The Trial of Tilted Arc

The artwork on trial is Richard Serras public sculpture Tilted Arc commissioned and installed by the US government in 1981 Four years later a public hearing was held to consider the removal of the sculpture from its site in Federal Plaza in New York City In documenting the climatic General Services Administration hearing The Trial Of Tilted Arc is a thoughtprovoking indictment of the state of the arts At issue is the validity of a contract between an artist and the government the freedom of artistic expression and the publics involvement in designing the visual environment The dialoguedebate between the art community and the bureaucrats has described this sitespecific art work in terms ranging from masterpiece to mouse trap