In the spring of 2000, the New England Foundation for the Arts uped the ante for public art in Greater Boston, inserting dynamic artwork into the everyday life of Bostonians. The ongoing project, entitled Visible Republic, challenges common assumptions about what public art is and can be. Below are descriptions of the first three artworks, including streaming video and excerpts from interview transcripts.

And for a further exploration of the questions raised by public art, experience our Shockwave feature, Contested Space: Public Art In Boston.

"We are taking a public space that
has a less than attractive element
in it and making magical."
Denise Marika

"The sound of the
jackhammer is the drum
of the twentieth century"
Ean White

"I hope that people will experience
the library in a different way by the
memory of this installation being here."
Kelly Kaczynski