Aug 23, 2026
Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei uses public installations to question politics, migration, freedom and human rights. His projects have occupied highly visible spaces, while his collaborations with CIRCA have even transformed commercial advertising screens into platforms for art and public dialogue.
Source: wikimedia commons
Anonymous British artist Banksy has made public walls central to contemporary street art. His stencilled works often appear unexpectedly in urban environments, using humour and satire to address war, politics, consumerism and inequality. Because the works interact directly with their surroundings, the location itself becomes part of the artwork.
Source: wikimedia commons
Artist and urban planner Candy Chang uses public spaces to encourage people to express thoughts they might otherwise keep private. Her famous Before I Die project transformed abandoned walls into giant interactive chalkboards where people could complete the sentence “Before I die, I want to…”. The project has appeared in more than 5,000 cities across 75 countries.
Source: wikimedia commons
The artistic duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude transformed familiar landmarks into extraordinary temporary artworks by wrapping buildings, bridges and landscapes in fabric. Their projects included The Pont Neuf Wrapped in Paris and The Gates in New York's Central Park, turning places people passed every day into dramatic public spectacles.
Source: wikimedia commons
French artist JR transforms streets, buildings and public structures into enormous photographic installations. His monumental portraits often feature people from local communities, turning overlooked walls into platforms for stories, identity and social connection. His Inside Out project has brought participatory public art to communities around the world.
Source: wikimedia commons
Artist and architect Maya Lin creates large-scale works that blur the boundaries between sculpture, architecture and the environment. Her public artworks often encourage people to walk through, inhabit or interact with the landscape, transforming public art from something people simply look at into something they physically experience. Her upcoming Floating Landscape in Texas is designed as a sculpture, habitat, observatory and public commons.
Source: official website
Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson uses light, water, colour and natural elements to make people experience familiar spaces differently. His 2008 New York City Waterfalls placed four enormous artificial waterfalls along Manhattan and Brooklyn's waterfronts, while his Ice Watch projects brought blocks of glacial ice into public squares to make climate change tangible.
Source: wikimedia commons
Gates' approach is particularly distinctive because architecture itself becomes part of his artistic practice. He has transformed vacant properties into cultural spaces while using art, music, food and performance to bring people together. His work demonstrates how an artist can influence not just what a neighbourhood looks like, but how people use it.
Source: wikimedia commons
World Photography Day: Must-visit galleries around the world