Art and public space. Between history and nature

The relationship between the practice of art and public spaces arose from the cultural transformation, with the attendant changes in cultural disciplines, brought about by the crisis in modernist urban planning, as a result of which art, having distanced itself from the concept of monumental creations meant merely for celebratory purposes, became a driving force in initiatives, engendering new idioms, as well as new forms of communication and interaction between works of art, the general public and the context. Starting from the seventies, public art, which includes multiple modes and forms through which art can be represented and appreciated, has permeated the urban structure, the social fabric and the features of the landscape, becoming the driving force for actions designed to once again give marginal areas recognisable identities, in addition to reformulating the design of public spaces and defending and optimising the shared values that underlie identity, all with a marked vocation for education, culture, social affairs and inclusion. Within this reference framework, starting from an analysis of a number of case studies featuring shared cultural characteristics, and based on an integrated vision of art, public spaces, history and nature, the contribution reflects on the roles of different forms of expression of contemporary times in the regeneration of public spaces in modern-day cities and territories.