The convergence of art and architecture over recent decades has been grounded in a shared interest in the "social uses of form" and in the spaces of coexistence and conflict within the contemporary city. Public art constitutes the clearest expression of this convergence, intersecting with fields such as urban studies, social geography, and political theory. The course focuses on the capacity of public art to activate possibilities for action in relation to both collective and personal memory. It introduces current debates concerning the design and uses of counter-monuments in sites marked by escalating violence, both within the social fabric and across terrestrial ecosystems.

How do contemporary artistic and architectural practices in public space invite audiences to undertake the work of remembrance and to participate actively in processes of reflection, dialogue, and contestation concerning present-day injustices and unacknowledged violations of human rights? How have the media and practices of monument design changed following the "memory boom" of the 1990s, large-scale refugee movements, and the resurgence of national identities? Why does the commemorative function of traditional monuments often fail? Why are the historical modes of artistic expression—pathos, passive spectatorship, and didacticism—today inadequate tools for rendering the past visible and for rethinking its relationship to the present and the future?

Questions such as these will be explored in relation to the principal theoretical concepts and debates surrounding public space, the public sphere, and public art. We will examine some of the most significant memorial projects and, in parallel, work on the design of a counter-monument addressing recent traumatic events. The course combines seminar and workshop formats and is based on the active participation of all students in discussions and throughout the research process.