What is installation art exactly? Installation art is artwork that can be found within a three-dimensional space. From the word “install”, we can also confer that you have to put or arrange something inside of something else. Commonly, installation art is made to fit a specific site. However, the nature of this artform only allows it to be something temporary. In most galleries, these displays are only available for a certain amount of time before its dismantled and replaced by another exhibit. To some, this may sound like a waste of time, having to put something up only to be dismantled, but it is just another part of the charm installation art has.
Temporary
Art is typically something that you can keep and admire. Even today, there are still artworks made decades ago that still look like they were made just yesterday. Yet installation art is temporary. They’re made to fit a particular theme or mood. They generally want to give the effect of elevating or supporting a room. Having everything to be measured and considered, it becomes difficult to have it arranged the same way for another site. Installation art can’t last forever, and pictures can only capture so much of its essence. One of the lessons installation art teaches is that you have to appreciate art because art is temporary, and you won’t know when it will disappear.
Calculated
As mentioned previously, installation art is made with a specific site already in mind. From there, the challenges only get more complex. Measuring the whole room and making sure that all the pieces fit in with the site’s theme is one thing, but making sure that it gives the right illusion is another. Moreover, artists that do installation art still have to make all these pieces and assemble them on the site. Creating installation art involves having to go back and forth between the blueprint and the actual site. It’s something that just can’t be done without constantly being checked. In the end, if everything is already in place, it all becomes worth it.
Message
Traditional art is more concerned with aesthetics and technique compared to installation art. This form of art is more concerned with the message it is able to communicate to its viewers. They enhance and amplify the feelings of an environment. Depending on the artist, they can express something that is very personal to them share their views with the world. Or they can be commissioned to give their interpretation of an experience, feeling, or thought.
The beauty of installation art is overflowing with intention and care. These artists showcase their art, knowing full well that it will be taken down eventually. Yet they continue to create art. Because for these artists, the art they create is already enough to satisfy themselves. And all they want to do is to be able to share what they can do with the world. So, the next time you see installation art, try to understand what the artist is trying to convey before it’s gone.
Photo Attribution:
1st and featured image by https://www.pexels.com/photo/dragon-festival-during-nighttime-6068535/
2nd image by https://www.pexels.com/photo/art-skeleton-sculpture-on-cathedral-square-5168821/
