ABSTRACT
With increasing urban developments in the Gulf states, artworks, sculptures, installations, and site-specific artworks have become a feature of public spaces around Gulf cities. From land artworks that seek to demarcate a place in vast desert spaces, to art in the heart of Gulf cities, to art in transit, contemporary Gulf art is superimposed on the local topographies from deserts to corniches and coastal lines, and from infrastructural landscapes to airports, metro stations, and malls. In reflecting on the production and reception of contemporary public art in the Gulf nations, the paper examines its scope, audience, funders, and how public artworks are tied to notions of place, identity, and social diversity. It also scrutinizes how such art aligns with urbanization patterns of growing Gulf cities, and explores its potential to act as a force for social discussion, community inclusion, place making, and collective memory. Finally, the paper looks at public art as an “arena” in which the diverse communities of the Gulf engage or debate. Public artworks often act as mechanisms for strengthening national identity as a form of soft power, yet there are times when they are also perceived as intimidating. In this context, public artworks in the Gulf have oscillated between local national narratives and Western influence, and because of their level of exposure, controversies have arisen due to their placement or meaning.
