FROM THE BOOK

"Even though there is still no question of real specialization among artists in this early stage of video art in public space, a few classic works can nonetheless be distinguished. Several video works travel around the world in order to be shown on various public screens...Moreover, video art in public space plays a role in different discourses. The examples discussed in this book have their origins in art, technology, marketing and city promotion, architecture, commerce and art in public space. Each of these projects therefore has a different starting point and a different context, which makes comparisons difficult. Yet the similarity between the works, namely the relation to their public surroundings, makes it possible to distinguish three constantly returning types of video art in public space. These distinctions may not always be equally straightforward in practice, however. There will be works that satisfy the description of more than one variant, or that seek their own special relation to their surroundings. Nonetheless, the designation of the three types offers a good point of departure for the consideration of video art in public space."

Catrien Schreuder, excerpted from Pixels and Places.