More context, more voids, more Salcedo.

After writing about Doris Salcedo‘s piece ‘Tribute to Hans Haacke and Edward Fry,’ I started digging up more and more work by Salcedo. The 50-something Colombian artist has shown some really powerful pieces around the world. While almost everything she’s created seems to be socially charged, dealing with difficult human struggles such as class prejudice and individual self-deception, the pieces still maintain a delicateness that makes it easy to contemplate them and difficult to feel offended. I’ve posted two of my favorites here:

Salcedo filled an empty lot with nearly 1,600 chairs during the 8th Istanbul Biennial, 2003

‘Shibboleth‘ at the Tate Modern, 2007-2008

April 25’s daily design idea is when designing something new, consider filling (or creating) a void.

Getting some context.

At the Guggenheim’s recent exhibit Contemplating the Void: Interventions in the Guggenheim Museum, there were hundreds of unlabeled images and renderings with ideas about activating the museum’s central space. Below is the one that I was the most visually drawn to:

‘Tribute to Hans Haacke and Edward Fry’ by Doris Salcedo

I didn’t find out until later that this piece was called Tribute to Hans Haacke and Edward Fry, specifically referencing the cancellation of a scheduled Haacke exhibit in 1971 and the subsequent firing of curator Edward Fry when Fry defended the artist. The catalyst for the cancellation was a piece called Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971, which used public records to expose the shady business deals by influential land owner Harry Shapolsky (who owned considerable amounts of slum properties). Here’s very small section of Haacke’s piece, which should look familiar after seeing Doris Salcedo’s tribute:

Shapolsky et al. Manhattan Real Estate Holdings, a Real-Time Social System, as of May 1, 1971

April 24’s daily design idea is look up the back-story on the art that you like. And, for that matter, on the art that you don’t. Either way, knowing the context is bound to make things more interesting.