ART IN PUBLIC SPACE DURING THE PERIOD OF COVID-19
Public art refers to works of art in any medium planned and executed outside the gallery environment, which are specifically used for exhibitions in public spaces. There are many ways to present works of art in public spaces, which are usually open to the public. People can enter them at will. They can be indoors, such as in hotel lobbies, in shopping centres and museums, or outdoors, such as in parks, squares and on riversides.
Living in Shanghai during the COVID-19 pandemic, I experienced lengthy lockdowns. Isolated from public space, this research project asks in what ways digital rendering can be used to imagine works of art for public space when it is inaccessible? The two creative projects executed as part of the research draw their inspiration from the city that I live in but could not explore. Project One considers how Shanghai’s rapid growth and redevelopment throughout the early twenty-first century changed the fabric of the city. In doing so it creates a series of digital works for public space that consider the layers of history present in the built environment. Project Two responded to the city’s index of ‘hip-ness’, which plummeted during our lengthy lockdowns. In response to this phenomenon, I digitally developed works for public space, creating a public sculpture to reflect positive and happy personal feelings.
