From Flexible Public Art to Immersive Aesthetic Education: A Study on Participatory Spatial Generation in University Campuses

Abstract

As Chinese universities shift from material expansion toward the cultivation of spiritually enriched and culturally resonant environments, traditional modes of public art presentation have become increasingly insufficient in addressing contemporary students’ needs for emotional support, cultural identification, and aesthetic experience. Taking campus public space as the primary research object, this study proposes a public art generation mechanism characterized by flexible intervention, participatory spatial generation, and immersive aesthetic cultivation. Integrating literature analysis, field observation, and course-based practice, the study identifies the emotional demands embedded in daily campus spaces from the perspective of actual users. On this basis, it develops strategies of flexible intervention that employ light-touch embedding, symbolic extraction, and situational construction to enhance the spatial adaptability and contextual resonance of public art within the campus environment. At the same time, a student-centered collaborative generation mechanism is proposed. Students participate in the creation of public art in the course as both “users and co-creators”, jointly promoting the formation of the campus place spirit. Finally, this research verified the feasibility of this mechanism through the practice of the “Space and Materials” course. This course illustrates how public art can construct a “perceptible, actionable, and resonant” aesthetic field within the campus context. In the future, this mechanism will foster a dynamic public environment for institutions of higher education and offer a sustainable, practical pathway for the campus cultural ecosystem.