Audience; a group of assembled spectators or listeners. within art they are the cornerstones of how the piece will be received, and whether or not they will be successful.
Public Installation Art puts itself at an advantage over its exhibition or gallery style counterparts, as it involves the audience in a more first hand way, interacting with and viewing the pieces from a new perspective can enable the onlookers to gain a new found appreciation for art and help them understand the statement that is often behind the work itself. The unknown British Graffiti artist Banksy has gained notoriety for his public installations involving satirical commentary on the corruptions and moral unrighteousness within political and public current events, he involves his audience in his art through having them discover it themselves. In his article ‘The full Banksy experience’, film critic Nicolas Barber, writes about his positive emotional response to ‘stumbling across a Banksy’, the charm, delight and skepticism experienced when pondering and analyzing its meaning further; as Banksy’s work often requires some connections to understand, the audience will continue to contemplate the work long after viewing.
Barber, N., 2012. The Full Banksy Experience. The Economist, 1843, p.https://www.1843magazine.com/blog/nicholas-barber/full-banksy-experience.
LaFrance, C., 2012. Audience Participation in Art and Design. [online] Sessions College. Available at: <https://www.sessions.edu/notes-on-design/audience-participation/> [Accessed 25 March 2021].
Audience Participation in Art and Design (sessions.edu)