Public Practices, a 1994 SIAP project, documents, and expands on, six artists projects commissioned for Southland and Otago regional centres, and an accompanying Forum for this project.

Public Practices examined prevailing notions of audience, regionalism, and access to contemporary art. Taking the debate surrounding art in public spaces as a driving theme, Public Practices brought a regional focus to this debate, examining in particular questions of access and transparency, and the need to develop critical perspectives in public art practices.

The project reflected an interest in art practices which move beyond the physical and social boundaries of the art museum, exploring new models for artists to work ‘in public’ within and beyond existing community structures.

This catalog presents documentation of the artists projects by Jacqueline Fraser, Di ffrench, Karou Hirabayashi, Seigfried Koeblmeier, Vivian Lynn, Russell Moses, as well as containing articles by Gerard O’Regan, John Barrett-Lennard, Ian Hunter, and Rob Garrett. A thought provoking and useful resource exploring issues of communities, public, and private.