What is art?

I've come to think about this question now that my city Turku is relishing in the honor of being The European Capital Of Culture 2011 and has been planting "art" all over the city. A couple of weeks ago I saw, what I would describe, not so eye-friendly piece of.. something, and I knew I would have to take a photo of it for you and ask if you considered it as art. I went to SEE IT AGAIN today and while in the city center I saw a couple of other pieces of art that were worth taking picture of. Here are the photos for you.

  

  

So here it is.. ART. Is this art? What do you say? This THING is a part of a collection of painted seals (each painted by a different painter) sprinkled around the city. They are supposed to raise the awareness of the Baltic Sea's bad condition and make people want to help to change this situation. Would this creature make you want to help? Not me. I do realise why some people consider this pleasant for the eye but this just isn't my cup of tea. Thought it does make you take another look.....

I still believe that Turku is one of the mostbeautiful cities in Finland. This is the Turku Cathedral.

The wall of Aboa Ventus-museum. This is what I would say is pleasant for my eye.

I've always liked it when kids throw their shoes to hang from the phone wires. When I saw this it reminded me of it - and I liked this one a lot! Though I'm not quite sure is this some ECOC11 thing or did some random person just hang his laundry there.

I wanted to take a pic of this graffiti. It's near my house and I've seen it so often it has been imbed to my head!