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Art and Soul: Powerful and Powerless Art in Singapore

Author

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  • T C Chang

    (Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, 1 Arts Link, Singapore 117570)

Abstract

Public art in urban areas offers a window on a city's soul. Art in the form of sculptures, monuments, and other creative expressions can inform us of the ways artists think of the urban environment, the goals of policy makers in art installations, and the way members of the public interact with art and with each other in the city. Taking Singapore as a case study, I argue that contemporary public art has the power to inform place identity and inspire community aspirations. Unlike the hard power of industry, art offers a soft branding approach to imaging the city, its people, and their goals. However, such powers are not limitless, and concerns have also been raised about their publicness and artfulness. The power and powerlessness of public art in Singapore are not unlike those encountered in other cities where artful planning has taken centre stage in contemporary urban redevelopment.

Suggested Citation

  • T C Chang, 2008. "Art and Soul: Powerful and Powerless Art in Singapore," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 40(8), pages 1921-1943, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:40:y:2008:i:8:p:1921-1943
    DOI: 10.1068/a39240
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    Cited by:

    1. Zhe Liu & Pieter Uyttenhove & Xin Zheng, 2018. "Moving Urban Sculptures towards Sustainability: The Urban Sculpture Planning System in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-24, December.

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