ARTocracy: Art, Informal Space and Social Consequence: A Curatorial Handbook in Collaborative Practice

Art, public space and town planning: what comes to mind if you put these words together? Perhaps not the most positive images: pompous monuments in squares, weary abstractions on roundabouts, oversize gestures in metal in parks, and so on, from memorable landmarks to architectural embellishments. ARTocracy explores the sometimes awkward relationship between art and public space, looking specifically at contemporary instances of the genre. Also functioning as a curatorial handbook on the subject, ARTocracy tracks how projects are initiated and implemented--from the inception of a theme to the invitation of an artist and from funding a project to marketing it--and includes a wealth of information in the form of interviews with cultural practitioners, budgeting charts and detailed schedules. Through these useful examples and a range of methodologies, ARTocracy provides a first hand look at the many successive stages of organizing collaborative public art projects.