Public art is consisted the artistic creations located in public space. These works of art appear in the form of monuments, sculptures, fountains, murals, graphs, graffiti, posters, installations, decorations, grounds, gardens, performances...

Art is a common good, a communication, a mediation of the private individual to the general, a relation with the public. Is there thus a private art ?  Would this be that of the art objects which one can get on the art market ?  But can it be completely private this art which needs exhibitions or representations, manifestations or publications ?  Art always needs a public to acquire and increase its quality of common good, its pratical value (valeur d'usage), its notoriety and consequently its quality of private proprety, its exchange value (valeur d'échange), its price.

Art is a common good that the market pass round in private hands. The public collections where succed a part of works take part in the establishment of the value of art and its objects. The statutory value of works thus grants a marchant value to them in the context of a society where the social relation took the marchant form.

Public art is characterized by its inscription in the social landscape, city or countryside. The public is confronted there without to have chosen it. Works are exposed to all and each one grants to it the interest which he wants or which he can. However, this art takes part in the social life by living place in the duration and can thus live in the public mind. Is the salutary influence of such an art very difficult to measure, but who would dare claim that it is null ?