🎨 Public Art or Public Harassment? When Words in Public Space Hurt
Several times over 🌸 spring, ☀️ summer, and 🍁 fall, I ride my bike 🚴♀️ from Kitsilano to Jericho. It’s a beautiful ride — cherry blossoms 🌸 in spring, golden leaves 🍂 in fall — and I soak in the sights. I walk my dog 🐕 and cat-sit 🐈 for survival, unhoused 🏚️, but I treasure these moments of freedom and calm.
But then… there it is. That ⚠️ sign with bizarre, disturbing messages: “she does pills,” “she doesn’t listen,” and more 😳. It bears the Vancouver Biennale’s name 🎨, but this is not art in any comforting sense. It feels like harassment in public.
Imagine:
- You are grieving 💔 a loved one and take a peaceful ride to clear your head. You’re trying to feel a little joy amidst the pain. You glance up at this message board and read words like “she does pills.” The calm shatters. 😢
- A mother 👩👧, already stressed, notices her child struggling with self-harm ⚠️. She sees the message “she doesn’t listen” and her chest tightens with guilt and fear 😔. She feels powerless, ashamed, and alone.
- A neighbor 👀, simply enjoying a sunny day ☀️, passes the board and can’t help but feel unease 😟. Something meant to inspire thought instead spreads discomfort and anxiety.
💡 Words have power. Public messages, even “art,” are not neutral — they carry weight, affect moods, trigger memories, and can worsen mental health crises.
And here’s another reflection: why do we allow this? Why do we tolerate a system where artists often depend on wealthy patrons 💰 or corporate funding, and vulnerable members of the public must absorb whatever bizarre “creativity” those rich people impose on public space? This is yet another reason why Basic Income for Artists 💵🎨 matters — so that creators can focus on uplifting, meaningful, inclusive art rather than being forced to produce work to please the rich, and so the public isn’t subjected to harassment disguised as art.
I can’t help but ask:
- How does this affect children 🚸 riding their bikes or walking home from school in the neighbourhood?
- What responsibility do artists 🎨 and public art programs have to ensure messages don’t harm vulnerable people?
- Can art be provocative without causing distress, harassment, or fear? Where is that line drawn?
🖼️ Artwork: Vancouver Novel
👨🎨 Artist: João Loureiro (Brazil)
📍 Location: 3474 Point Grey Road, Vancouver, BC
I hope Vancouver Biennale clarifies whether this is the artist’s intent or if the piece has been abused. Either way, it raises important questions:
- How do we protect our public spaces 🏙️ from harm?
- How do we ensure art uplifts 🌟, rather than harasses ❌, the community?
- And how do we respond when something meant to inspire ✨ instead disturbs and isolates those already vulnerable?
💭 Calls to Reflection
- Have you ever encountered words in public 🏞️ that hurt or unsettled you unexpectedly? How did it make you feel?
- How might children 👶/teens 🧑🎓 interpret messages like “she doesn’t listen” in their daily environment?
- How can communities 🤝, artists 🎨, and public programs balance creativity with empathy ❤️ for vulnerable people?
- Should public art 🏛️ be monitored to prevent harassment or harm ⚠️? How would that work?
- How do we respond when a space meant to inspire ✨ instead triggers pain 😢, fear 😨, or guilt 😔?
- How could Basic Income for Artists 💵🎨 change the art we see in public, making it inclusive, thoughtful, and uplifting rather than a reflection of wealthy whims?
Public art should invite participation, reflection, and joy 🌟 — not confusion, distress 😟, or harm ❌. With better support for artists and thoughtful oversight, perhaps our shared spaces 🏙️ can truly inspire instead of disturb.
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