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How a 45 foot Nude Has SF Debating Public Art

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A 45-foot-tall metal sculpture of a nude woman, titled R-Evolution, by artist Marco Cochrane, stands in the Embarcadero Plaza on April 14, 2025 in San Francisco, California.  (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

For the past several weeks a 45-foot tall wire sculpture of a nude woman has loomed over San Francisco’s Embarcadero Plaza. “R-Evolution,” which first appeared at Burning Man in 2015, has gotten a very mixed reception, sparking controversy in the city over who public art is for and who gets a say. We’ll talk about how public art gets selected, how it illuminates the different relationships people have with shared urban spaces, and why private funding is complicating it all.

Guests:

Sarah Hotchkiss, senior associate editor, KQED Arts and Culture

Cheryl Derricotte, artist

Lynne Baer, public art advisor

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