ART INSTALLATION: HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, TECHNIQUES, REPRESENTATIVES, WORKS - ART - 2024

The art installation is a genre of contemporary art installation consisting of objects in space. Developed by a wide range of postmodern artists, it is about the configuration of a three-dimensional or two-dimensional artistic work in a certain area, which allows changing the perception of a space.

These works of art change the experience of the person contemplating the piece, since they allow interaction and, in turn, require moving through space in order to be appreciated. Art installations can also include sensory experiences allowing the viewer to also use their senses, such as touch or hearing, when coming into contact with the piece.

The artistic installation is carried out indoors.

Image by Sarah Lötscher from Pixabay

In this way, the artistic installation can be differentiated from the traditional way in which other types of expressions such as painting are usually appreciated. Usually, the term is applied to all those works that are installed indoors.

This type of artistic work is not exclusive to museums, but can have other types of contexts. It can be found in buildings, showrooms, social gatherings, and others. They also have the possibility of being temporary.

The most relevant part of artistic installations are usually the background ideas that lead to their creation, beyond the creation itself. On the other hand, they have the peculiarity of evoking emotions or moods, thus being able to give way to an intimate relationship with the viewer.

History

Background

Among its main antecedents are artists such as Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), a conceptual artist who in his work known as readymades used ordinary elements of everyday life and transformed them, so that his final result became art. Usually he chose to challenge what he called "retina art", an expression by which he referred to simply visual art.

Among other influences is the avant-garde Dadaism of the early 20th century, which sought to oppose the traditional way of making art. He chose to generate a type of works that were not linked to the traditional codes of art and did not seek an aesthetic composition. The objective was precisely to oppose the pre-established and generate questions in the viewer.

An example of a first approach to the artistic installation can be found in the work entitled Proun Room by El Lissitzky. It consisted of a room in which an artistic composition was articulated that had both two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements.

the beginning

The term "artistic installation" began to be used from the 70s and made reference to all artistic works that were related both to the totality of the space in which they were found, and to the people who appreciated them.

It can be seen linked to conceptual art, born in the previous decade and which prioritizes the concept or the underlying idea over the artistic result. This same conceptual art began to be exhibited in unconventional spaces, that is, outside museums and galleries, just as the artistic installation would be.

The installations began as a process of artistic experimentation within which the boundaries between art styles were blurred. Many of the artists focused on creating a sensory environment or experience.

This is the case of Bruce Nauman, an American artist who in 1971 made a collection of works known for generating a feeling of claustrophobia or abandonment. In many cases they were corridors or rooms with mirrors and various types of lighting and colors.

Progress

During the 80s, this art was transformed until he began to take political or social themes within his compositions. During these years the spaces for contemporary art increased as well as the fashion for large-scale exhibitions. Both factors favored the establishment of artistic installations.

By the 90s, the interest of artists in immersing the public in their works increased, in order to generate an experience anchored to emotion and the senses, rather than the intellect. Works like those of the American video artist Bill Viola also began to introduce other technological resources such as projections.

With the arrival of 2000 and all the technological advances, many of the artistic installations have included a diversity of smart devices and new environment resources to create much more immersive environments.

characteristics

-They are carried out indoors and are usually related in some way to both the space and the viewer.

-They are created from a concept, which has greater importance than the artistic result itself.

-They tend to focus on creating moods, sensations and evoking emotions.

-They can use the use of technology to establish a conversation with the public.

-They are capable of modifying perceptions of space, playing with depths and dimensionality.

-It is an art of a temporary nature, although it does not have a specific defined duration.

-They do not require a specialized artistic space for their exhibition.

-They have a place in unconventional spaces.

-Many of the works can be related to social, political or personal themes.

-Sometimes it incorporates elements of other arts such as dance, theater or music.

-It can include techniques or resources of architecture, interior design and also uses technological tools such as video projections, photographs, sound players and more.

-The artists who work in the artistic installation give priority to the message they want to convey.

-The materials used in works of this type only serve the function of helping to convey the message.

Techniques

Because the artistic installation is an art that prioritizes the concept or idea over the techniques to carry out the sending of a message, there is not as such a set of established techniques to create it.

Work of artistic installation indoors.

Image by Tracey Wong from Pixabay

However, it draws on multiple influences such as concept art, architecture, graphic design, interior design, video art, use of color and shapes, and more.

The artistic installation, in this way, ends up being a movement that is responsible for transmitting ideas. The resulting physical work functions only as a means to express the artist's concept.

Representatives

Judy Chicago (1939)

American-born artist, feminist, and arts teacher. Renowned for its collection of artistic installation works. It usually deals with issues related to the figure of women within society and history. In 1970, she founded the first feminist art program in the United States, specifically at Fresno State College, aimed only at women and focused on developing artistic skills.

Some of his most outstanding works were:

Sol Lewitt (1928 - 2007)

He was a prominent American artist in multiple art movements such as Conceptual Art, Art Installation, and Minimalism. He practiced art during his life through multiple expressions such as drawing, photography, sculpture, painting and even made various art books.

In the 1960s he managed to position his works in exclusive exhibitions for his works. Among his most outstanding artistic installation creations are his multiple Wall Drawing, or "wall drawings" in which the spaces were covered in lines and shapes created by him on the walls.

Joseph Beuys (1921 - 1986)

He was a multidisciplinary German artist, known for his various artistic expressions such as performance, happening, graphic art, artistic installation, sculpture, painting, and more.

Most of his works dealt with themes related to humanism and philosophy. He was a supporter of public debates on topics such as politics, society and culture. Today he is remembered as one of the most influential figures in contemporary art of the mid-20th century.

Among his works of artistic installation we can mention The Chief, in which he also used the resource of performance.

Rebecca Horn (1944)

Contemporary German artist, renowned for her work in the visual arts, art installations, and self-body modification practices. Within her art she addresses tenderness, pain, magic and surrealism inspired by the feminine.

Many of his works evoke introspection. In some, he balances the melancholic and the soft. It refers to the ability of the human being to deal with psychological states such as depression or anxiety.

One of his best-known art installation works is titled The Hydra Forest / Performing: Oscar Wilde.

Outstanding works of artistic installation

Some of the most recognized works of the artistic installation include:

- The Dinner Party (1974-1979), by Judy Chicago: one of the most important works of art for feminism. It consists of a large ceremonial triangular table with 39 seats and plates, each one of them alluded to an important woman in history.

- Obliteration Room (2002), by Yayoi Kusama: initially it was a blank room that through the interaction of the spectators became a colorful place. Visitors were given a wide range of decals indicated by the artist and subsequently invited to stick them in any area of ​​the room they wanted.

- The Matter of Time (2005), by Richard Serra: the artist focuses on space as an element that can be transformed by the objects found within it.

In this work, he includes large metal structures arranged in a spiral or twisted through which the viewer can move. The paths vary according to the distance of the blades. The proposed colors include browns, oranges and some rust effects.

References

1. Judy Chicago. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
2. Sol Lewitt. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
3. Joseph Beuys. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
4. López A (2017). Installation Art Movement Overview and Analysis. The Art Story. Recovered from theartstory.org
5. Hope C (2018). Rebecca Horn Art. The Art Story. Recovered from theartstory.org
6. Conceptual Art. Tate. Recovered from tate.org.uk
7. Installation Art. Art Encyclopedia. Recovered from visual-arts-cork.com.