It is not an easy undertaking to determine whether a piece of art is a masterpiece, let alone if you’re limited to a time period that hasn’t even reached a quarter of its totality. A lot more artworks could be made in the next 75 years, and one of them could possibly even rival the likes of the Mona Lisa. However, that’s too far ahead in the future. For the time being, let’s go back in the now and appreciate a few of the most iconic art pieces of the first fifth of the 21st century.
Marta Minujín’s Parthenon of Books (2017)
Imagine looking up and not seeing any roofing or ceiling on the building. Then, you look at the facade and the pillars around you and notice that everything is covered in books. That’s exactly what you’ll see when you look at the Parthenon of Books by Argentinian artist Marta Minujín.
What’s special about this artwork is that around a hundred thousand banned books were used to cover the Greek structure replica. At the end of the exhibition, the books can be brought home by the visitors as it symbolizes the redistribution of knowledge and art that was once withheld by oppressive regimes.
Kara Walker’s “A Subtlety” (2014)
Call your attorney and tell them that seeing this piece made you want to fight for equality and social justice. An installation art by Kara Walker, a Sphinx-like structure stands tall and looming in the middle of an old Domino Sugar Factory with fifteen “attendants” surrounding it.
The main structure has white “skin,” but has the features of an African woman and the others were modern renditions of blackamoors that were enlarged. The entirety of the artwork speaks against the ongoing issue of racism and slavery.
Damien Hirst’s For the Love of God (2007)
Warning! This next piece of art might be gruesome for some people. You might want to get your lawyer on standby just in case you want to update your last will. The For the Love of God by Damien Hirst reminds its viewers that everyone will eventually bid their farewell on this planet.
The sculpture is made out of a platinum casing of an 18th-century skull and is lined with over 8,000 pieces of diamond, including a teardrop-shaped pink diamond on its forehead, which is called the Skull Star Diamond. It signifies the commodification of art pieces and the nihilistic culture in the early 2000s.
Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project (2003)
People were probably getting home loans to buy houses near Tate Modern so they can repeatedly revel in its warmth. The Weather Project was created during a time when climate change was turning into a huge global issue. Eliasson’s goal was to let the viewers know that The Weather Project is a piece of construction and also to let them go back into the world, realizing that the experience they had with it was, hopefully, impactful.
Pablo Helguera’s The School of Panamerican Unrest (2005)
Pablo Helguera most likely didn’t think of his home insurance when doing this project. The School of Panamerican Unrest was a 5-month long, cross-continents performance that started in Alaska and ended in Tierra Del Fuego.
Helguera travelled with a portable schoolhouse that made 30 stops following the Pan-American Highway. Its main goal was to create dialogue and unity through discourse on the topics of globalization, immigration, and art as they relate to the Pan-American history and culture.
Mickalene Thomas’ Le Déjeuner sur L’herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noir (2009)
Much like home security, statement pieces like this are a necessity for society. Thomas’ art is a subversion of Manet’s original painting and is an artwork that empowers women of all races. It was originally commissioned by the Museum of Modern Art to be displayed on the window of the museum’s restaurant. Thomas used non-conventional craft mediums as a base for the artwork and finished it off with paint.
Ai Weiwei’s Straight (2008–2012)
This artwork comes from a deeply tragic event. When the Sichuan earthquake hit in 2008, no amount of homeowners insurance could save the residents and children from their untimely demise. Artist Ai Weiwei wanted to know how this tragedy came to be and was detained and silenced because of it.
He bought almost 200 tons of steel rebars from the destruction and spent years straightening all of it again. In the end, Weiwei made an artwork that serves as a memorial and a reminder of all the lives that were lost.
Sources:
Body 1 -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_WalzmDSxI
Body 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldZj7qXH_3o
Body 3 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uNej2D203Y
Body 4 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsT9vEpfNq4
Body 5- youtube.com/watch?v=zI2nvi9Jd2M
Body 6 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRtuWTukzf4
Body 7 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMtsodcAsVU
Recent Comments