Co-designing for whom? Exploring the benefits of city-led participatory art practices in disadvantaged neighbourhoods of Madrid

This research examines who benefits from the use of city-led participatory design projects in disadvantaged neighborhoods. After the neoliberal crisis in 2008, discourses on creativity evolved from art projects aimed at pursuing economic growth to art projects with social and cultural aspirations. Participatory art projects are practices where the public is involved in the design and production of the artwork. Urban governments in Europe have used participatory art due to their assumed potential to enhance citizen engagement. However, there is a lack of critical and evaluative insight regarding the implementation and after-use of codesign practices and their inclusionary or exclusionary effects on local communities. The three-year public art program Imagina Madrid (2017 – 2019) is analysed to shed light on these debates. Attention is paid to the disadvantaged contexts where these practices took place and to the communities for which these practices are developed. The primary data source was 22 in-depth interviews conducted with public authorities, artists and designers, and citizens, accompanied by participatory research. Findings indicate that codesign projects can have outcomes contrasting initial objectives and do not always benefit local communities. This thesis argues that participatory art is always a situated practice, and thus, greater sensibility regarding local contexts is essential for maximizing the benefit of disadvantaged groups. This study contributes to expanding the knowledge on the use of co-designing, and it offers an insight into which elements of public art practices are beneficial for maximizing social impact.