# Art and Civil Service This note collects projects, reflections, and examples of how art and public service can connect. From data visualizations to public installations, artistic practices can help reimagine the role of public services. ## Entries **[[2025-05-31]]**: I came across a [fascinating paper](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-025-01673-z) showing how an artist-in-residence program helped climate modellers rethink their practices. By introducing unexpected questions and creative tools, the artists encouraged reflection on the ethical and political choices embedded in modeling. **[[2025-05-11]]**: Found about the [Routledge Companion to Governance in the Arts World](https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003316121/routledge-companion-governance-arts-world-ruth-rentschler-wendy-reid-chiara-carolina-donelli?refId=edeb39e7-d2fe-4b3b-ace5-3e8150e00842&context=ubx) (2025), brings together international research on how arts organizations are governed and held accountable. Organized around five levels (from individual directors and boards to organizational networks and public policy), it addresses issues such as abusive leadership, diversity, and post-colonial challenges across regions. **[[2025-04-12]]**: **[Beautiful Public Data](https://www.beautifulpublicdata.com/)** is a project by investigative data reporter Jon Keegan. It curates visually striking datasets from government agencies at all levels. Each issue explains where the data comes from, who collected it, and why it was gathered. **[[2025-04-10]]**: [Artistic Residency in the Public Sector](https://rasp.art.br/) (RASP) is a residency program that places visual artists in Brazilian public institutions for long-term collaborative projects with civil servants. Launched in 2018 by [[República.org]], It aims to strengthen and reframe public service through an artistic lens. Each residency lasts 18 months. **[[2025-04-13]]**: Edoardo Ongaro published the chapter _["The Arts and Public Administration: How the consideration of the nature of art can provide novel ways to understand Public Administration"](https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035333608.00019)_. He examines five aspects of artistic work (craftsmanship, creation, expression, knowledge and beauty) as lenses for understanding public administration. **[[2025-04-08]]**: In Reykjavík, the _[Monument to the Unknown Bureaucrat](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/monument-to-the-unknown-bureaucrat)_ by Magnús Tómasson depicts a man in a suit and briefcase, with a large stone block where his upper body should be. Installed near City Hall, the piece reflects on the invisibility and weight of bureaucratic work.