Temporal and ephemeral notions in public art: An example of the Münster Sculpture Projects

This thesis aims to explore the changing uses of the concepts of time and temporality in public art, in light of the social and philosophical developments of the twentieth century. The advancements following the Industrial Revolution have caused a profound shift in the funda-mental values of society and a change in the perception of space and time. During this period, it is observed that art embarked on a quest for new meaning. The terms of the otherworldly, such as the sublime, eternal, and infinite, have given way to concepts focusing on the subjec-tive experience of the body, like perceptual, variable, and transient. Public art, which occu-pies the center of social and cultural life, has been influenced by these changes in the same direction. Moving away from the tradition of monuments, it prioritizes the process, the pre-sent, and the experience. Non-permanent works have opened an experimental space for artists to express bold and innovative discourses in urban spaces, aware of their short-term exist-ence. In this context, the Münster Sculpture Projects, focusing on 'temporary and site-specific contemporary public sculpture projects,' provide a valuable framework for this research, be-ing one of the three most important contemporary art events in Europe. This work, resulting from the examination of various scientific publications, books, exhibition catalogs, and case studies, aims to provide a resource for artists and researchers interested in the ephemerialty, temporality and time in public art.