Installation Art Response: Chapter 4

Ari Felsen 
FMX 463 
4/23/19

Installation Art: Chapter 4 Reading & Response

          This chapter of Claire Bishop’s scholarly article, Installation Art, focuses more on examining and analyzing the concept of activated spectatorship as a politicized aesthetic practice. From the importance and effects of a viewer’s participation/performance in an installation, to the political/social effects/results that are correlated are the main theme of this chapter. The role that a viewer has on an installation may be immense, as their individual actions have the ability to completely sway or takeover the whole message and perception of a piece of art. Whether acting individually or interacting with another participant, a viewer can be integral to achieve the desired effect of a work of art. Straying from traditional art, such as paintings and sculptures, where the viewer’s only activity and role is to be spectating and is free of interactions; this concept of art is entirely interactive as it is designed to inspire/use the viewer to ‘activate’ themselves and engage their presence within the piece, using their own bodily materials, especially dialogue, thought, and discussion. This chapter stresses the relationship between art and the political world. Many artists and critics are recently understanding that the viewer’s active presence within an installation or work of art is much more political and ethical than when viewing more simple or traditional works of art. As the viewer has more involvement with a work of art, their social, political, and ethical engagement is far more in-depth as opposed to a viewer spectating a work of art.
          The use of multiple participants is very significant to this era/style of art. Artists’ method

of including multiple participants together to interact or communicate is extremely effective as it not only forces the participants to discuss and use their skills to understand the piece, but it also transforms the viewers, allowing them to view and deliberate the artwork as a collective community, rather than in isolation as a mere spectator. Instead of using the viewers as objects or pieces of the installation as a way to use them to express different perceptions, they are used much more intelligently as they become an even bigger part of the artwork and encourage discussion. There are other ways that viewers can participate as a community and have an integral value to the piece. For example, for the production/building phase of the 1981 exhibition, The People’s Choice, several people were invited to donate any objects that aren’t typically thought of to be seen in an art gallery. The social interaction and collaboration between all of the people who helped was the key component of this exhibition, as it was a much of the final display and was considered to be just as important as the final outcome.