Civic Engagement as Art

As cities grow and populations rise, the effects and implications of public policies grow along with them. The more people involved in the process of making those decisions, the better they represent the interests of the community. Or at least that’s the idea.

In this way, public participation is a key functional element in cities – from local government decisions to federal policies. But it’s not only within the realm of politics that participation matters. With the rise of the do-it-yourself ethic, public engagement has become extra-political – occurring at a variety of scales and in a number of forms. A new exhibition opening Friday in New York looks at the ways artists and activists are producing projects that explore and encourage social engagement in communities.