I think my ramblings about aesthetics are actually leading somewhere.
Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act here in the UK determine that a certain financial consideration be given by developers toward social and cultural things and that includes art. It does appear to require a motivated planner to drive the arts component.
Councils do not on the whole seem to have arts teams, save those which deliver arts funding (eg Westminster) and so arts policies such as they are tend to driven through planning departments of councils. Private arts project management teams are usually engaged by developers to commission artists on their behalf. Councils then may or may not stay involved through the implementation phase.
This also means that temporary projects on the street or in public spaces go through planning departments for permission or consents.
As in NZ, the route often taken by developers to include art is interation in the building. There are some fine and interesting examples, but they would not necessarily grab your attenton at first glance as art, melding into the structure of the building or in the case of a number of projects they involve light and so require darkness to be appreciated.
It is at this point I wonder where art that is conceptual, adds to the public realm. And here the use of at time highly conceptual art, must evolve from the way public art is defined here in the UK. Public art arising from section 106 is most often on private land.
In this discourse-what is public and what is not- what countenance is taken of the community interest. Architecture seems to influence the art more overtly in some instances, trend or fashion in others as well as the artist's concept. Maybe the other area that needs discussion is the intersection of art and of architecture (something for a future blog).
In cities like Paris and London the architecture unquestionably plays a significant role in defining the experience of place: that which is lived in, that which is monumental and the great bronze works and decorative treatments of bridges, lighting standards and so on.
What role will the current arts/architecture aesthetic play in the future? What will the legacy be?
Hoping to post images in the next post...