BORDERS & BONDS: Art as a Mediator
CLIENT
N/A
TYPE OF PROJECT
Research, writing
CATEGORY
Urban Design, Public Art, Sociology
BRIEF
The book explores the contributions of art in the public realm and communal engagement, as a tool to build trust, capacity, and enhance social cohesion and bonding to effectively
respond to current urban challenges.
The book explores the evolving role of public art—from a means of community building to a potential mediator in contexts of conflict. The book’s central arguments, highlights how public art, situated in shared spaces, can spark dialogue, create common ground, and transform points of tension into opportunities for understanding.
In this framework, public art is positioned not only as a catalyst for cohesion but also as an instrument of conflict resolution, offering symbolic and experiential platforms where diverse voices can be acknowledged and reconciled.
Available in SOFT COVER and PDF, here
“Ruth’s has identified and brought to attention: the need for more human (and humane) public spaces, be it in a favela in Brazil, a rain collecting plaza n Haiti, or a provocative art event bridging the Mexico-US boundary.
She seeks to uncover and articulate a process to infuse public space with meaning, by going beyond placemaking into what she defines as “creative” placemaking, where art plays a
leading role in engaging and activating the
communities as protagonists in the
design of the spaces, not just passively
accepting it.”
Excerpts from the Foreword by Alfredo Landaeta, from the book “Borders and Bonds: art as a mediator”
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