Keywords

1 Introduction

It has been thirty years since China’s reform and opening up, the national economy, living standards have undergone tremendous changes, and people enjoy the pursuit of spiritual life very much along with the growing material and cultural life. The construction of city public space is a kind of social behavior includes the spiritual civilization, in order to meet the people’s pursuit of material form and the urban population in the spiritual needs, create a rich emotional public space. With the rapid development of information technology network, it not only pour new space elements into the city space design, but also weaken the vitality, the lively scenes of the traditional city public space has all gone: mobile phone online shopping allows some shopping malls neglected; the development of social networks makes part of the city square, public gardens, streets lack of the scene that few People are hurrying to and fro; all kinds of movie theater, entertainment programs on the Internet take us from the corner of the city party, chat, chatted to the screen; urbanites are now more accustomed to communicating with people through the screen, but they are not willing to meet new friends in real life…today we live in a network information and large data world, our work, study and life can’t do without them, how to improve people’s communicative behavior, create a dynamic atmosphere of urban space, evaluate the vitality of urban space and stimulate the vitality of the city through the existing urban public space is the content of this paper, this paper attempts to start from the interaction of public art, use case analysis to explore the strategies and methods of city public space construction.

2 Selection of Research Methods and Theoretical Model Design

2.1 The Relationship Between Interactive Public Art and Urban Public Space

City public space is an important place for people to live in the city, it provides places for people to communicate with nature; people are the main body of space activities, the relationship between people and people, people and nature, people and objects constitute the city public space; city public space is the carrier of social life, and social life is the content of city public space. People, as the main body of social activity, can use “artificial space, space plastic people” to express the relationship between people and city public space, so people can’t do without the public space of city if they want to live in the city, flexible and diverse urban public space, to a certain extent, promote social life develop towards in a more innovative and abundant direction. In addition, the urban public space, including the history, culture, aesthetics and so on, which is closely related to people’s spiritual life, at the same time, it is an important part of the image of the city. The development of urban public space has become one of the basic forms of social life.

Public Art as a cultural concept of contemporary art appeared in the United States in 1960s, it is different from the traditional concept of environmental sculpture, but it has a close relationship with the development of the city. The social division of labor and the intensive living environment, the evolution of commodity exchange makes the city continue to develop. The development of the city has laid a solid foundation for the production of public art. [1] for the relationship between public art and city public space, contemporary public artist Mr. Yuan Yunfu thought: “Public art is a kind of special large-scale art form, which is a kind of artistic language that is coordinated with the external form and style of the artist and the environment, it is the public art, which is designed and made for the public building, environment and mass activity place and facilities, including paintings, sculpture, landscape, city landscape and integrated design etc.” [2] Urban public art is an important part of the urban landscape, and it is the organic composition of the city, it represents a city’s appearance and characteristics and it is the card displayed by the city outward the world.

At present, the city is densely populated, and the city public space is the most direct contact with the public, which is closely related to people’s activities. This requires the design of urban public space emphasizes humanization. Accordingly, the works of art contained in urban public space should also be based on human nature, meet the aesthetic needs of people and in line with the needs of social development. Only in this way can we ensure that the public space of the city is utilized effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to set up the public works of the public space, which are public, open, artistic and interactive.

Interactive public art is built on the basis of public art, with multiple qualities includes “interactivity”, “interactivity”, “perceptibility” and “artistic”, “publicity” and “aesthetic”. Traditional public art, for example, murals, sculpture has its own public art characteristics for viewing and dissemination but it hasn’t the “interactive” feature, interaction is based on people’s feelings and interactive experience, it emphasizes the sense of participation. There are some interactive public art creation are completed by artists and the public joint participation, public participation gives public art multi meaning, interactive public art adopts sound and light, information technology, network technology and other technical means to achieve the interaction effect between people and it. At present, the development of digital technology brings deep communication and interaction with the audience for city public art, art is no longer just for the audience, but it integrates into the daily life of the audience, interactivity, and even participates in the process of creation, feel beauty and happiness brought by the works of art. People involved in the city and formed positive interaction effect with all kinds of social activities, change the city act fine style, communication, and display all kinds of city culture and art spirit.

The relationship between interactive public art and urban public space in the information age:

  1. (1)

    The background of the development of information technology provides a lot of creative content and rich technical means for the creation of interactive public art and the design of urban public space.

  2. (2)

    Interactive public art needs to rely on urban public space as a place to display, and the content of urban public space needs interactive public art.

  3. (3)

    Interactive public art from the static state of communication into a dynamic, from unitary to multiple for the urban public space.

Interactive urban public space enhances the participation of the masses, promote the development of multi culture and boost urban life aesthetics (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1.
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The relationship between interactive public art and urban public space

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2.2 Brief Introduction of Research Methods

The influence factors of urban public space are the basis of evaluation of vitality. The relevant evaluation criteria are: public space quality evaluation standard (Jan Gail, the new city space, 2003), open public space quality tools (Broomhall 2005), environmental assessment of public entertainment space (Saelens), green space of urban neighborhood (Dillen), vitality design guidelines (Bloomberg), vitality evaluation of city public space (Jiang Difei) and others analyzes the dynamic factors of urban public space from different angles, they put forward that space, aesthetic, safety facilities, roads, accessibility, the surrounding environment and may aspects can affect the vitality of city public space [3]. However, there is a lack of analysis and comparison of the interaction between public art and urban public space. Therefore, this paper puts forward the evaluation model of interactive public art to the vitality creation of urban public space. The evaluation model of interactive public art to the construction of urban public space vitality should include four aspects: safety factors, interactive factors, entertainment factors, aesthetic factors.

The quantitative method of experience as the center is obtained through the comprehensive calculation of satisfaction, emotional reflection and aesthetic response in the process of experience, and it is the degree of experience. The method is based on the user’s subjective factors to quantify the user experience. It is necessary to complete by the method of questionnaire. The satisfaction was recorded as C, the emotional reaction was recorded as F, the aesthetic response was recorded as A, and the experience was recorded as E, E = C+F+A. There are four factors that can’t be observed directly in the evaluation model of interactive urban public space, such as comfort and ornamental, it must take appropriate observable variables to reflect, therefore, combining the quantitative method with experience as the center, quantitative four parts including safety, interaction, entertainment, beauty, create description and parameters.

2.3 Model Design

Discussion on the combination of literature research, finally, the paper comes to the 10 evaluation indexes of urban public space vitality: protection, accessibility, participation, interactivity, comfort, pleasure, convenience, color, diversity, ornamental. These indicators and their respective descriptions are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Index system of urban public space vitality construction
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According to the above study, the initial establishment of evaluation model of urban public space vitality shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2.
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Evaluation model of urban public space vitality

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3 A Case Study on the Construction of Urban Public Space Vitality

Through the case study method, the following four aspects summarized the method of interactive public art to urban public space vitality. On the basis of the above parameters, this paper makes an analysis and evaluation of the interactive public art to the dynamic factors of urban public space vitality, which makes it has a certain intuitive.

3.1 By Means of Science and Technology

Digital technology provides strong technical support for the realization of new functions of public art, and the changes of the aesthetic mode and psychological cognition of modern people have also put forward new requirements for public art. The diversification of media and a full range of senses makes digital public art become a public feast.

The music steps developed by the German Volkswagen and first implanted in subway station in Stockholm, Sweden (Fig. 3), we can also see it in China’s Hongkong, Shanghai, Qingdao and other urban public space. The music step designed the stairs as a huge piano keyboard, and every step on the floor will produce a corresponding note. It consists of four parts: infrared, signal acquisition, signal processing and music synthesizer, when people go up and down stairs, infrared sensors will be sent to the signal acquisition device, collector will control audio playback. It advocates a positive and healthy attitude towards life, it not only can exercise, but also can save resources and reduce carbon emissions. In this case, the interaction factors and entertainment factors in the evaluation model of vitality are stronger, followed by the safety factors and aesthetic factors.

Fig. 3.
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“Music steps” in a shopping mall in Shanghai

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“Audio robot BIGPOW” of Taipei “Art Park” also has a strong interactive factors and entertainment factors as well as aesthetic factors, it is an interactive installation art works designed by Taiwan artist Li Mingdao. It is mainly composed of sound media and video media. It is composed of three robots which are lively and lovely and have bright color, stylish appearance, these robots have headphones on their chests, people can put their own mobile phone jack, MP3 and other music player connect the robot body, they will play the corresponding song, so we can share the beautiful music (Fig. 4) [4]. Since this group of robots were placed in the park, the deserted places has now become the crowds, mobilize people to participate in the enthusiasm of the city green space.

Fig. 4.
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SoundRobot BIGPOW

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3.2 Express with the Aid of Language

In recent years, more and more new materials are used in public art, and new materials provide a new means of expression for the public art. It spreads the way of public art.

Beautiful island station is only now Taiwan’s circular underground station, it also the Kaohsiung MRT station with the largest volume and area, Narcissus Quagliata Designer integrated the humanistic spirit of Kaohsiung into the “Kaohsiung sketch and life story” with a special combination of glass, painting and lighting, sketch the “Kaohsiung people and the story of life” to create art masterpiece “The Dome of Light”. It created a romantic atmosphere of art and life harmony in public space with the characteristics of materials with a huge glass dome breathtaking. Its diameter is 30 m, covering a floor space more than 660 m2, with a total of 1,152 glass windows. The creative idea Is that convey the value of human life, the relationship between people and people, environment and all things through the work, a realm, and some people hate to lose in the struggle. The dome is a special combination including glass, painting and lighting, the production of materials, including high-temperature hot melt glass, traditional mosaic glass, hand blown glass and Venice classic crystal disk [5]. Figure 5 is about The Dome of Light. This piece of public art in the maximum limit to bring people the shock of beauty in the city public space, people can feel the deep meaning of color and graphic communication in appreciating their color and variety of forms, but it also can bring joy to people’s entertainment, interactive participation factors.

Fig. 5.
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The Dome of Light (Color figure online)

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3.3 The Combination of Narrative Techniques and Environment

“Nine Walls” series of works drawn from the local historical fragments, consider the demolition behavior, evoke a good memory, combined with a variety of sculpture means to highlight the public art pieces and tourists, the interaction of the public. Figure 6 is about “Nine Walls”.

Fig. 6.
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“Nine Walls” series works

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“Beijing Memory” sealed representative old objects of Beijing with glass, set in the subway station with much characteristics of Beijing, the entire process fermented as a cultural and artistic event through various media means. Figure 7 is about “Beijing Memory”.

Fig. 7.
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“Beijing ·Memory”

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These two pieces of public art have done better in the aspect of participation and appreciation, which can bring the audience into the situation through the narrative techniques, and make them resonate and recall. The combination of historical narrative and the surrounding environment gave the audience a stronger sense of the situation, which is more and more able to arouse the audience’s emotional interaction.

3.4 Relying on the Surrounding Space

Campanula palace theater of “See Mount Wutai Again” also does good in participation and ornamental, the theater echoes the theme of architectural design and Drama, in order to reflect the Buddhist culture, designers reject duplicate or reproduce the traditional architectural style of Mount Wutai Temple, the shape of the Theatre was designed as the “folded Buddhist” shape, the theater and its surrounding space design have a perfect fusion with mountain, landscape and play in the process of creation, and use architectural language express the accuracy of the drama theme, it can fully reflect the People’s understanding and feeling of Buddhist culture, which is delivered by Campanula palace through this way, it will bring a new experience to the viewer. Figure 8 is about “See Mount Wutai Again”.

Fig. 8.
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Campanula palace theater of “See Mount Wutai Again”

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“The old music and new picture” video device works made the 490 m high floor of the Hong Kong World Trade Plaza as the exhibition space, projection content awakened young people’s memories, dreams, reflect the rapid change of social reality, the fresh and nostalgic mood let the venue suddenly become sensitive and sentimental. Figure 9 is about “The old music and new picture”. Figure 10 is a comparison with the indicators mentioned above.

Fig. 9.
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“The old music and new picture”

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Fig. 10.
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Comparison diagram of interactive public art to urban public space vitality

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4 Questions and Discussions

In the future, more and more interactive public art will appear in the urban space of our life, and inject new vitality into the urban public space. In the face of creative design of interactive public art, art aesthetic, humanized design and technology integration relationship is that we should concern and think, how to make the art and technology elements integrate with city public space better. Through the above analysis of the establishment of model and the case, we known the relationship between the evaluation of urban public space vitality and the creation of public art, as shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 11.
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The thickness of the line represents the relationship more closely

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With the development of new media, public artists combine with new media means and new materials, the narrative techniques to create a rich sense of art, technology and experience of public art, the realization way and the interactive method for public art interactive activities to city public space vitality creation are mainly reflected in the:

4.1 Establishment of Interactive Relationship

The establishment of interactive relationship is the basis of realizing the interaction between audience and art, audience and artist, audience and environment, among them, the audience’s experience is the core factor. We can obtain user’s feedback and improve the design through the establishment of interaction between people and works of art (Fig. 12). The main body of public space vitality creation is spatial participants, it needs public art to serve the participants and use for it, and we should stand in the perspective of the participants in the process of design, the feedback of the participants’ experience as a criterion for judging the success or failure of the design. Feedback plays an important role in the theory of control, feedback is the basis for the progress of things, and it is an important part of the cycle of things [6]. Public art is a special kind of feedback, in addition to its aesthetic feedback, there is a sense of participation, experience feedback, which is an interactive feedback. Experience and feedback are unified in the process of interaction. Users can interact with the art ontology in the process of experience, which constitutes the interaction.

Fig. 12.
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The interaction model between man and environment

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4.2 Interactive

Interactive public art is based on the traditional public art, which is influenced by the development of computer science and psychology, and it has a close relationship with human computer interaction technology. In the interactive input system, the input signal can be input through the camera, sensor, lens on the image, action, sound, body temperature. Output system can be a display, the building facades, the art itself, show images, video and other information. In the interactive public art, human-computer interaction plays an important role, and the relationship between human-computer interaction similar to focus on people, machine and environment of the three, with the development of digital technology, human-computer interaction started towards the development of computer and information technology, human-computer interaction is essential content in the public art interaction, it direct influenced the realization of interactive public art.

4.3 Interactive Method of Interactive Public Art

The combination of the interactive public art in urban public space and citizen culture has become an “event” in urban life and a trend of urban life in the future. The interactive process between the public art and the audience is the process of the public participation in the story, and the audience is also creating their own stories, which is more enlightening and dynamic. The interactive process of interactive public art is not to see the behavior of the audience as an isolated existence, but integrate their actions and behaviors. The interactive way of interactive public art can be divided into: viewing interaction, experiential interaction, participatory interaction, virtual interaction. There is a certain difference between the four forms of interaction, but the boundaries are not very clear, there are a number of interactive works can be classified into several kinds.

The admiration is a passive appreciation a single party, but it is not completely passive here, in fact all interactive public art can’t do without watching, watching is the first step to happen “events” with the works of art, visual observation provides up 60% of the information for us, so here we call interactive viewing. Interactive experience is to let the audience into the work, feel the fun of art, experience the meaning of interactive public art. Participatory interaction is that the audience participates in public art creation, a part of the public art is completed by audience participation, experience and feedback have been shown here, the effect of the works and the content is not controlled by the artist, it is random and not preset, and it is completed by the audience. Virtual interaction should rely on multimedia, digital technology, etc., achieve the interaction between the works and the audience, it refers to the interaction between the audience in the behavior and virtual space objects, the interaction between the visual and the image.

5 Conclusion

It is a cross disciplinary field to study the dynamic construction of urban public space with the interaction of public art, which is an interdisciplinary subject, such as interactive design, urban design, architectural planning, design research, computer science and so on. With the development of the new technology and its application, the future urban public space structure will more involve in the participation of the people, the public is not only the audience but also the participants in the space design. In the traditional public art, the new media, Internet technology and new technology will further expand the performance of public art, and more man-machine interaction will produce more interactive content. Under the condition of new technology, installation art, video art, photoelectric art, new material art have greatly expanded the field of public art creation, enrich the traditional visual style to the artists, provide space to express infinite, so that they can express their views through the use of a lot of science and technology, make people’s vision, hearing, touch are me, the new media has become a new form of rich vitality and creativity in the field of public art. In the future, the construction of urban public space vitality will become a new topic of public space design, interactive public art will become more and more popular, and their combination will collide with more updated spark.