Public art

In 1961, a 30.5-meter stainless steel pylon was superimposed over the granite obelisk of the Rizal monument in Luneta. It was meant to serve as a guide for incoming boats and ships and for people lost in their way around the city.

The remodeling was widely criticized. “Carnivalistic,” “nightmarish” and “fin-tailed monstrosity” were some of the derisive remarks cited by critics.

Many disliked the idea of tampering with a traditional image of the Rizal monument, designed by a Swiss sculptor named Richard Kissling, and immortalized in stamps, books, currency and souvenirs.

The P145,000-shaft was eventually removed two years later. Until a few years ago, it was used as a city boundary marker on Roxas Boulevard.

The Rizal monument renovation is perhaps the most controversial public art form in the country. Other less known public art, especially in Metro Manila, are stunning or inspiring, while some are sadly unpleasant and look misplaced.

Such is the state of public art in the country.

What is public art?

Public art is any work of art sited or displayed in public areas usually outside buildings and is accessible to all.

Public art has a major role in creating livable and vibrant communities by making places distinctive and identifiable. It is a highly cost-effective way of driving economic revitalization in urban areas. It encourages partnership between artists, craftsmen, design professionals, developers and local communities.

It has been proven to help stimulate the local economy by generating jobs for artists, manufacturers, suppliers and trade workers. Pride in the public realm contributes to local residents’ feeling of ownership.

In some cases, public art has attracted funding from financial institutions.

In many advanced countries public art is seamlessly integrated in the design and planning of their cities.

In England, a significant amount of public art is commissioned via the planning system, specifically through the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe), whose key objective is designing for place. Cabe is concerned with design in visually sensitive areas, with powers to reject design that fails to improve the character and quality of an area.

This means local authorities should be clear about goals and sites where high-quality design is required and how public art is expected to contribute to the distinctiveness and identity of the area.

This also means that local planning policies should include clear guidelines against which major new developments are judged with regard to the integration of public art.

To counteract the standardized approach to design and development, the United States developed the concept of allocating one percent of the development costs for incorporating works of art starting in Philadelphia in 1958. It was soon adopted in many other large cities including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Public art is so much a part of street life in many cities like Chicago’s Picasso metal sculpture, Toronto’s monumental sculpture of Henry Moore beside the iconic gallery designed by architect Frank Gehry and the Maillol sculpture around the Louvre in Paris.

It is delightful to find Filipino artists’ works abroad such as Ramon Orlina’s glass sculpture in Singapore.

We have other world-class artists and upcoming young Filipino artists who can very well help promote quality public art in our cities and towns.

For comments or inquiries, e-mail amadodejesus@gmail.com.