Li Yang

Art Frontier Journal

DOI: 10.64212/RJAG2554

Abstract
Public art seeks the effectiveness of communication. In past artistic creations, the artist remained the main creator, placing their work in exhibition spaces to achieve the sharing of art, while the public, as the audience, was merely a viewer. In today’s cities, artistic creations in public spaces have become increasingly diverse, yet some marginalized groups between urban and rural areas still lack effective access to art. Some artists adopt socially engaged approaches, inviting the public to actively participate in the creation of art. In this process, the artist relinquishes exclusive authorship, transforming the original act of sharing the artwork and space into a collective social practice and shared creation. This shift removes the artwork’s role as a mere medium of art’s dissemination in public spaces and directly returns the art to the public and turning socially engaged art into a bidirectional artistic practice.

Key Words
Contemporary art, public art, socially engaged art, cities, rural areas