I must admit
I have trouble putting a definition that I truly believe in to some of these artsy phrases. Public Art aka Art in public (and semi public)
spaces is one very ambiguous statement in that you put together two words that would
individually challenge any above average linguist especially when put in an
artistic context.
Every time my
English is challenged, I run to Wikipedia… according to them, the term public art properly
refers to works of art in any media that have
been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged
in the physical public domain, usually outside
and accessible to all.
Where
I come from (read Nairobi), any ‘strange looking thing’ in any open space
or next to a building is loosely tucked in a box labeled public art!
Historically
public art was in the form of monuments and memorials with artists like Michelangelo and Gian Lorenzo Bernini being commissioned to create works that are
still breathtaking centuries later. Recently however, it has become more conceptual
with artists interpreting cultures, attitudes and lifestyles of the people in
relation to the space coming up with interventions that are simply, spot on! (for lack of a better adjective)
In
my index, among the most successful works in this category is the Charging
Bull (also referred to as the Wall
Street Bull or the Bowling
Green Bull), the 3.2 ton bronze
sculpture by Arturo Di
Modica that
stands in Bowling Green Park near Wall Street in Manhattan, New York City.
The oversize sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive
financial optimism and prosperity, leaning back on its haunches and
with its head lowered as if ready to charge. The sculpture is both a popular
tourist destination which draws thousands of people a day, as well as "one
of the most iconic images of New York.
 |
| the wall street bull |
Also
is Christ the Redeemer (constructed between 1922 and 1931), a
statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil; considered the largest Art Deco statue in
the world. It is 39.6 metres tall and 30 metres wide. It weighs 635 tonnes and is located at
the peak of the 700-metre Corcovado mountain
in the Tijuca Forest National
Park overlooking the city. A symbol of Brazilian Christianity, the statue has
become an icon for Rio de Janeiro and Brazil. It is
made of reinforced concrete and soapstone.
It is now a part of the new Seven Wonders of the World.
 |
| Christ the Redeemer watching over Rio. |
Back home?!
Hmmmm! When monuments were considered public art, we had a few. Uhuru Gardens, Nyayo Monument... but artistically, we still lag behind. Way
behind. By the turn of the millennium, Nairobi got a handful of public
sculptures thanks to Kuona Trust’s
International Artists Residency Programme. Jeevanjee
Gardens in downtown Nairobi has sculptures by Kenyans Edward ‘Masakhalia’ Bulima (Portrait of Jeevanjee) & Morris Foit (Birth in the Garden) and Nitaya Ueareeworakul
(Thailand).
The Nairobi museum also benefitted
from hosting Kuona (1995-2003). Sculptures by Ugandans Francis Nnagenda,
Kizito Maria Kasule, Kenyan Jackson Wanjau and Japanese artist Yukinori
Yamamura makes it some form of mini sculpture park. Omega Ludenyi’s ‘Tree
of Life’ also sits at the Sarit Centre car park.
However, we have no
public artwork that is uniquely Kenyan or Nairobian! The space custodians – City Council of Nairobi have erected ‘things’
at the major roundabouts and the government through Kenyatta University
is busy erecting monuments to ‘honour our
heroes.’ First Dedan Kimathi and
recently Tom Mboya (Ironically, history
suggests both were terminated by the government).
 |
| Dedan Kimathi (l) & Tom Mboya |
Most people admit that
the government finding money to commission public art is a good move. Me too! However,
those that sit down to decide the What? Why? Where?… need to style up! And pretty
fast! What we’ve seen coming up recently is a big joke!
The artist’s technical ability may not be in question, but the content is. If this
is not checked, Nairobi will end up being a city where ‘freedom fighters’ cast in bronze stand high up on 15 foot pedestals looking down at us mere
mortals.
 |
| Sculptures at Nairobi Museum (r) Francis Nnagenda's Mother & Child |
The Nairobi Museum is
not doing very well either. A sculpture by Jackson Wanjau (Kenyan sculptor extraordinaire) is tucked at a very bad place - literally between a rock
and a very hard place! This happens while prime space along the main entrance
is reserved to some sculpture that is… weak (I tried really hard not use the word ‘bad’). In terms of material used, and how it’s put together. The Achilles Heel of public art is that it should resonate with the public. Those
who interact with the space. Every time I go to the museum, I don’t feel that
piece. Neither do my friends. Nor my family. I wonder who does?!
The reason every
Nairobian has been making a
pilgrimage to the Vulture Graffiti
in downtown Nairobi is simple. For the first time in a long while, someone has
given them what they have longed for in terms of art in a (not so) public
space.
Nairobi is starved of
public art for two reasons; Money and bureaucracy at the council offices. But for
anyone who’s overcome these challenges and is hitting the road to create
another artwork in public (or semi public), please don’t give us another ‘freedom
fighter on a pedestal'… and whatever it is, make it coherent and well thought
of.
