The value of public art is to be found in its public nature and the positive impact it has in terms of nurturing public imagination and beautifying the environment. However, if public art truly aspires to become part of the public psyche through its inherent appeal, then relying on the 1% expenditure rule in the “Public Art Establishment Measures” is nevre going to be enough. Fortunately, as times have changed new, experimental and policy-driven content has resulted in the appearance of more “curated” public art in the urban living environment. Many such decorative works can now be seen in lanes and alleys, old buildings, abandoned schools, stores and parks. This is a development that has gone some way to making up for the generally disappointing impact of public art laws. Moreover, it has also started to enrich the quality of life enjoyed by urban residents and give rise to a more approachable public aesthetic.

Curation and Exhibition – Legally Designated Projects

Exhibition curation represents professional artistic interpretation, coming together and organization. Unlike a single work of art, a “curated” exhibition often focuses on a broader range of pieces and therefore offers viewers a more diverse interpretation. A review of public art installed as a result of the “Public art Establishment Measures” reveals a clear trend in recent years towards curatorial type pieces. Generally speaking, public art projects with a public budget that embrace this approach tend to be well funded with relatively broad objectives and spatial properties. Such projects have also been welcomed by government agencies because they are relatively easy to manage.

Many of the legally designated projects costing more than NT$10 million that have adopted a curatorial approach have proved quite successful, but the best lesson to take from this success is that professional curatorial work is now considered a type of “art.” Good curation in the right location can identify the best artist and provide much needed coordination for administrative, construction and management work. The process is particularly beneficial when it comes to making projects more attractive to big name artists.

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of curated medium and large sized public art projects, especially at schools. Another popular type of project has been those commissioned for specific purposes by the Ministry of Culture or local Departments of Cultural Affairs. The former are represented by projects at National Central University, National Ilan University, National Chi Nan University and Taipei Municipal Nangang Elementary School; Examples of the latter include the Good Time Public Art Festival at National Taiwan Museum, MRT Daan Park Station, National Taichung Library, Tainan Science Park project, National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital and the Beitou Public Art Installation Project commissioned by Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

Any examination of curation and exhibition type official public art must first acknowledge that curatorial work is itself part of the creative content. In other words, curators are not simply administrative assistants, but rather individuals who re-interpret art. It is their ability and taste that ultimately determines the value of an “exhibition.” Current trends indicate that most curatorial-type legally designated public art projects involve multiple individuals and pieces. Because such projects seek to be dispersed, democratic and diverse, those involved often have an understanding of pubic art that is especially focused on its public nature and aspires to the cultivation of a very specific artistic aesthetic.

Exhibition Curation – Non-Legally Designated Projects

Today, it is relatively easy to encounter examples of art in daily life. On the one hand this is a product of the mobility afforded by urbanization, on the other “artistic” content has become a “medium” and symbol of modern life. As such, those engaged in public art strive to convey ideas about progress, while commoditized culture uses art as a cover to present itself as the epitome of happiness. At the same time, it is important to remember that art has already grown from its origins as the exclusive plaything of a privileged minority into something now available to the general public.

Curated art in many cities is more powerful, innovative and current because it is unofficial in nature. This has led to a contentious phenomenon whereby land developers engaged in the development of real estate and urbanization in Taiwan have, for more than a decade, used art to promote their own goals, ultimately turning it into a form of “product placement.” The best-known example of this is the Farglory Construction project at National Taipei University where 10 works of public art can be found spread between legally designated walkways and bike lanes on main thoroughfares, an emergency services access road behind the building and on traffic islands between fast lanes. In such an instance, a single piece would not have attracted as much attention, whereas the use of public art to promote the commercial interests of the contractor caused a storm. However, it is also undeniable that the same project also increased the opportunities available to members of the public (especially the low to medium priced accommodation needed when the area was first promoted) to experience art as part of daily life. Moreover, it also enhanced public sensitivity to beauty and trust of art.

Attempts to use the curated exhibition approach to make “art museum standard” work an integral part of the urban living environment has also become part of another type of real estate development – urban renewal. Despite the sensitive nature of this approach it has several advantages; 1) Because new urban renewal projects are long-term, contractors often looking for ways to utilize empty transitional space; 2) Charity investment can be used to secure a higher floor area bonus. However, a more balanced explanation is probably that investment in curated exhibitions is more likely to persuade local residents as to the construction company’s sincerity when it comes to “charity work,” while also better channeling the popular desire for beauty and happiness. Examples of this type of project in Taipei include: “Mobile Art Museum” , “Art with Mountain” and “Art with River” (Lead Jade Construction) , “Urban Core” and “Ruin Academy” (Chung Tai Construction)

Officials have also come to appreciate the use of artistic curation in urban settings as a proactive way to market certain values or promote policy achievements. Although some “celebratory public art” has been designated as populist or criticized as “a damp squib,” artistic involvement generally presents an opportunity for dialogue and is a good way to meet the aspiration for beauty and happiness shared by all urban residents. If we look at the issue of marketing “value,” then there has been much debate over the various art programs introduced by government departments and agencies in Taipei City – including “URS13,” “URS21” – Huashan Grassland” project and Treasure Hill Artist Village. “URS13” is located at the rear of Nangang Train Station and was originally a bottle cap factory owned by the Tobacco and Alcohol Monopoly Bureau. The search for large scale curated exhibition type art activities resulted in this huge space becoming a focus for artistic content. At the same time, local residents and citizens were invited to consider the practicalities and possibilities presented in reusing this old space . As a soft medium, art is an excellent vehicle to encourage people to engage in dialogue and has become one of the more effective methods embraced by government departments.

Unsurprisingly, most officially curated public art installations and projects in cities promote the modern mantra of “City of Beauty, Beautiful City.” One example of this is the way central areas in many cities have introduced artistic lighting projects. Of course, these also include curated elements in the hope of using available resources to market or add value to designated areas (often in peripheral or marginalized areas). Events labeled “Landscape Art Festivals” or “Environmental Art Festivals” are one aspect of such efforts.

The Future of Curated Public Art

Whether we are talking about legally designated or non legally designated curated public art, the importance of such projects is to be found in the way the scope of professional art has expanded. The earlier environment of art galleries, agencies and administration companies in Taiwan has evolved to embrace a finer division of labor. The affirmation of curators and their value demonstrates how the changing times have provided such professionals with greater opportunities for involvement, but the arrival of an era of “curation” and “exhibition” has its own symbolic meaning. Whereas a simple art transaction influences only a handful of people and their feelings, curating public art presents an opportunity to make a far greater impact, though only good “curation” and “exhibitions” achieve such an objective.

If we look at the ongoing phenomenon of urbanization, then within the huge spaces provided by cities uniform society and spatial control have long since collapsed. It is in this context that public art seeks to cultivate environmental aesthetics and become part of aesthetic education, at which point it inevitably faces the issues of “upgrading” and “evolution.” Indeed, it would seem to be self evident that given the growing multiplicity of complex objectives and demands, a good art strategy and outcome can only be achieved through the efforts of a more professional curatorial team (or person). Indeed, the process by which individual artists come to professionally curated art has been observed in more culturally focused countries and we are currently experiencing that change in Taiwan. Given the showcasing of so many impressive results, this is a path more and more people are likely to choose.