本文檢視紐約市公共藝術的發展，及其在維持、促進城市景觀和社會環境之貢獻。公共藝術是一種具有社會功能的美學形式，以大眾化的過程而產生，而它的形式和製作過程揭露了作品本身與日常生活中市民的關係。許多先進都市與社區採用「公共藝術」做為視覺強化之元素，期能增進都市景觀美質，並提昇一般民眾或遊客之美感經驗。紐約市的公共政策在許多面向讓城市更有吸引力，其中一個重要策略是吸引觀眾參與藝術對話，以提供深度且富有美感的公共生活體驗。然而，公共藝術對社會大眾之意義為何？紐約市成功的當代公共藝術具有一些基本特質，其可由是否達成美學性、公共性、特定場域性、社會評論與能供性之目標來判定。此外，紐約市近代的公共藝術發展帶給當地社區許多效益，例如：輔助社會進程、環境品質改善、提供環境教育與療癒之場域、強化社區居民的情感的依附、促進觀光與經濟發展等貢獻。由紐約市的都市發展經驗，可以體認「公共藝術」為促進現代都市發展、都市更新的一種有效工具。 This research examines the public art development of New York City and its contributions to improving and sustaining the physical and social conditions of the city. Public art, produced via a democratic process, is an aesthetic form with social functions; its form and process reveal the relationship between the artwork itself and public daily life.Many advanced cities and communities adopt public art for the purpose of visual enhancement, expecting to improve city landscape and to enrichthe aesthetic experience of the general public. The public policies of NYC make the city more attractive in numerous aspects. One of the important strategies is to engage audience in the dialogs in art to provide profound aesthetic living experience.However, what is the meaning of public art to the public? A successful contemporary public artwork in NYC can be determined by whether the objectives of aesthetics, publicness, site specificity, social critique, and affordance are achieved. Additionally, the development of recent public art in NYC greatly benefits the local community with contributions such as assisting social process, improving environmental quality, providing fields for environmental education and healing, strengthening residents’ emotional attachment, and promoting tourism and economy. Through New York City’s experience, public art can be realized as an effective instrument to facilitate modern urban development and urban renewal.
