The Question of “Public Space” by Rosalyn Deutsche
Posted on | April 18, 2009 | No Comments
Why is public space such a ubiquitous and pressing question today? Why do debates rage over this question? Why do we care? Why, that is, are we here, in this seminar? What political issues are at stake? What are the political functions of rhetoric about public space? How have these changed in recent years? Over the last decade or so, I have started looking for answers to these questions by noting that nearly all proponents of public space and nearly all advocates of “public” things in general—public parks, public buildings and, most relevant here, public art—present themselves as defenders of democracy. The term “public” has democratic connotations. It implies “openness,” “accessibility,” “participation,” “inclusion” and “accountability” to “the people.”
Comments
Leave a Reply