Public art rubs Seoul the wrong way
Critics of an urban improvement effort in the South Korean capital that requires developers to provide public art say the law generated too many works that many find objectionable. Recently the law was changed and under the new guidelines developers have a choice: they can commission a piece of art, or they can donate the money (1% of the cost of the building) to a government-administered public art fund. While this is likely to address many of the issues surrounding the public art scheme and the proliferation of artworks (sometimes less is more) the question remains: what does Seoul do with all the unwanted art that dominates the cityscape. Read more…
Image: Frank Stella's Amabel stands in front of a South Korean steel company in Seoul, caught up in the controversy surrounding public art