Tension Field Research Articles

Memory in warfare: history as a destituent narrative

To what extent may we consider historical writing a field of political tension? Could we make a plausible conceptual distinction between a constituent and a destituent narrative? According to Carlo Ginzburg – one of the proponents of ‘microhistory’ – historical sources are ‘distorting mirrors’, which let the truth shine through in an indirect way. Consequently, the good historian is the one who manages to grasp the ‘Freudian slips’ of history and fixes them in a coherent framework. Michel Foucault’s ‘political historicism’ seems to adopt the same historiographical approach: the most reliable witnesses of the past are the victims of the dominant power and the forgotten subjects of the constituent historical narrative. It seems to the author that Walter Benjamin and Simone Weil’s warfare writings share this destituent attitude towards historical representations. As far as Benjamin is concerned, the author’s hypothesis is that between the two world wars he radically redefines his notion of memory. With the apotheosis of the Nazi regime, he starts to conceive memory of the catastrophic past as the only possible input of an authentic revolutionary action. With a similar attention to collective memory, Weil goes through European history in order to deconstruct its principal political mythologies, from Rome to the Third Reich. Her purpose is to let the stories of the defeated re-emerge in order to show the history of violence that lies beyond the official representation of the past. In both cases, the main political aim is eventually to produce a destituent narrative of Europe that could serve as a guideline in the post-war period.

Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) as an unknown challenge in a long-term care institution: an embedded single case study

BackgroundChronically ill persons experience conditions of life that can become unbearable, resulting in the wish to end their life prematurely. Relatives confronted with this wish experience ambivalence between loyalty to the person’s desire to die and the fear of losing this person. Caring for a person during the premature dying process can be morally challenging for nurses. One way to end one’s life prematurely is Voluntary Stopping of Eating and Drinking (VSED).MethodsThis embedded single case study explored the experiences of registered nurses (embedded units of analysis: ward manager, nursing manager, nursing expert) and relatives who accompanied a 49-year-old woman suffering from multiple sclerosis during VSED in a Swiss long-term care institution (main unit of analysis). By means of a within-analysis, we performed an in-depth analysis of every embedded unit of analysis and elaborated a central phenomenon for each unit. Afterwards, we searched for common patterns in a cross-analysis of the embedded units of analysis in order to develop a central model.ResultsThe following central concept emerged from cross-analysis of the embedded units of analysis: As a way of ending one’s life prematurely, VSED represents an unfamiliar challenge to nurses and relatives in the field of tension between one’s personal attitude and the agents' concerns, fears and uncertainties. Particularly significant is the personal attitude, influenced on the one hand by oneˊs own experiences, prior knowledge, role and faith, on the other hand by the VSED-performing person's age, disease and deliberate communication of the decision. Depending on the intention of VSED as either suicide or natural dying, an accepting or dismissing attitude evolves on an institutional and personal level.ConclusionsTo deal professionally with VSED in an institution, it is necessary to develop an attitude on the institutional and personal level. Educational measures and quality controls are required to ensure that VSED systematically becomes an option to hasten death. As VSED is a complex phenomenon, it is necessary to include palliative care in practice development early on and comprehensively. There is a high need of further research on this topic. Particularly, qualitative studies and hypothesis-testing approaches are required.

Wing twisting by elastic instability: A purely passive approach

The design of morphing structures requires attaining concurrently light-weight, load-carrying and shape adaptable systems that minimize complexity, actuation requirements and part count. Exploiting the external loads to produce local stiffness variations induced by elastic instabilities offers the potential to activate shape deformations purely passively. Following this approach, we present the structural response study of wings capable of attaining compliant buckling-induced twisting deformations. The structure is designed such that a specific level of aerodynamic load triggers the elastic instability in a shear web part of the wing box. The buckling-induced variation in effective shear stiffness, resulting from the development of a stable, reversible diagonal tension field, leads to a twisting deformation. The structural behaviour is characterized by two drastically different mechanical responses, delimited by the onset of elastic instability. The influence of the buckling component design on the attainable change in spanwise angle of attack is investigated for the specific case of a finite composite wing structure under aerodynamic loads. The type of composite material, its thickness, and the fibre orientation are the considered design parameters. The buckling-induced variation in twist angle, and the corresponding aerodynamic pressure redistribution on the wing, is exploited for achieving load alleviation, reducing the global lift coefficient and decreasing the wing root bending moment.

Modeling of Capillary Shrinkage and Cracking in Early-Age Concrete

. Scientific hypothesis on moistening shrinkage mechanism for cement stone and concrete has been assumed as a basis for the present paper. Physical ideas on a mechanism for cracks volume increment in a concrete model presented as two-level structure have been accepted as a theoretical basis for a calculation method of crack resistance during capillary shrinkage. These ideas are the following: a matrix of hardening cement stone with inclusions and emptiness of various forms (cracks) as result of influences that change an intense deformed state in a point and a volume. The following assumptions have been accepted while making a theoretical justification for a calculation method of shrinkable concrete crack resistance. Following this methodology approaches of fracture mechanics according to a generalized criterion have been applied in the paper. Concrete is considered as an elastic quasi-homogeneous two-component medium which consists of the following parts:a) constructive part: a matrix – a cement stone with structural elements of crushed stone, sand; b) destructive part: emptiness – capillaries cracks and pores (cavities with initial cracks in walls). Emptiness in a matrix and contact zones are presented by a coordinated five-level system in the form and sizes which are multiple to a diameter due to impacts while reaching critical sizes. These critical sizes make it possible to pass from one level into another one according to the following scheme: size stabilization – accumulation delocalization – critical concentration in single volume – transition to the following level. Process of cracks formation and their growth are considered as a result of non-power influences on the basis of crack theory principles from a condition that fields of deformation and tension creating schemes of a normal separation and shift occur in the top part of each crack at its level in the initial concrete volume. Ксij(t) parameter as algebraic amount of critical values Kij in the whole system of all levels of cracks filling canonical volume up to critical concentration has been accepted as a generalized constant of property for concrete crack resistance in time, its resistance to formation, accumulation in volumes of micro-cracks and formation of trunk cracks with critical values. External temperature, moistening long influences create fields of tension in the top parts of cracks. Concrete destruction processes due to cracks are considered as generalized deformedintensed state in some initial volume having physical features which are inherent to a composite with strength and deformative properties. It is possible to realize analytical calculations for assessment of tension and crack resistance of concrete at early age on the basis of a generalized criterion in terms of stress intensity factor due to modern experimental data on capillary pressure value (70 kPa in 180 min after concrete placing). The developed algorithm of calculation allows to consider factors influencing on capillary pressure: type of cement, modifiers and mineral additives, concrete curing conditions.

Regimes of wrinkling in an indented floating elastic sheet.

A thin, elastic sheet floating on the surface of a liquid bath wrinkles when poked at its center. We study the onset of wrinkling as well as the evolution of the pattern as indentation progresses far beyond the wrinkling threshold. We use tension field theory to describe the macroscopic properties of the deformed film and show that the system passes through a host of different regimes, even while the deflections and strains remain small. We show that the effect of the finite size of the sheet ultimately plays a key role in determining the location of the wrinkle pattern, and obtain scaling relations that characterize the number of wrinkles at threshold and its variation as the indentation progresses.

Behavior of columns of steel plate shear walls with beam-connected web plates

Steel plate shear walls with beam-connected web plates (B-SPSWs) are an alternative configuration of steel plate shear walls (SPSWs) where web plates are connected to the beams only. Detaching web plates from columns and introducing simple beam-column connections in B-SPSWs eliminate flexural demands in the columns resulting from web plate tension field action; consequently, the columns of B-SPSWs are designed primarily for axial loads. A recent study, however, showed that the columns of B-SPSWs resist significant flexural demands during earthquake shaking due to differential interstory drifts that result in significant column rotations at floor levels. Typical design methods (i.e., the Equivalent Lateral Force method and Modal Response Spectrum analysis) do not capture these rotations associated with differential drifts that might lead to column instability. A two-phase numerical study is conducted to evaluate the behavior and stability of B-SPSW columns. In the first phase, three-dimensional nonlinear response-history analyses are conducted to investigate the column stability for eighteen B-SPSWs with different geometric characteristics designed following two design approaches. The results suggest that column buckling is a possible mode of failure for one of the design approaches. In the second phase, a parametric study is undertaken to further investigate potential column buckling failure modes in B-SPSW columns and to establish an upper-bound estimate for the column buckling strength reduction due to column rotations at floor levels that are not considered in traditional design approaches.

Conditional Autonomy

Current developments in the Swedish news business have resulted in clashes between the professional stands of journalists and the incentives of their managers, or—from a theoretical perspective—a confrontation between discourses of journalistic professionalism and managerialism. While professionalism includes values of autonomy, self-regulation and public interest, managerialism on the other hand promotes business ideals, standardisation and organisational efficiency. Above all, it promotes a centralised management model of line control at the cost of collegial decision-making and peer review. But what does this mean in practice? In what situations does the negotiation between those discourses arise in everyday news work and how does it affect the autonomy of journalists? This paper aims to answer those questions by focusing on the experiences of Swedish journalists working in the tension field between professional and managerial discourses. This empirical study includes observation studies as well as interviews with journalists and their managers in four Swedish daily newspapers. The results clearly reveal a conditioned journalistic autonomy, and shows how professional ideals are tarnished. The economistic view of journalistic activities is forcefully and successfully implemented by management.

Deformation bands and associated structures in the Tucano Basin, NE Brazil: A multiscale analysis

Abstract The sandstones of the Ilhas Group in the Tucano Basin (NE Brazil), are affected by numerous swarms of deformation bands (Dbs) and associated faults, developed in different deformation events (pre, syn and post stages of sediment lithification). We select an area located west of the city of Jeremoabo and east of the Agua Branca district, along the Vaza Barris River, for a multiscale structural analysis of these structures. NE-SW striking faults and swarms of Dbs are the main structures of the region but two other sets also occur, with NNW-SSE and E-W orientations. The structural analysis revealed that they are related to three deformational events, D1, D2 and D3. The D1 event generated NE-SW normal faults and a combined system of transcurrent faults and dextral (NNW-SSE) and sinistral (NE-SW) Dbs, developed under pre-to syn-lithification conditions of the sandstones. The D2 event developed NNE-SSW oblique normal faults nucleated under post-lithification conditions. A younger deformational event (D3) was responsible for the generation of NE-SW dextral and oblique normal faults both with associated Dbs swarm, A few NE-SW reverse and oblique reverse faults occur in the area. Tensional NW-SE and NNW-SSE stress fields associated with D1 and D2 events respectively, acted in the region during the Neocomian, while the D3 event represents the NNE-SSW extension analogous to that responsible for the formation of the Brazilian Equatorial Margin during the Early Aptian.

Dissimulacro-ressimulação: ensejos da cultura do ódio na era do Brasil pós-verdade

Este trabalho objetiva realizar uma reflexão apurada sobre o fenômeno cultural da pós-verdade, sob o viés de interlocutores brasileiros. Os neologismos dissimulacro e ressimulação são uma tentativa autoral de dar outra conotação simbólica a esse fenômeno, que poderia ser nomeado e significado por outras designações históricas ou contemporâneas, que concebam seus elementos como algo que sempre existiu no campo da manipulação política e ideológica, desde que o homem disputa o poder, a partir de artimanhas, conchavos, alianças, que sinalizam modos de manter ou verter a autoridade sobre o exercício do poder. No âmbito dessa discussão, são levantados alguns aspectos conceituais contraditórios da pós-verdade, alguns pressupostos do que é dissimulacro e ressimulação, a pós-verdade como fabricação aurática de signos, a fenomenologia das notícias falsas com seus objetivos maquiavélicos, o alcance da cultura do ódio nas redes sociais, o mito da dissolução e insolvência do outro no campo de tensão entre o reconhecimento e não reconhecimento da alteridade radical, a pós-verdade como ideologia da razão apática no contexto das redes sociais, e a reconstrução simbólica do signo das relações humanas na contemporaneidade. Para o aprofundamento de questões, são empregados como referencial teórico os seguintes autores: Cremilda Medina, Maria Teresa Cruz, Luiz Carlos Restrepo, Gabriel Priollo, Jean Baudrillard, Gilles Deleuze, Carlos Skliar, Peter Sloterdijk, entre outros. O objetivo da escolha de tais autores é inventariar ideias, valores, conceitos e visões que ao mesmo tempo ajudem a compreender o fenômeno comunicacional de propagação das “falsas verdades”, assim como sinalizem atitudes de enfrentamento a essa questão profundamente preocupante.

Numerical simulations on cold-formed steel channels with longitudinally stiffened slotted webs in shear

This paper presents results of a numerical finite element parametric study on elastic shear buckling and ultimate shear strength of cold-formed steel channels with longitudinally stiffened slotted webs. The following parameters were varied: channel height, thickness, flange width, flange lip length, longitudinal stiffener size, perforation pattern, aspect ratio, steel yield stress and boundary conditions. Channels with longitudinally stiffened solid webs subjected to shear load were also studied to provide reference data for comparison with the slotted channels. The parametric study described in this paper allowed us to develop equations for predicting the shear buckling coefficient of longitudinally web stiffened solid channels, as well as equations for predicting the elastic shear buckling load and the ultimate shear strength of channels with longitudinally stiffened slotted webs. The developed shear strength equations without and with tension field action are presented in the paper in the traditional and direct strength method formulations. The developed equations account for the studied parameters and showed good agreements with the finite element simulation results.

A Liouville-type theorem for biharmonic maps between complete Riemannian manifolds with small energies

We prove a Liouville-type theorem for biharmonic maps from a complete Riemannian manifold of dimension n that has a lower bound on its Ricci curvature and positive injectivity radius into a Riemannian manifold whose sectional curvature is bounded from above. Under these geometric assumptions we show that if the L^p-norm of the tension field is bounded and the n-energy of the map is sufficiently small, then every biharmonic map must be harmonic, where 2<p<n.

Reductions in ecology and thermodynamics. On the problems arising when shifting the concept of exergy to other hierarchical levels and domains

The introduction of thermodynamical views to interpret phenomenological behavior of biological systems such as organisms, populations, ecosystems or even the bio- and anthroposphere is not an easy exercise and not carried out without obstacles. The resistance against such an endeavor can be met from all scientific disciplines ranging from hardcore physics at one end to ecological fundamentalists at the other. Thus the area represents a field of tension. The reasons for this may be many, but at the center one will recognize complication that are closely linked – directly or indirectly – to the issues around philosophical reductions undertaken in the process. Such steps are necessary to take in an attempt to formulate a new holistic biological theory that tends to formulate a new metaphysics, namely that of making possible interpretations of all kinds of systems within the biosphere in terms of a thermodynamic framework. Common to all attempts have been the establishing and definition of boundaries – real, physical as well as constructed and virtual – together with a generalized application of isomorphic mathematical expressions used different sets of ontological entities that vary with levels of the biological hierarchy. Prebiotic systems represent the closest we may get to a situation where classical thermodynamic descriptions may be used but still only to a certain extent. All levels having a fixed boundary from monocellular organisms or conglomerates of such systems and upwards in the hierarchy – i.e. higher organisms and levels throughout the biological hierarchy represent systems under conditions so far away from equilibrium that they – under the given energetic, material and intrinsic constraints tend to stabilize at dynamic states or sequential semi-stable repetitive patterns. This means that we may not talk about classical thermodynamics any longer. Terms like entropy, free energy, exergy and power may be used as convenient metaphors, but it must be stated that it as a consequence is necessary to (re-)define concepts and reformulate equations based on adequate ontological units. Although they may perform with a similar phenomenology as the classical variables, it should be kept in mind that they are no longer the same, – each domain will need its own definitions.

Selection of Electrolytes for Optimal Reverse Electroactuation Energy Harvesting

A number of new developments have taken place over the years with respect to mechanical energy harvesting. However, significant progress is yet to be made to improve the energy density to sufficiently and reliably power our everyday mobile devices and other applications. Recently, a new approach in energy harvesting based on the principles of reverse electroactuation has been reported and is drawing much interest. Reverse electroactuation can be considered the opposite of electrowetting-on-dielectric, which is the manipulation of liquid droplets on dielectric with applied voltage. The reverse electroactuation approach of energy harvesting adopts a fundamental principle that the movements of liquid droplets on a dielectric film generate power by dynamically modulating the liquid-solid interfacial dielectric capacitance. The amount of power generated using this approach depends on various factors such as the type of conducting liquid used, dielectric coating type and thickness, and droplet pinning. Power densities up to 103 W/m2 have been reported using reverse electroactuation with Mercury as electrolyte, but using Mercury for real applications is not feasible due to its toxicity. In this study, we test a number of alternative conducting liquids as well as dielectric coatings in reverse electroactuation. The main objective is to observe and analyze the effect electrolyte and dielectric coatings have on power density and to compare the experimental results to previously published theoretical models. In addition to improving energy harvesting, this research contributes to fundamental understanding of how liquid movement under the combined influence of pressure, surface tension, and electric fields affect charge density. This may impact the design and development of porous materials for applications such as supercapacitors, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis. Figure 1. In reverse electroactuation, a conducting liquid droplet is placed between two electrodes, one of which is insulated (A). A dynamic mechanical loading deflects the droplet, resulting in a modulating capacitance and therefore an electrical current (B). Figure 1

Experimental and Numerical Research on Steel Plate Shear Wall with Infill Plate Connected to Beam Only

Steel plate shear walls consist of thin infill steel plates attached to beams, called (horizontal boundary elements, HBEs), and columns (vertical boundary elements, VBEs) in structural steel frames. The thin unstiffened web plates are expected to buckle in shear at low load levels and develop tension field action, providing ductility and energy dissipation through tension yielding of the web plate. HBEs are designed for stiffness and strength requirements and are expected to anchor the tension field formation in the web plates. VBEs are designed for yielding of web plates and plastic hinge formation at the ends of the HBEs. This design approach may result in very large demand on boundary frame members, especially VBEs in most cases. Several methods such as using LYP, perforating the infill plate and omitting connection of infill plate to columns have been proposed to reduce the moment and axial force demands on the VBEs. Study the behavior of steel plate shear walls omitting the connection of infill plate and columns is the main purpose of this research. A classic analysis base on PFI method along with quasi static cyclic experimental study has been performed in order to investigate the behavior of such a system. The results of the experimental study are used to verify numerical models. Behaviors of proposed system (overall capacity and initial stiffness) were compared with those of the conventional SPSWs. Results show that both parameters are reduced in comparison to the conventional SPSWs.

Plastic analysis and performance-based design of coupled steel plate shear walls

The coupled steel plate shear wall (C-SPSW) configuration consisting of two SPSWs linked by coupling beams at the floor levels, in addition to providing architectural flexibility, has been shown to exhibit superior seismic performance. While the shear strength of the infill panels due to tension field action is the primary source of lateral load resistance in a C-SPSW, the moment resisting actions of the boundary frames and the coupling beams connections provide substantial strength for the system. As such, in order to achieve material-efficient designs, rational procedures are needed to explicitly account for this strength, while maintaining the desirable performance for various hazard levels. Similar to planar SPSWs, the C-SPSW systems have been designed using the conventional force-based design approach, which typically requires several iterations to optimize the design for performance and efficiency. This research employs the principles of plastic analysis to quantify the contribution of the frame action to the overall strength of C-SPSWs and adopts the philosophy of the performance-based plastic design (PBPD) methodology to develop procedures for the efficient seismic design of such systems. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed design procedure, 8- and 12-story case study C-SPSWs were designed, and their numerical models were analyzed using pushover and response history analyses. The seismic performance of the prototypes were evaluated using two suits of ground motions representing 10/50 and 2/50 hazard levels. The analysis results indicated that the C-SPSWs designed using the proposed approach successfully met the desired performance objectives for both seismic hazard levels considered.

Hysteretic electro-mechanical coupling response of PZT fibers: Constitutive modeling and experiments

ABSTRACTPiezoelectric (lead zirconate titanate, PZT) fibers show hysteretic behavior when subjected to cyclic mechanical loading, under tension, and cyclic electric field. The hysteretic response under the above loading conditions is manifested due to microstructural changes such as reorientation of dipolar domains in the crystalline regions and other possible permanent microstructural changes such as cracking. In describing the above macroscopic behavior of PZT fibers a constitutive model based on a multiple natural configuration approach is formulated. It is assumed that the body has multiple natural configurations associated with the original and newly formed configurations. The new microstructure is formed when the body is subjected to external stimuli, i.e., stress and electric field, leading to reorientation of the dipoles in the crystalline regions. A constitutive model for the electro-mechanical coupling behavior is formulated by defining Gibbs potential in terms of the stress, electric field, and the volume fraction of the domain transformation. Internal state variables and their corresponding driving force for microstructural changes are identified. The model predictions of the hysteretic response are compared to experimental results. Finally, the effect of heat generation from the energy dissipation on the overall electro-mechanical response of PZT fibers is investigated.

ELECTRICAL SOLUTION OF THE DIELECTRIC AND ITS INFLUENCE ON FLAME EMISSION WITH ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD

Studies have been carried out on the effect of an electric breakdown of a dielectric on flame suppression by an electric field of high voltage. In the course of research in the event of electric breakdown of air, the quenching efficiency was reduced to zero. This effect occurs due to the drop in electrical tension between the electrodes. The electrical breakdown in dielectrics when extinguishing a flame is due to the presence of a certain number of ions and electrons, which under the action of the electric field move to the anode. It is established that the electrical strength of the material exerts the greatest influence on the outcome of experimental studies on extinguishing a fire by an electromagnetic field. Therefore, increasing the values of the electrical strength of the material (dielectric), it is possible to exclude the possibility of electrical breakdown. If glass and electrotechnical porcelain are used as dielectrics on electrodes, the boundaries of the investigation flame process by an electric field of high tension will expand. Studies have shown that an electric breakdown has a negative effect on flame suppression by an electric field of high tension. The probability of electrical breakdown is influenced by such parameters as: the distance between the electrodes (the probability of breakdown increases with decreasing distance), atmospheric pressure, air humidity (the probability of electric breakdown decreases with decreasing air humidity), the strength of the material (with an increase in the strength of the material, the probability of breakdown decreases ) and voltage at the electrodes (with increasing voltage, the probability of breakdown increases). In the course of the research it was established that an increase in the electrical strength of the electrodes will allow to conduct studies with a voltage of up to 20,000 kV without the occurrence of electrical breakdown.

La via locale alla cittadinanza globale una sfida epistemologica e politica

Rethinking the concept of citizenship means understanding the historical nature of the relationship between citizenship and nation-state and going beyond the definition of a formal and legal status, such as the membership to a political system. In the global era, citizenship undergoes a process of deterritorialization that produces a fragmentation and multiplication of forms, figures and experiences. The text aims at illustrating that citizenship is a field of tensions: it is crossed by the struggles, specially concerning the violation of its borders, of individuals who are excluded or includedin a differentiated or subordinate way. These “acts of citizenship” are acts through which individuals become, make themselves citizens. At the same time, interpreting citizenship not only as a formal status, but as a space of conflict and movement, based on the extension of rights, does not mean denying its normative dimension: citizenship emerges between normative and processual dimension. Citizenship is a project in continuous construction and reconstruction, producing the possibility of access to rights. When considered as a process of political subjectivation, citizenship is a dynamic, ever-changing institution. Today, in particular, cities are the crucial space of new emerging forms of citizenship.

Autie-biografisch gelezen

Abstract Reading Autie-Biographically: The Field of Tensions between Language, Narrativity and Autism Within the current disability memoir boom, the popularity of autism narratives makes it almost impossible to keep up with its publication flow. This implies that there is a growing market for those stories, and indeed, several publishing companies are even specialized in these memoirs. However, when autism memoirs – also called ‘autie-biographies’ – are incorporated in research, they often merely function as ‘illustrations’ of an hypothesis, which leads to a reductive understanding and reading practice of those narratives as mere evidence for diagnostic categories. Such a diagnostic mode of reading offers almost no space for asking broader interpretative questions about different relations to language or narrative structure. In the present article, my aim is to study the complex tension between autism, language and narrativity and to propose a hypothesis about the reasons behind the dominance of the diagnostic reading mode within different research disciplines, including literary studies. I do so by focusing on the ubiquity of three recurring issues in the reception of autie-narratives: the window metaphor, the narrative identity thesis, and clinical perspectives. At stake in this research is the continual questioning of what constitutes of a self-narrative, and within this, to ask, who may and can speak, who is and can be considered to be a competent storyteller.

Public Art for an Inclusive City: Producers and Publics on the Social Potentials and Problems of Flagship Vis‐à‐Vis Community Art

AbstractThis article engages with socio‐spatial theory on the “trialectic” between the physical, social, and spatial to examine the roles and uses of flagship vis‐à‐vis community art as experienced by both producers and publics. It presents a comparative case study on the Hieronymus Bosch Statue, a flagship artwork, and The Four Seasons, a community artwork, in the Dutch mid‐sized city of Den Bosch. This study critically juxtaposes everyday experiences of producers and publics with regard to the city's self‐declared long‐term ambition to move towards a socially inclusive cultural policy. Insights are drawn from a mixed‐method approach involving: discourse analysis of policy documents; in situ observations; questionnaires amongst publics; and in‐depth interviews with a key cultural policymaker, a landscape architect, an artist, representatives of a neighborhood committee, and residents. The article identifies common grounds and differences between and among “common sense” in (hegemonic) policy discourse, and everyday experiences, regarding the potentials and problems of social engagement with flagship vis‐à‐vis community art. In addition to examining these public art types, the article concludes with a discussion of the field of tension between urban public art's “mere aesthetics” and its “deeper matters” of engendering social inclusion. This study can be of use for both scholars and practitioners concerned with citizen participation in urban arts and cultural contexts more widely.