Evaluating the Social Perception of Public Art

Resumo

This article examines the evolving social perception of public art in the twenty-first century, arguing for a methodological shift from object-centered to community-centered approaches in its study and evaluation. While contemporary debates on public art often emphasize its participatory and relational dimensions, academic research still tends to privilege aesthetic innovation over social impact. Drawing on theoretical frameworks by Bourriaud, Bishop, Zebracki, and others, the study identifies the need to evaluate how artworks influence emotional well-being, urban experience, and collective identity. It discusses key motivations for such evaluation, including the use of public funds, mental health and urban well-being, democratization of public space, and heritage management. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges of assessing perception—ranging from methodological complexity and institutional resistance to the subjectivity of individual experience—and proposes a transdisciplinary methodology combining quantitative and qualitative tools. These include surveys, interviews, group activities, visual documentation, and digital analytics (such as social media and Google Trends). By integrating these methods, the research aims to capture both the measurable and affective dimensions of public engagement with art. Ultimately, the paper argues that evaluating the social perception of public art not only informs cultural policy and urban design but also reinforces art’s potential to foster critical reflection, inclusion, and well-being in increasingly hybrid (physical and digital) public spaces.