Best of public art
VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS
Over the past year, virtual events and exhibitions have skyrocketed, with people still seeking that in- gallery experience. Museums worldwide have demonstrated an admirable resilience to adapt and embrace virtual exhibitions, allowing us to view some of the best art in the world all from the comfort of our own homes. Whilst many institutions turned to video tours and virtual reality, a number of the world’s most renowned museums partnered with Google Street View to offer virtual walkthroughs. For example, The Museum of Modern Art, The British Museum, Guggenheim Museum, The Uffizi Gallery and many more are all available and free to roam, allowing viewers to get up close and personal with the art like never before!
Over the past 12 months, COVID-19 has caused museums and galleries across the globe to shut their doors, and we’re still seeing the effects with Art Basel 2021 being postponed until later on in the year. Public art took on the role of providing some escape from the global pandemic. From street art to installations and virtual exhibitions, we’re looking back on some of the best public art from the past year.
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STREET ART AND GRAFFITI
The creative response within the period of lockdown has been incredible. Taking to the quiet streets, graffiti artists have been painting vibrant, captivating scenes that are accessible to all. Many artists designed murals to draw attention to social and political issues, others created work to display solidarity and our collective strength in the face of adversity, whilst other simply wanted to pay homage to our key workers. The real joy of street art is that it is never too far away; there’s no need to travel too far to see it, whether it be a wall graphic or a painted pavement.
Large-scale murals appeared overnight across the world, showing support for key workers on the front line of the crisis. Amsterdam-based street artist FAKE’s ‘Super Nurse!’ mural was celebrated worldwide, even being projected onto Times Square, New York. Closer to Castle HQ in Birmingham, UK, artist Gent48 immortalised those in our emergency services with a large-scale mural, which has been widely acclaimed.
Photo: Edwin Ladd
98 FINE ART COLLECTOR SPRING/SUMMER 2021
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