Kitsch urban landscapes

Abstract

Today, the concept of art is as diverse as ever, and exhibits different expressions through different interpretations. It is possible to encounter new methods in every area from painting to literature, from architecture to opera. Thanks to its rhetoric ability, kitsch products move beyond the art field and sprawl on cities through space usage, advertising panels, urban furniture, sculptures and other plastic objects through the urban landscape. This situation, which can lead to the loss of the identity, structure and spirit of the city, usually arises from the erroneous preferences of the city administration on the city scale. In this study, the definition of kitsch, its impact on the design and use of public spaces in the city are discussed. The contradictions created by the designs or altered uses were assessed on the level of satisfaction of the public and on the suitability of the landscape architecture to the occupational discipline. These evaluations were carried out through various applications in Ankara. Keywords: Kitsch, design, art, landscape design, public domain, landscape architecture