Critical Analysis

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Dublin Contemporary:

The work of Wang Du, Patrick Hamilton, Alejandro Almanza Pereda and Alberto Borea.

The Significance of Installation in contemporary International art.

I am exploring the work of four installation artists who showed work at Dublin Contemporary, I aim

to discuss the selection, relevance and importance of the work and the significance of Installation

itself in contemporary art. By also exploring the work and discussions surrounding other

established Installation artists I aim to contextualise the work and its significance. Through

investigating the different use of materials and their meanings I intend to interpret the work and its

relevance to the theme Terrible Beauty, Art, Crisis, Change and The Office of Non Compliance. This

essay will also explore the role that nationality or citizenship has played in the work of each artist

and their inclusion in Dublin Contemporary. I will investigate the idea that installation is replacing

more traditional forms of art favoured by Eurocentric values and to what extent the practise of

Installation has bridged the Universal (western) and the Ethnocentric constructing a contemporary

culture in which the work can be interpreted? Eurocentrism is the only ethnocentrism universaled

through actual worldwide domination by a metaculture, and based on a traumatic transformation of

the world through economic, social and political processes centred in one small part of it. As a result,

many elements of this metaculture cease to be ethnic and become internationalised as intrinsic

components of a world shaped by Western development (Mosquera, G. p.219)

Dublin Contemporary

Dublin Contemporary was a new International Art Exhibition staged in venues across Dublin that ran

for some 8 weeks in September and October of 2011. It has been arguably the largest and most

ambitious project of its kind in Ireland. Ambitiously, it must aim to bring contemporary art and the

attention of the international art world to Ireland, to showcase and raise the profile of contemporary

Irish art and to engage with that large potential art audience (www.irishtimes.com). The Theme

for the exhibition is Terrible Beauty, Art, Crisis, Change and The Office of Non Compliance, which

gains inspiration from the WB Yeats Poem Easter 1916 which was Yeatss response to political

events in Ireland at the time and through Dublin Contemporary is being revisited using Art as a

means to comment on current events both in Ireland and Globally

(www.dublincontemporary.com).

The Curators Christian Viveros-Faun and Jota Castro have brought together a mix of artists both

from Ireland and from the International Arena but have deliberately avoided some of the more

celebrated names in favour of a less mainstream, less conventional selection. The headlining artists

did however include the likes of Arte Povera veteran Jannis Kounellis, Installation artist Thomas

Hirschhorn and painter Alice Neal. Given the context of the exhibition, set in a post recessionary

Ireland and amid Global financial crisis it was interesting that so much of the work could be termed

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as Installation and quite specifically Arte Povera (The Italian term coined in the 1960s to

categorize art made using discarded objects or second hand materials, translated as Poor Art in

reference to the use of cheap, discarded and readily available materials). The inclusion of Kounellis

is an indication of the curators penchant for what they term Neo Povera, a move away from all

manner of art world excess. The original Arte Povera movement, which emerged in the late 1960s in

Italy, embraced simple, natural materials, and basic processes and forms as a reaction to aesthetic

and commercial snobbery. It was an art of the ordinary, of everyday life (www.irishtimes.com).

Wang Du

Chinese Artist Wang Du was exhibiting a piece called The cradle (fig. 1) The piece is essentially a

massively oversized bed or cradle(dimensions) covered in cushions and constructed from a huge

steel frame that actually allows the entire structure to gently rock back and forth in the same way

that a regular cradle would. The mattresses and cushions of the cradle are covered in a fabric upon

which newspapers are printed. Above the cradle a collection of flat screen monitors play live news

channels facing down towards the cushions so that anyone lying on or in the cradle might easily look

up and be bombarded with information. Interestingly, he uses Western sources of media for his

newspaper mattresses and pillows and the news channels which are shown on multiple

widescreens. Perhaps it could be argued that this in itself is a comment about International Culture

stemming from a European (Western) perspective and as such he is commenting on the Eurocentric

lens through which the world is often viewed and communicated. The Cradle was made in 2007 and

has been exhibited at International exhibitions prior to Dublin Contemporary but reasons for its

selection in this exhibition are clear to see. Crisis and change are evident in the use of Global news

channels relaying their particular perspectives on events as they unfold in Libya, Syria and around

the globe. The News as filtered through the lenses of each media organisation carrys elements of

both the terrible and the beautiful. In addition, delivering global news in the context of an

oversized cradle comments on the idea that we are born and raised in a Global culture in which

mass media is consumed and digested somewhat unchallenged as part of daily routine from a

position of dissociated comfort and security. Wang Du seems to be questioning the relationship that

we have with the media and asking are we dependent upon it and are we aware of what it is and

where it comes from. Perhaps in a similar way the nature of Installation is itself about questioning

our relationships with our surroundings, investigating the meanings we attach to objects and events

and challenging that which could be taken for granted.

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Patrick Hamilton

Belgian Artist Patrick Hamilton had his own room in which he exhibited 2 pieces, Copper Diamond

2011 (Fig. 2) and Machete Construction 2010, (fig. 3). Although a Belgian Artist, Patrick Hamilton

has lived, studied and practised in Santiago, Chile for over 14 years, he has a history of exploring

many mediums including Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Installation. The work chosen for

Dublin Contemporary utilises ready-made objects that seem to have a cultural significance, security

fencing is an aggressive defence mechanism that is often used to protect property or people and a

means of separation and segregation. In Chile this may have particular significance in relation to the

class divide and the gap between the rich and the poor. His other piece uses Machetes bent into a

specific shape and repeated to form a pattern but the use of the object itself is interesting as it is

one of the most commonly available tools to the working classes. Perhaps symbolic of the danger

and potential power of the masses and the working class and yet somehow contorted and orderly

forming a structure or pattern a sense of conformity. This last work is also very similar in concept to

a piece by Mexican born artist Abraham Cruzvillegas entitled Horizontes, 2005, (Fig. 4).

Cruzvillegas follows a particular Latin American artistic trajectory in which a strong traditional craft

sensibility and the tendency to reuse everyday objects is combined with the (Western) ideas of the

Ready-made. (Phaidon Press, p.86) Patrick Hamilton uses everyday objects that could be classed

as Arte Povera and Ready-made to challenge our views relating to the balance of power and our

concepts of aesthetics. His work could be seen as a comment on the legacy of Empire by presenting

work that considers both the other and the working class, he is particularly commenting on Chilean

culture and yet his work has a broader more global communication. Patrick is of European

extraction, living and working in Chile and this may afford him an arguably more objective

perspective that allows him to comment on the division of power between classes, ethnicities and

ideologies.

Alejandro Almanza Pereda

Alejandro Almanza Pereda from Mexico City exhibited a piece entitled Horror Vacuii 2011, (Fig.5).

A somewhat classical painting depicting what may have been a married couple very much in keeping

with 17th Century Portrait paintings of Aristocracy with concrete poured or spattered over the top

half, the lower portion of the painting remains intact and visible. The concrete stops half way down

uniformly suggesting the use of a mould or cast in much the way one might be used on a building

site. The immediate interpretation to this piece is one of controlled destruction, demolition or

protest. The nature of the way the concrete is both violently spattered and yet clearly controlled

and confined to conceal the identities of the figures in the painting suggests that the artist is

commenting on painting and its historical significance as art of the Traditional Western mainstream.

The three dimensional nature of the concrete and picture frame combine as a sort of direct contrast

and challenge to the 2 dimensional nature of the painting and appears to be commenting on the

significance of Contemporary Art Practise/Installation over the discarding or destruction of the old

formal values as represented by the painting.

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Today, all the old hierarchies have definitely given way to a more flexible, open-ended and

improvisatory dynamic. (Cork, R. p.6). The Artist is from Mexico City and in this instance he uses

Installation as a medium in order to separate himself from the rigid traditions of Eurocentric art

practise. There is a sense of Arte Povera in the use of the materials combined with elements of the

Ready-made in the original painting. This could be interpreted as having 2 meanings. Firstly that

the nature, significance and value of art work that is in keeping with Eurocentric values is different to

that from Other parts of the world and secondly, that contemporary Installation art aspires to

engage in a broader dialogue more than it seeks to be representational, aestheticize or instil values

on its audience. One Version of Postmodernism considers that artists of different cultures may

practise on an equal footing, on the assumption that they are, all, equally, ethnic and all the

product of continual cultural interchanges. (King, C. with Durbridge, N. p. 227). This addresses the

curators statement and Jack B.Yeatss assertion that art had underused its potential for

commenting symbolically on the worlds societal, cultural and economic triumphs and ills.

The work was not site specific and existed prior to Dublin Contemporary but its inclusion was

consistent with the theme Terrible Beauty, crisis and change and the work was relevant as a

contemporary piece that questioned and challenged convention and traditional values.

Alberto Borea

Peruvian artist Alberto Borea exhibited a piece called Rainbow- The End 2011, (fig. 5) A rainbow

spanning some 5 or 6 metres made from coloured plastic bags often with recognisable branding on

them, this piece is in keeping with Arte Povera and is perhaps a reflection of our times both in the

recycling of cheap and disposable materials and a commentary about the nature of consumption

and consumerism that has underpinned Capitalism. The rainbow is often used as a symbol of joy or

happiness and certainly its colourful nature may suggest an upbeat outlook, thoughts are drawn to

somewhere over the rainbow and the pot of gold that according to some legends exists at the end

of every rain bow. All of these things suggest a positive perspective but are tempered by materials

that are far from glamorous and so perhaps are there to make us enquire a little deeper into the

nature of our consumption and the meanings that we place upon objects and that which we

consume. The very nature of the work being Ready-made using carrier bags is an observation of

consumption, capitalism, value, greed, sustainability and recycling. As a South American artist it is

interesting that he is dealing with these subjects and much like Alejandro Pereda his use of

installation seems to fit with a narrative of protest against the established traditional art of a

Eurocentric nature and a move towards a more inclusive contemporary culture. Like many artists

showing at Dublin Contemporary he seems to be questioning our values and the suitability and

viability of the systems that support them. This does not mean a return to a past prior to western

globalisation, but the construction of a contemporary culture one capable of acting in todays

reality from a plurality of perspectives (Mosquera, G. p. 220)

The work was site specific, made for its space at Dublin Contemporary but was a continuation of his

work that often uses plastic bags and other items that we discard such as packaging that might be

seen as a peripheral or by product of consumption. Alberto Borea addresses the theme directly by

making a representation of something that is essentially seen as beautiful using often discarded and

worthless items. More subtly he is also addressing crisis and change by commenting on our

wastefulness through the poor materials and the work challenges our concepts of the role and

function of art in general.

Critical Analysis

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Conclusion

It is apparent that these four artists exhibited work that was relevant to the theme of Terrible

Beauty, crisis and change, and it is a reflection of art in our time that so much of what was shown

could be described as Installation. However, it is important to remember the Curators role and to

realise that they also act from a given set of cultural, political and aesthetic values and objectives.

The role of the Curator, therefore, takes on a kind of naturalized authority. Contrary to the benign

assumptions that conceive curatorial practise as mere custodial stewardship, our contemporary

setting requires an understanding of curatorship not as a kind of unmediated presentation but as a

practise in which specific choices are made determined by ideological interests whether

institutional or individual ( Wright Jr. C.A, p. 188)

The nature of installation is about exploring the senses, challenging concepts, protest, anti-

establishment, post-colonialism and change. It was born in response to visual arts more traditional

values to idealise, beautify and be representational. Installation can no longer be considered avant-

garde as it has become the staple of so many international art institutions and events, Artists such

as Ai Wei Wei, Jannis Kounellis, Damien Hirst, Jospeh Bueys and Gabriel Orozco have been using

installation to challenge our conventional thinking and in doing so have brought it to the main

stream of contemporary art. The reasons for this enormous interest in Sculpture (3-D and

Installation) today are many, but the historical significance lies in the possibility that it indicates that

the long held hierarchy of mediums which holds painting to be superior to all others has finally been

dispelled (Ellegood, A. p. 12). At a time of Crisis and Change in the Western world where society is

questioning its values, Dublin Contemporary has brought us a selection of work that successfully

engages and comments upon this from a myriad of perspectives. That installation plays such a large

role is perhaps indicative of a shift in the balance of power both in art and in political ideology, in

this sense both Crisis and Change were in retrospect the more significant aspects of the theme.

Installation bridges the gap between the traditional and the avant-garde, between the Eurocentric

and the Other and this is significant because it allows artists work to be interpreted with an

appreciation of its ethnic and cultural heritage but not defined by it. This signals a change from a

single dominant Western perspective to a broader, more open and inclusive dialogue, perhaps a

metaphor for wider events.

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Fig. 1.

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Fig.2

Fig.3

Fig.4

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Fig.5

Fig.6

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Bibliography

Mosquera, Gerado, The Marco Polo Syndrome, Some Problems around Art and Eurocentrism,

Nelson, R. and Schiff, R. Critical Terms for Art History p.219. Chicago 2003

The Irish Times - Wednesday, September 7, 2011 (accessed November 12, 2011) available from the

world wide web: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0907/1224303629335.html

Dublin Contemporary, 2011 (accessed September 24, 2011 available from the world wide web:

http://www.dublincontemporary.com/exhibition

The Irish Times - Wednesday, September 7, 2011 (accessed November 12, 2011) available from the

world wide web: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2011/0907/1224303629335.html

Phaidon 2009, Vitamin 3-D, Perspectives in Sculpture and Installation, p.86, Phaidon Press, Regents

Wharf, London 2009

Cork, R. 2009. The Contemporary Art Book, p.6, Bonham Carter, C. and Hodge,D. 2009 Goodman,

Mortimer Street London 2009

King, C. with Durbridge, N 1999. Case Study 8, Modern Art in Nigeria: Independence and

Innovation, Views of Difference: Different Views of Art, p.227. Yale University Press, New Haven and

London 1999

Mosquera, Gerado, The Marco Polo Syndrome, Some Problems around Art and Eurocentrism,

Nelson, R. and Schiff, R. Critical Terms for Art History p.220, Chicago 2003

Wright Jr. Charles, A. The Mythology of Difference: Vulgar Identity Politics at the Whitney Biennial

(essay), Zoya Kocur and Simon Leung , 2005, Theory in Contemporary Art since 1985, p.188,

Blackwell Publishing 2005, Malden USA

Ellegood, Anne. Motley Efforts: Sculptures Ever-Expanding Field, (essay) Phaidon, Vitamin 3-D,

Perspectives in Sculpture and Installation, p.12, Phaidon Press 2009, London UK

Illustrations

Fig.1 The Cradle (Le Burceau) 2007, Wang Du, mixed media, steel, mattress televisions 13 x6 x 1.5m

Fig.2 Copper Diamond 2011, Patrick Hamilton, Copper security spiked steel bars, 142 x 142 cm

Fig.3 Machete Construction 2010, Steel and Plastic, 320cm (Courtesy Gonzlez y Gonzlez Gallery

and Bar

Fig.4 Horizontes 2005, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Acrylic, enamel and chalk board paint on 400 found

objects, dimensions variable, image sourced from

http://www.museografo.com/#2513820/ABRAHAM-CRUZVILLEGAS

Fig.5 Horror Vacuii 2011, Alejandro Almanza Pereda, Painting, Wooden Frame, Concrete 120cm x

90cm x 50cm

Fig.6 Rainbow- the End 2011, Alberto Borea, Plastic Bags and Structure, dimensions variable

All photos taken and provided by the author except where stated in fig4.