Public Art

Meder Akhmetov

Public art can take many forms. It exists in an environment of constantly changing tastes, talent, materials, technologies, goals, politics, and social priorities. Globally, a great deal of money, time, and effort are spent on developing, installing, and maintaining public art. It seems appropriate, fair, and reasonable that the stakeholders should get reports on how well their contributions and support are being used.  

Evaluating works of art can be challenging because it is difficult to link causes and effects: a change in social capital in a neighborhood could be linked to a new art installation, creation of new meeting space, a new community program, a change in community leadership, or a change in the economy. 

Many major cities have set up art commissions to manage their arts programs.   The commissions may be funded by the local government, and include representatives from stakeholders, including community leaders, artists, museums, and philanthropists.  They should inform about what the programs are doing, how much is being spent, and what has been produced.  

In Bishkek, there is public art, but there does not seem to be a public art program that is managed by a public agency. The project briefly reviews the current state of the city in that regard and makes some guesses about where it may go.

To download the report BY THIS LINK >>.