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Since the early 60's art has expanded its intricate nature and artists have developed a practice outside the conventional modernist "white cube" in search of an intimate but also broader relation with society. The urban landscape is presently considered a privileged platform for artistic expressions concerned with cultural, political and ecological (trans)actions in cities. Some artists have developed strategies that complement the practice of urban designers and planners in the construction of a sustainable urban landscape but also in the awareness of the use or misuse of natural resources by cities. Water, air, and earth, metal, waste and dust are elements commonly combined by contemporary artists to express their perception of the world.
In this work I analyze two public art projects made of/or related to natural elements located in Cambridge Massachusetts. The sculpture "Gift of the Wind" designed by the artist Susumu Shingu in 1983, situated in Porter Square and "Turnaround/Surround" by the artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles located in the Danehy Park, developed through the years 1990-2004. From the study of these examples I will develop questions, such as does public art really affect people? Is public art provocative, misunderstood or appropriated? When? Do citizens feel related to the landscape of the city through art? And will raise a few more. |
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