City image and city brand: A cultural analysis through the lens of public art

The modern city is a sociocultural system where the image is shaped by residents’ and visitors’ perceptions, while the image is strategically constructed through cultural policy and branding. Public art acts as a mediator, linking internal cultural codes and urban identity with external representations.

Purpose. The aim of the study is to identify the mechanisms linking the image and the brand of the city through the artistic practices of public art and to refine the criteria for its analysis.

Methodology. The methodological basis of the study is based on cultural and urban approaches that view the city as a space for the production of meaning. The work uses comparative analysis of urban practices (Barcelona, Yekaterinburg), interpretation of art objects based on Charles Sanders Peirce's three-level semiotic model (iconic, indexical, symbolic levels), and systematization of criteria for evaluating public art.

Results. The study revealed that public art links the city’s image and identity by connecting local codes and memory with managerial strategies. An adapted model of C. S. Peirce was applied; evaluation criteria were refined, and the E×I matrix was introduced. Case studies (Barcelona, Yekaterinburg) confirmed the effectiveness of the approach and its applicability in urban development.

Practical significance. The novelty of the study lies in the extension of existing approaches to the analysis of public art by supplementing the established criteria with the dimensions of aesthetic value and brand impact on the urban environment. The article has both theoretical and practical significance for cultural studies, urban studies, and place branding.