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Installation art resists definition because of the impermanence of its exhibitions, and because it has picked up influences everywhere, from Futurism to Dada, from Assemblage to Minimalism. Nonetheless, this artistic form, in all its guises, definitively explores the notion that space and time are, in and of themselves, fodder for artistic consumption. An artist takes over an installation space like a temporary squatter whose clutter of possessions challenges boundaries and sparks dialogue between the space itself and its contents.

Installation art is site-specific and usually consists of an ensemble of objects or effects that work together to create a whole. Artists deal with their own thematic concerns and consistently string certain elements throughout their installations. Judy Pfaff installs thousands of disposable items over the surface of a space in order to evoke the feeling of an underwater garden or some other dreamlike fantasy world; Daniel Buren applies stripes to architectural structures as a comment on the physical or social character of the site; and Donald Lipski gathers together hundreds of manufactured objects to create witty, three-dimensional variations on all-over painting.

Despite the fact that Installation art usually presents itself in the context of the gallery, it is not typical gallery art because it has little, if any, commercial value. Installation art must be displayed and subsequently dismantled, leaving documentation as its only trace.

[Recommend URLs]
 
FA+ Works
This site showcases the work of a European group of Installation artists. You will find thumbnail images which link to pages with larger images and text explaining the works depicted. The site provides a good sense of what Installation art is about.
 
World Wide Arts Resources: Installation Artists
With links to more than 90 Installation artists, this is a great resource for anyone who wants to explore contemporary Installation art.
 
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Book:  Installation Art
   
[Related artists]
  Vito Acconci
Janine Antoni
Matthew Barney
Vanessa Beecroft
Joseph Beuys
Xu Bing
Lee Bul
Jake and Dinos Chapman
Stan Douglas
Teiji Furuhashi
Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Dan Graham
Mona Hatoum
Rebecca Horn
Toshio Iwai
Hachiya Kazuhiko
Joseph Kosuth
Sol LeWitt
Maya Lin
Paul McCarthy
Annette Messager
Bruce Nauman
Nam June Paik
Jack Pierson
Adrian Piper
Charles Ray
Yinka Shonibare
Kiki Smith
Tomoko Takahashi
Kara Walker
Rachel Whiteread
Huang Yongping
Andrea Zittel
[Keywords]
  fleeting
flux
intimate
open-ended