THE ART OF PUBLIC

Along with establishing a position in relation to the questions listed above, the purpose of this research is to contribute to the growing discussion on the relationship between public art and the public sphere. Given the limits of this paper, the focus is on art works that address the site and the public as social rather than formal. These artistic practices are less concerned with a relational aesthetic then with the collaborative activity resulting from working with existing communities or establishing new ones (Bishop, 2005). Therefore, and yet in asserting their significance here, this paper seeks to better understand the following question: How does socially engaged public art contribute to the public sphere?