Installation and site-specific art – Level 3 Art and Design Practice BTEC Revision

Installation art is an artistic genre characterised by three-dimensional works designed to transform a viewer’s perception of a space.
Site-specific art is art created to exist in a specific locale. It can be linked to installation art because it also considers the viewer’s entire sensory experience, but is especially designed for the location in which it is installed.
The artist might use the surrounding environment, making the artwork part of the location’s culture, history, or social status.

Interactivity: Many installation and site-specific artworks are designed to be interacted with, catalysing a physical response or active participation from the viewer.
Experimental and innovative use of materials and scale: Artists often experiment with a range of materials, from everyday objects to digital media, and create work on a scale suitable to the space.
Consideration of the viewer’s experience: An integral part of these practices is the way they shape an individual viewer’s encounter with the work.
Permanence or temporary duration: Some site-specific works can be permanent, while others may be temporary, existing only for a certain event or period.

Interventions: Artists might make interventions into a space, challenging notions of use or boundaries.
Projection and light: Often used to create immaterial effects within an installation.
Sound and video: Encompasses use of recorded, live, and ambient sounds, or moving images.
Mixed and sensory media: Some artists use a combination of physical, visual, and auditory effects to engage multiple senses.

Walter de Maria’s ‘The Lightning Field’: A large-scale earthwork in New Mexico, USA. The installation, consisting of 400 stainless steel poles, interacts with nature and is intended to be viewed over an extended period.
Rachel Whiteread’s ‘House’: A life-sized cast of the inside of a demolished house in London, commenting on themes of memory and loss.
Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s ‘Wrapped Reichstag’: A large-scale wrapping of the German parliament building expressed ideas of transformation and conceality.
Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Infinity Mirror Rooms’: A room-based installation, which involves the principle of infinity and the use of mirrors and lighting.

Cultural and historical relationships: The artwork often has a strong connection to the location’s history or culture.
Viewer interaction: Physical interaction or participation can significantly alter the perception and experience of a site-specific work.
Environmental and architectural dialogues: The environment and architecture can be used as mediums betraying boundaries between art and space.

In creating installation and site-specific art, appropriately consider risk assessments, ensuring artworks are safe for public engagement.
Respect the environmental impact of your work, especially when working outdoors or with natural elements.
Where public interaction is involved, ensure your work is inclusive and accessible.
Understand that site-specific artwork may have legal implications regarding permissions and land use, which should be carefully considered in the planning stage.