CODAzine

10 Projects Demonstrating the New Era of Temporary Public Art

Written by Matthew Bowden | Mar 17, 2026 8:46:06 PM

Public art is undergoing a quiet revolution, one measured not in stone and steel, but in moments: as experiences become more and more valuable,  According to CODAworx data, one-third of public art projects in 2025 were temporary, a figure that reflects a profound shift in how artists, commissioners, and communities think about creative placemaking. Temporary installations and festival-based works are bringing fresh energy and surprise to urban life, trading permanence for immediacy, and monumentality for intimacy. Far from being lesser works, these fleeting interventions are among the most inventive and resonant projects in the field today — and the CODAworx platform has been capturing them in remarkable breadth and variety. Here is a selection of recent uploads that exemplify what's possible when art is freed from forever.

HUMANATURE at WaterWork, Uploaded by Studio Eisenhart

Ouroboros uploaded by Michael R. DiCarlo

Astral Relics of the Great North Woods uploaded by FuzzPop Workshop

Five Orange Spheres (Series 2) uploaded by STUART WILLIAMS

Parallels / Interactive Light Installation uploaded by TRANSVERSAL Studio

Équinoxe Chromatique uploaded by TRANSVERSAL Studio

Eos uploaded by Aurora Robson

Weci | Koninut uploaded by Creos

Titan uploaded by Marcus Vinicius De Paula

BLACK STARLINER uploaded by Zak Ove

Join the discussion!

Join us at CODAsummit and hear from Vincent Roy, Artistic Director of EXMURO and a leader in the world of contemporary temporary: the dissemination of works that transform the urban environment. Roy will be spearheading this discussion in the session Temporary Public Art: The Enduring Power of the Ephemeral.  

Register now to get Super Early Bird rates before March 31st!