What Price Public Art?

In Taipei, 1997 was designated as the Year of Public Art, and the following year experimental installations went on display at nine cultural centers around the island, chosen by the Council for Cultural Affairs (CCA). 1998 also saw the adoption of new measures governing the installation of such works. As public art began to proliferate, university departments of art, environment and architecture, spurred by demand, began offering public art courses.

Golden opportunity

The development of a number of major infrastructure projects, including the Taipei MRT system, the Second Northern Freeway and the new terminal at CKS Airport, released millions-even hundreds of millions-of NT dollars for spending on public art, creating a golden opportunity for eager artists.

During 1999, 30 works of public art were completed in line with official provisions, at a cost of NT$40 million. But the budget for yet-to-be-installed works is even more staggering: NT$100 million for public art at the new CKS Airport terminal alone, NT$85 million for spending by the Kaohsiung port authority, and NT$80 million for stations along the Wanhua-Panchiao branch of Taipei's MRT network.

At a time of bleak economic prospects, public art commissions have become a beacon for artists. No wonder some prefer to enter public art contests rather than accept the honor of selection committee membership. The fact that the contest for nine works to be placed along Taipei's "Tunhwa Art Corridor," organized by Taipei's Urban Development Department, drew entries from over 130 artists, shows how intense the competition can be. And it is sculptors who have been the biggest beneficiaries of the new policies, since three-dimensional art is the most suitable form for installation in open spaces: of the 55 public art works completed in 1998, 40 were works of sculpture.

Art engineering?

At present, public art is chosen through one of four methods: open competition, invitation to tender, commissioning, and direct purchase. The process has to involve a selection committee from the CCA or relevant cultural department at the local level, comprising artists, architects, landscape designers, art educationalists and so on. The committee appraises works for artistic quality, suitability for the location, safety and feasibility. Entries which pass the first round are presented for public demonstration and discussion among the community, so as to avoid subsequent protests.

Unlike those working with other forms of art, the creators of public art need to have a grasp of architectural structure, environmental scenery and even accounting procedure. Artistic conception alone is not enough. They will be submitting expenditure claims and dealing with issues including long-term maintenance and cleaning, and maybe utility supply. A number of artists have thus found it helpful to pool their talents, setting up workshops geared chiefly to the production of public art.

Priceless art?

Transparency and professionalism in the public art selection process should be beneficial to the overall art environment in Taiwan. But Huang Wen-ching, a number of whose works have been successfully selected, points out that artists still have to overcome frequent misunderstandings, such as when the cost of their materials are judged against those for equivalent building materials.

Hsiao Chiung-jui, head of Tainan City's Cultural Affairs Department, says that with appropriate checks at every stage in the process, decent quality and a public welcome for the work is virtually assured. What causes problems, however, is "public art" that has been funded through donations by private and local bodies. The quality of these works varies, and there may be nowhere suitable to put them, hence the phenomenon that has been described as "art catastrophe." The development of public art in Taiwan clearly still has a long way to go.