culture, language and history of Dakota people. In 2023, she was awarded the Knight Arts + Tech Fellowship, Joyce Award and Rise25 Mozilla Honoree.
Dakota Spirit Walk showcases the history and culture of the Dakota region in Minnesota, USA, through the artistic medium of augmented reality. This work features augmented reality installations at each location that educate and guide visitors about the meaning of land to American Indian communities, indigenous history, and the spiritual and political significance of the vitality of the land. It is a beautiful beautiful and poetic work，narrating stories of Marlena Myles, an enrolled Native American, citizen, and artist of the Spirit Lake Dakota tribe, who retells history through captivating storytelling and vibrant animation.This augmented reality piece was created in collaboration with Minneapolis-based Pixel Farm and acclaimed documentary filmmaker Todd Boss, creator of the Revelo AR app.
The intervention made by Beatriz Gonzalez in the columbariums saved the central cemetery from becoming a soccer field and a skate park, and through her art installation Aurasa Anónimas(Anonymous Auras) she created a place of memory, allowing communities to mourn the victims of the war, and becoming a monument for the anonymous victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. Thanks to a ruling from the National Heritage Council in October 2019, the Columbariums with Beatriz Gonzalez's work were declared National Heritage, contributing to the nation's memory. Later on, the Museum of Memory was built adjacent to the Columbaries to inform and open spaces that share the hardships of the violence in Colombia. This public artwork allowed the space to become a monument that honors the victims and preserves their memory, allowing that remembrance to last throughout time.
Auras Anonimas (Anonymous Auras) was an installation made over the columbaria of the Central Cemetery in Bogota, to honor the anonymous victims of the armed conflict in Colombia (which has lasted for over 60 years). She created eight different silhouettes which were reproduced in 8,957 silk-screen prints that were installed over every tombstone. She created a place for giving that will help the country to have a physical space for healing. The artwork transformed the place into a safe space, where people could come over to write messages, names, and prayers to their loved ones.
The artwork recovered the importance of set buildings since it re-acknowledged the importance of a grieving space for the community through creativity, art-led urbanism, and place-making. The current Mayor of Bogota, Claudia Lopez, referred to the Columbaries as representing a space of reflection on a time of conflict. Many have found in it peace or the start of a healing process when walking around them.
One of Colombia’s most important living artists, Beatriz González occupies a central role in the history of contemporary Colombian art. As early as 1962 she reinterpreted Western art’s iconic works to reflect upon ways in which high culture was assimilated in Colombia. She created a unique visual language informed by her fascination with the notion of "taste" using found images, a bold color palette and the creation of flat compositions carried out on unconventional supports including furniture pieces, bed covers, and oversized curtains. Her unique perspective on Colombia’s popular culture and politics is key in her artistic voice that has resonated internationally.
Date: May 2022 - on going with other aspects
The Missing Bits is a curated exhibition collaboration between The Nest Collective, and the Book Bunk Trust. Trust is a not-for profit cultural organization, Book Bunk's organizational objectives extend far beyond the conventional library restoration. They aim to open the doors of public libraries and transform them into vibrant, inclusive centers of learning. In their vision, these libraries become "Palaces for the People," modern spaces that engage the community, serve as hubs of knowledge, and bridge the past with the present.
The exhibition The Missing Bits opened at the Eastlands Libaray, Makadara, Kenya as part of a number of archive informed activities all under the theme and title “The Missing Bits”. The choice of an open space allows for maximum accessibility to a wide range of people, regardless of age, background, or social status, responding to collaborators' idea of converting libraries into "Palaces for the People" as public art which strengthens public interest and engagement in their cities and spaces. This project has many parts and is a multi-dimensional archival offering which includes the digitsing of public and personal archives, panel discussions, film screenings and the exhibition. The Missing Bits project is a continuum and has a 10 years.
The archive materials became the bridge connecting generations. Younger visitors may have felt a poignant sense of deja vu as they encountered relics from a bygone era. These artifacts, like old Kenyan newspapers, were more than just sources of information; they were woven into the fabric of everyday life. In times past, these newspapers served as furniture covers, wrappers for household relocations, packaging for grocery purchases, drawer liners, and even kindling for fires. For older generations, these newspapers triggered nostalgia, allowing them to come face to face with events and stories from years gone by. The digitising which was also opened to people to bring on their own archival materials for digitising from that exhibition may make it more obvious what the project was all about bringing closer to the people that the library is serving.
Jane Pauline is a communications and social media strategist who has been with the Nest Collective. Her background in anthropology made an easy segue into film, music, and the arts, where she hones her expansive skill set as a multidisciplinary producer, in visual installations, events, film, and more. JP is also a project associate with the HEVA Fund, Africa’s first creative economy business and financial catalyst fund, where she most notably works on a scholarship project in partnership with Netflix. In addition, JP is a deejay, who has brought different frequencies and eclectic genres to dancefloors across the world.
kNOw School, an offshoot of the Anga Art Collective, serves as a post-disciplinary platform. Rooted in a multi-layered socio-economic, ecological, and academic crisis, the school is dedicated to forging innovative frameworks that challenge conventional notions of aesthetics, pedagogy, and lifestyle. Its primary objective is to envision pedagogical and aesthetic processes that organically emerge from the dynamic tapestry of our surroundings. This educational initiative thrives on a sense of community and is deeply grounded in the land itself. It transcends traditional boundaries, seeking to redefine how we approach learning in the face of contemporary challenges. By integrating diverse perspectives and embracing the complexities of our environment, kNOw School strives to pioneer a transformative educational experience that reflects the ever-evolving nature of our world.
A kNOw School is set up for four to five days in community spaces where through various art exercises, the traditional knowledge of the communities regarding the river, the landscape, their stories and their art is practised.kNOw School, an itinerant educational endeavor, transcends the confines of conventional curricula and pedagogical approaches. Its essence lies in igniting the minds of young learners, encouraging them to envision fresh intersections between contemporary art forms and locally available materials. What sets this initiative apart is its deference to the communities it engages with, allowing them to shape the educational journey.
One of kNOw School's most profound impacts lies in its ability to challenge and dismantle the entrenched colonial pedagogy that had been the bedrock of conventional art schools in Assam. By venturing beyond established curricula and teaching methodologies, it has inspired a fresh perspective on the convergence of contemporary art forms with locally available resources.
Moreover, kNOw School's approach is deeply rooted in community engagement. By setting up temporary learning spaces in villages and other communal areas, it fosters a sense of shared knowledge and communal participation. Through a series of art exercises, the traditional wisdom and knowledge of these communities pertaining to their surroundings, such as rivers, landscapes, stories, and artistic expressions, are brought to the forefront. This not only validates and preserves local heritage but also encourages a sense of pride and ownership among community members.
Dhrubajit Sarma
Assam-based Anga Art Collective was initiated in 2010 by a group of friends who sought to create a space that engages in critical thinking about visuality and materiality based on the geographical and social landscape of the region. Most members come from a visual arts background, while others have differing institutional inclinations and forms of engagement. Their practice includes painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, public art, performance, and site-specific installations. The collective maintains a fluid structure where individual and collaborative practices go hand in hand. They believe in sharing knowledge across disciplines and collaborating with village communities, academics, and activists on different events and situations. At present the collective has 10 members: Bidyut Sagar Baruah, Dharmendra Prasad, Dhrubajit Sarma, Himadri Dutta, Kartik Lahkar, Kuldip Sarma, Mayur Rajbongshi, Pallov Saikia, Pankaj Sarma, Sanjib Kalita.
Oceania region winning cases:
Date: 2020
The Eyes Of The Land And The Sea brings together different perspectives on our shared history - the bones of a whale and the ribs of a ship - and sits in the tidal zone between the ship and the shore where the identity of modern Australia lies.
Monumental in scale and ambition, The Eyes of the Land and the Sea commemorates the 250th anniversary of the 1770 encounter between Aboriginal Australians and Lt James Cook’s crew of the HMB Endeavour at Kamay Botany Bay National Park, Australia.The 30m long artwork is cast in bronze and takes the form of seven ribs, resembling both the hull of the HMB Endeavour, as well as the bones of a whale, being the Gweagal totem. Alison worked with her community, in particular researchers at the Gujaga Foundation and Gweagal artist, Shane Youngberry to develop cultural and historical content etched into each rib which describes those encounters at Kamay in 1770, inviting viewers to deeply engage with these untold stories.
The artwork embeds refreshed and revived narratives of history and connection to the land, strengthening the significance of the meeting place at Kamay to all, and evoking a sense of sentiment, mutual understanding, and reflection on the events of 1770. The Eyes of the Land and the Sea is a story about discovery. Not the discovery of land by England, but of all Australians discovering our true history as we move together towards a reconciled Nation.
Alison Page is a descendant of the Tharawal and Yuin people and is an award-winning creative at the forefront of the contemporary Australian Aboriginal cultural movement. Nik Lachajczak is an artist and storyteller who has worked with communities in Australia and globally for the past 20 years.
Together, Alison and Nik are the creative agency Zakpage; their diverse practice spanning architecture, design, art and film. With storytelling as a connecting thread throughout the different mediums, Zakpage produce artistic and intelligent visual narratives that seek to strengthen identity and drive social justice.
Date: 2021.7
Program SPARK is a public welfare project founded by artist Li Hao in 2017. Based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, Program SPARK is designed for social harmony and fairness, giving children a more imaginative future.
Blooming Time is a art installation course brought to the left-behind children of Terguo Center School in Puge County, Xichang City, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province by the 2021 public welfare construction project Program SPARK. Twelve ofo bikes are connected head to tail, with a roof completing the shelter function in between, becoming a "merry-go-round" driven by the pedaling people. Under the guidance of professional architects, artists and teachers, the creation and installation of the device were completed by the children. In the "shared bike war" in recent years, tens of millions of ofo bikes suddenly appeared and then disappeared from city streets. The artists carried out simple modifications to the ofo bikes in advance, so that they became "creative materials" in the hands of children, transformed into a big toy.
Since its initiation in 2017, Program SPARK has been operating for six years, leading hundreds of left-behind children to complete their first art installation. Education is the key to escaping poverty and improving socioeconomic status. As a public welfare project initiated by an architectural team, Program SPARK aims to solve universal rather than individual issues, exploring solutions to China's rural education challenges in a innovative and sustainable manner. Blooming Time - Program SPARK is a typical case combining the concepts, practices and forms of socially engaged art, solving real social problems while possessing an extremely communicative formal aesthetic, and paying tribute to the tradition of ready-made art. The project demonstrates innovation in applying concepts such as ready-mades, public art, and upcycling in a rural Chinese context, providing a compelling case study of socially engaged art and its ability to address real world issues.
Artist and architect. Graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2008, currently living and working in Yunnan. Committed to the creation of public art, focusing on the cognitive experiences generated between natural elements and the basic forms of the material world, and attempting to create new situations to promote new relationships between works and audiences. In 2017, initiated the social intervention art project: “Blooming Time - Program SPARK” dedicated to intervening in the educational environment of left-behind children in rural areas through public art creation.
A Single Spark can Start a Prairie Fire!
Date: 2016
The project Talking Hands was born in 2016, in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. Between 2015 and 2017 it brought to Italy a new population of about 250,000 people, many of whom arrived on Italian shores by sea. About a third compared to those who arrived in Europe by land through a massive flow coming mainly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and reaching the Greek coast from Turkey to take the "Balkan route." In Treviso, a small urban center of 100,000 inhabitants in northeastern Italy, some 2,000 arrived and were placed inside early 1990s abbandoned former barracks.
Talking Hands is an ongoing design and social innovation atelier, based in Treviso, Italy. Here, refugees and asylum seekers work alongside designers, photographers, teachers, journalists, retirees and volunteers. They use design and manual activities to tell their stories and dreams, learn job skills and forge relationships in the communities where they live. Talking Hands try to use design to give answers to concrete needs and we try to do so with an organic approach, in the physical space of the atelier where the different lives, stories, sensitivities and approaches can express themselves. Through the community work model we manage to open a window towards an imagination which is “other” and plural.
The project Talking Hands demonstrate how design philosophy can be used to create relational networks, this networks contribute to change the public perception of people seeking asylum, questions the need to design artifacts taking into account the urgency to redefine some of our cultural structures in order to be able to build new ones that are more solid and inclusive. Talking Hands aims to foster horizontal dialogue and non-hierarchical power relations so that social change is led and influenced by the very actors affected by it. Precisely, it questions how design and visual communications can become extraordinary tools for experimenting with new languages. They allow us to open ourselves to "Other" and plural imaginaries, and to care for individuals and community.
Born in Treviso in 1972, Fabrizio is an activist and art director. His area of investigation ranges from commissioned image design for public and private clients, to the curation of various social partners, cultural events and exhibitions. Fabrizio founded "Spazio XYZ" (2008-2012), a multifaceted exhibition space dedicated to the different expressive forms of applied arts. Spazio XYZ boasts over 40 exhibition projects developed through collaborations with international designers, illustrators and photographers. In 2016, Fabrizio founded Talking Hands – a permanent art studio enabling people from refugee communities to design, create and sell fashion and design products, a community work for experimenting postcolonial perspective with new languages and approaches.
推荐链接
【公共艺术案例】跨越国境·海/ 跨越国境·潮 Beyond the Border: Ocean / Tide
【公共艺术案例】盛放-花火计划Blooming Time - Program SPARK
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