IMPORTANCE AND ROLE OF PUBLIC ART IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

Public art is a form of art that is meant to serve the public and is installed in a public space. The purpose of this study is to gauge the role and importance of public art in Pakistan, and find out whether public art can act as an effective tool in creating awareness about art. In the context of Pakistan, public art has a lot of significance as it helps in making the space livelier; creating a softer image of the locality it is installed in, along with creating a sense of identity. Public art can also help in creating a sense of ownership among the people for their urban spaces, along with creating awareness about importance of art and the prevailing social issues. Currently, public art is in its initial phase in Pakistan and there is not much awareness and appreciation among the people. For this research, interviews were conducted from 3 artists from the field of public art in Pakistan. They were asked their opinion about the importance of public art in Pakistan, how it has evolved with time, and the current practice of public art in our country. The findings of this research state that awareness about art can be achieved in Pakistan by creating art projects that benefit the public. This can be made possible by allowing the public to freely participate or interact with art in public spaces, and thus making art easily accessible for them.