Perspectives toward public artworks are shifting—the coronavirus emptied most of the world’s public spaces, but people quickly took to the streets for Black Lives Matter uprisings, which spurred the toppling of Confederate statues that glorified racial inequality. Today, public art has “a greater responsibility to act as a catalyst for meaningful conversations about our society at large,” says Cecilia Alemani, the director and chief curator of High Line Art, which commissions public art projects at the elevated park in Chelsea, New York. “Traditional notions of public space were completely transformed by the pandemic and then further reinvented by demonstrations and protests.”

This sea change inspired Alemani to democratize the selection process of the High Line’s next public art commissions. Earlier this week, High Line Art launched a platform that allows the public to comment on more than 80 artist proposals for sculptures slated to be installed at the park in 2022 and 2024. Nominated proposals come from the likes of Nick Cave, Meriem Bennani, and Kapwani Kiwanga, and run the gamut from humorous, light-hearted pieces (Iván Argote’s Dinosaur, a giant realistic pigeon) to more serious, politically driven works (Mona Hatoum’s Hot Spot (Stand), an LED-equipped globe that outlines sites of conflict).

While the public comments will be reviewed by High Line Art’s curatorial staff, Alemani will cast the deciding vote. Still, it’s a great opportunity for locals to influence which stories are told in the public realm. Alemani notes that public support is crucial to the program’s long-term success: “We have a responsibility to support the artists and their visions, and to generate, together with them, a space for discussion and participation.”

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Long inspired by his father, an illustrator and anti-Apartheid activist, Atang Tshikare channels his Tswana culture into an array of imaginative functional sculptures that impart narratives about his identity as both a maker and South African citizen. They often take the form of regional flora and fauna, paying homage to the rich diversity of African myth and culture.

When: Aug. 15

Where: Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles

What: Women Under the Influence, Yola Mezcal, and Lavazza Coffee are bringing the magic of drive-in theaters to the Hotel Figueroa’s expansive lot with this safely distanced event series, which kicked off Aug. 8 with a screening of the modern classic Queen and Slim (2019). This week, tune in for Love and Anarchy (1973), an unsung classic of Italian cinema directed by Lina Wertmüller, the first female director to be nominated for an Oscar. (Arrive early for a live DJ set by Mia Moretti.) All revenue directly supports nonprofits that uplift vulnerable local women.

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