Mark Kingwell on cities as a work of art.

"The philosopher Martin Heidegger has an essay called `The Origin of a Work of Art.' He says the mere object is not the work of art. I always think about that when I look at art, but also when I think about other things being like art.

"You're not looking to nail down the object or even to focus on the material reality. The work of art is in the way the experience makes you think or puts you in touch with bigger ideas about what it means to be here. I think of the city as a work of art in that sense. It's never finished. It's always open-ended, but if we can sort of shift our perspective in the right way, it gives us these opportunities for insight."

If a city is a work of art for living in, mine's kitsch.  ¶ 7:05 AM