| Abstract |
Emblematic of the movement away from the archetypal understanding of ‘smart city’ as primarily a digitalization and technology exercise, Stavanger City Council has incorporated Urban Art as one of five pillars constituting their smart city concept. What this means in practice, however, is open to interpretation and debate. Embedded in American Pragmatism, Smart Art is here explored as a social and situated process of developing imaginations about possible futures. The empirical point of departure is an art exhibition at Stavanger Art Museum, defined as a Smart Art venture as part of the Nordic Edge expo in Stavanger, 2017. Qualitative research was conducted, exploring the aims, experiences, and reflections of visitors, involved stakeholders, and participants in the planning and execution of the exhibition. Findings indicate that the incorporation of Smart Art as part of the smart city strategy opened a path to unexpected collaborations and contributed to re-contextualization of historical works of art in ways that can provide insights into consequences of the Anthropocene. The chapter makes two main contributions: first, it demonstrates how gestural conversations can prompt strategic reinterpretations of the societal utility of art experiences. Second, it demonstrates how pragmatist approaches can investigate smart city applications in ways where more substantive approaches may struggle. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Barbara Maria Sageidet, Daniela Müller-Eie, and Kristiane M.F. Lindland; individual chapters, the contributors. |
