Public art in relation to social systems : a case study of #rhodesmustfall

Abstract

The recent trend in removing statues of controversial figures from history prompts a need to consider a revisionist approach to studying publicly sited artworks, particularly when the social dynamic engages public art in a direct way. This dissertation studies public art as contributing to the complex structure of social systems through connections made between the histories of public art and social space. The aim is to understand how meaning is formed through these connections and that the resulting removal of public art is part of the self-organising quality of a complex social system within larger socio-political views. This is achieved by analysing the case study of #rhodesmustfall as it pertains to the social interaction with and eventual removal of the Rhodes statue sited on the University of Cape Town campus.