Lesson 11: Installation Art

What is Installation Art

“Heartbeat,” Charles Petillon (2015)

Like most movements that make up modern and contemporary art,

installation art exhibits an interest in innovating. Though similar to sculpture
and related to a range of recent artistic genres, the immersive practice
offers a unique way to experience art. In order to grasp the significance of
such movement, it is important to understand what makes it so special from
its distinctive qualities to its artistic influences.

Here, we explore the avant-garde movement, paying particular attention to

the ways in which it creatively engages audiences and manufactures new
experiences.

Installation art is a modern movement characterized by immersive

largerthan-life works of art. Usually, installation artists create these pieces
for specific locations, enabling them to expertly transform any space into a
customized, interactive environment.

“Plexus 35,” Gabriel Dawe (2015)

Characteristics

Immersive

A key attribute of installation art is its ability to physically interact with

viewers. While all artistic mediums have the ability to engage individuals,
most do not completely immerse them in interactive experiences.
“Forest of Numbers,” Emmanuelle Moureaux (2017)
In addition to facilitating dialogues between observers and works of art,
these unique characteristic invites individuals to view art from new and
different perspective – literally!

Large Scale

Given their interactive nature, most works of installation art are large in
scale. Their sizable statures enable viewers to become completely
immersed in each larger-than-life environment. In many cases, it even
allows them to sit, stand, or walk through it – a distinctive capability not
commonly found in more traditional forms of art.
“The Urchins,” Choi+Shine Architects (2017)

Site-Specific

Unlike sculptures, painting, and similar pieces, installations are usually

planned with certain sites in mind, from rooms in galleries and museums to
outdoor spaces. Given the strategic nature of their designs and the
uniqueness of their surroundings, site-specific works of art ensure a one-
ofa-kind aesthetic and experience.
“Spiral Jetty,” Robert Smithson (1970)

Influences

Like many modern contemporary genres, the installation art form is rooted
in several different movements-namely, Dada, conceptualism, and
performance art.

Dada

Like Dada, an avant-garde movement that emerged in the early 20 th

century, installations often showcase an experimental approach to art.
Specifically, installation’s incorporation of mixed media and emphasis on
three-dimensionality are undoubtedly inspired by two Dada staples;
readymades and assemblages.

Conceptualism

Inspired by the Dadaist, conceptual artists believe that the idea behind a
work of art takes precedence over its aesthetic. The sentiment is also
present in installation art, with well-known contemporary artists like Ai
Weiwei and Damien Hirst using their celebrated installations as a means to
relay messages to viewers. “As a person, I was born to give out my
opinions,” Ai Weiwei explains. “By giving out my opinions, I realize who I
am.”

“Ai Weiwei”

Performance Art

While performance art – a practice performed before an audience – may

seem dissimilar to installation, a form of fine art, the movements are linked
by a key characteristic: a creative and conceptual use of space. In both
cases, artists find innovative and inventive ways to reinterpret and
reimagine everyday movements.