Fixing South Korea's Flawed Public Art Incentives (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

South Korea's Public Art Blight (VIDEO)

Though it may not come as much of a relief, subway commuters and downtown residents should know that Americans aren't the only ones being subjected to bland public art. Legislators in South Korea recently addressed the blight of bad art in its cities--including the capital, Seoul--by changing a law that had forced industrial developers to spend 1% of each large building's budget on public artwork.

Insofar as it populated urban areas with artwork, the initiative was successful. The Los Angeles Times reports that "the public art promotion act produced 10,684 public art works between 1995 and 2008,— at a cost of more than $546 million." Many of the works, however, have drawn complaints, including a large, steel Frank Stella sculpture called "Amabel," which rusted quickly after its completion.

South Korean Public Art

Some images courtesy of VOA News.

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