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and transparent information should be encouraged. 60 Dialogue with organizers about
the security requirements for cultural activities in public spaces should be a priority
in order to avoid negative consequences for cultural expressions and interactions
between artists and their audience. 61 The cost of providing adequate security and
safety of public spaces (including traffic and crowd management) should generally
be covered by the public authorities.
63. Artworks in public spaces make significant contributions to cultural landscapes.
Public authorities 62 should promote the presence of arts in public spaces as part of the
right to have access to a wide variety of artistic expression, and consult local
populations when taking decisions about the art to be displayed. Interesting initiatives
in this regard include devoting a percentage of the cost of all work on public buildings
to the realization of artworks to be integrated in the projects. 63 Artworks can
sometimes provoke controversies and debates and there have been examples of
artworks, including commissioned art, being removed from public spaces following
complaints. 64 Public authorities should strive to uphold the principle of artistic
freedom in accordance with international standards to avoid violating both the artist ’s
freedom of expression and the right of the public to enjoy the arts.
D.
Memorials, advertising, architecture and the use of languages in
public spaces
64. Many built elements displayed in public spaces recount the history of a place,
from sculptures of political figures to religious symbols, memorials, artworks and
buildings. The human rights impacts of memorials and advertising in public spaces
have been addressed in detail in past reports by this mandate (see A/HRC/25/49 and
A/69/286).
65. Urban design and architecture, as well as policies regarding the use of
languages, 65 must also be given careful consideration by policymakers. Both
contribute to the accessibility of public spaces and physically shape cultural and
symbolic landscapes in a way that can be more or less inclusive and welcoming of
different groups.
66. In certain contexts, construction of some types of buildings or the imposition of
one language may be used to mark symbolic dominance. In May 2019, the residents
of Yekaterinburg, Russian Federation, protested against the building of a new
cathedral in one of the few green spaces left in the city and demanded a referendum
on the use of the space. 66 Decisions about what is built, displayed or changed in public
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60
61
62
63
64
65
66
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See, for example, Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, “Guidance: organising a voluntary
event: a ‘can do’ guide” (February 2019), available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/cando-guide-for-organisers-of-voluntary-events/the-can-do-guide-to-organising-and-runningvoluntary-and-community-events; and Artcena, Comment organiser un événement dans l’espace
public (2017).
See contributions by In Situ and Fédération nationale des arts de la rue.
Some countries, like Australia and Germany, have dedicated commissions.
Fédération nationale des arts de la rue, Manifeste pour la création artistique dans l’espace
public, p. 29.
National Coalition against Censorship, “Nude sculpture removed from public view in Michigan”,
25 June 2009.
Jorge Garza, “The role of language in the use of public spaces in Montréal”, Master’s research
project, McGill University (2015).
See BBC, “Activists storm Yekaterinburg Russia park in protest against new church ” (15 May
2019), available at www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-48276170?intlink_from_url=&link_
location=live-reporting-story; and Leonid Bershidsky, “Modern Russia Is Putin deciding a park
use dispute”, Bloomberg, 20 May 2019, available at www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/201905-20/yekaterinburg-cathedral-dispute-shows-how-russia-and-putin-work.
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