2023 Volume 4 Pages 59-68
This article traces the evolution of public art in Japan and South Korea between the 1950s and 2020s. It identifies four distinct stages in this process of change: inception, formation, development, and transition. During the inception stage, public art took the form of monuments, often related to political ideology. This trend occurred in both countries, although in Japan, public art intermingled with outdoor sculpture. During the formation stage, a difference emerged between the two countries: in Japan, public art took the form of outdoor sculpture, whereas in South Korea, it took the form of architectural adornment. However, there was one commonality: in both countries, public art increasingly became a fixture of everyday life. During the development stage, public art in both countries became incorporated into urban spaces, with the artists collaborating with urban planners and developers. During the transition stage, public art in both countries shifted focus to building close ties with communities. In Japan, public art transformed into a community art movement known in Japanese English as an “art project”, while in South Korea, it transformed into new-genre public art, emphasizing culture, social welfare, and urban regeneration. Thus both countries showed unique developmental differences in public art, especially compared with public art in the United States.
