The Controversy of Public Art Online Short Course

Course description

Public art and monuments fundamentally assume a collective consensus of social values. They often aim to re-establish, educate or critique aspects of the same social-political system that produced them. As a result, public art is often met with confusion, distrust, anger and vandalism.

Designed for all levels, this 5-week online short course examines the historical and contemporary controversies that surround public art. The course speaks to wider social-political concerns that deal with race, gender, sexuality, class, nationalism, religion, inequality, collective memory and migration.

Through a series of engaging lectures, students explore a range of works including Richard Serra’s Tilted Arc, Christo and Jeanne-claude's Wrapped Reichstag, Jochen Gerz’s Monument Against Fascism, Rachel Whiteread’s House, Anish Kapoor’s Versailles, Marc Quinn’s Fourth Plinth, Nicole Eisenman’s Sketch for a Fountain, Banu Cennetoğlu's The List, and Shahzia Sikander’s Witness.

The course explores the complex relationship between art and the public domain, drawing on critical reflections from James E. Young, Rosalyn Deutsche, W.J.T. Mitchell and Claire Bishop. These insights will create debate around the disadvantages public dissension has against public art, as well as how these works can be seen to embody cultural tensions and empowerment.

Course outcomes

By the end of the course students should:

• Understand the history of public art and its social backlash from the 1960s to modern day
• Be able to contextualise the cultural significance and criticism public artworks faced in their specific time
• Have gained knowledge of the critical discourses that address public art’s social, historical and theoretical concerns

Who should attend?

This online short course is aimed at anyone who wants to explore the polemic relationship public art has in the social domain, including art students, curators and educators.

It would be an excellent fit for students working in the fine arts and performance, socially engaged, community, participatory and activist based art.

Level: all levels welcome

Please note: this course is for students aged 18 and older

All our Online Short Courses include:

• Live online lessons with the same tutors
• The same course content and learning outcomes
• Lesson recordings, for review
• Access to VLE with course content
• Forums for support
• 2 weeks online access
• Certificate and digital badge upon completion
• Please note that all courses are taught in UK time.