Browse Items (16 total)

Corps étranger (Foreign Body) can be interpreted as exploring themes of vulnerability, the fragility of the physical self, and the feeling of alienation or being a stranger within one's own body. This can be linked to experiences of trauma where one…

Ana Mendieta's "Silueta Series" (1973-1980) involved the artist creating earth-body sculptures in natural landscapes. Using her own body or its outline, she integrated it with elements like mud, flowers, and fire. These ephemeral works explored…

Jeremy Deller's "Baghdad, 5th March 2007" (2007) starkly presents the wreckage of a car destroyed by a bomb attack in Baghdad. This direct display confronts viewers with the brutal reality of contemporary warfare and its devastating physical…

Grayson Perry's tapestry "Hold Your Beliefs Tight, There Will Be Consequences" (2012) is a visually rich and complex work that explores themes of class, identity, and the anxieties of contemporary British society. Woven with intricate detail, it…

Glenn Ligon's "Stranger in the Village #1" (1990) is a neon artwork that directly quotes James Baldwin's powerful 1953 essay, "Stranger in the Village." The glowing white neon text spells out a key excerpt from Baldwin's reflections on being the…

Kara Walker's cut paper silhouettes are large black-on-white scenes depicting the brutal history of American slavery and racial trauma. Using stark, often exaggerated figures in acts of violence and exploitation, she forces viewers to confront racist…

Christian Boltanski's "Personnes" (2010) featured a huge mountain of used clothing in the Grand Palais. A mechanical claw repeatedly grabbed and dropped garments. This evoked the anonymity and mass death of the Holocaust and other tragedies, with…

Doris Salcedo's "Shibboleth" (2007) was a deep crack in the floor of Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. This symbolized division, separation, and societal rifts, particularly the experience of immigrants and the pain of segregation. The title refers to a…

"Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) (1991) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres is a pile of wrapped candies, initially weighing 175 pounds (Ross Laycock's healthy weight). Viewers are invited to take a candy, causing the pile to diminish, mirroring Ross's…

Louise Bourgeois's "Spider" sculptures are large, often bronze or steel depictions of spiders. They represent her complex relationship with her mother, symbolizing both protector and predator. The spider's web-like form and imposing size explore…