ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book begins a more thorough examination of a particular knowledge gap: how various intersectional social differences across identity markers, including class, ethnicity, age, gender, religion and ability/literacy play a part in shaping encounters with public art in the ambits of the design, regeneration and everyday experiences and imaginations of public spaces. It examines public art encounters at the embodied level, where non-representational understandings of experiencing and hence of the co-creation of public art are developed. The book discusses how encountering public art is inextricably bound up with power dynamics that invariably define the relationships between artists, artworks and public spaces. The arts provide paths for rising dissent and critical movements in Singapore, challenging the authoritarian rule that has traditionally defined this city-state.