SITE SPECIFIC

"A museum is more a state of mind than a piece of real estate." Fred Wilson

Not all art is made for or displayed in the gallery or museum. Early examples of 'environments' or 'situations' were made by artists such as Marcel Duchamp and Kurt Schwitters but since the Sixties, an increasing number of artists have been working outside the gallery, very often making work which is site specific, that is, made for a particular space and taking its meaning from the context of that space.

Initially there was a desire to critique the gallery and museum systems, which were viewed as being an integral part of the commercial art market as well as being elite institutions. Conceptual artists were interested in making work which questioned the role and function of art in society, including it's economic value, and this very often meant making installation or performance work, which could not be owned or sold in the conventional way.

However, much of this work has been documented using photography and these photographic images now have a value in the art market themselves and are often used retrospectivley in gallery exhibitions to represent the original piece of work. In addition many artists whose work is about a process of developing ideas beyond the gallery, choose to display the final product as a gallery-based exhibition.

Gabriel Orozco - Table on Sand. 1992 (1)

• Where is art seen and where does art belong?
• Look for an example of public art in your area. Is it different from art in galleries? What does it say to you?
• Make a journey on foot, using a familiar route. Make notes about all the things you see. Do it again, this time mapping the route by sounds.
• What do you feel about art in the environment?
• What sort of art would you make for a) a supermarket b) a library c) a science lab

DISCUSS

RESEARCH

BRAINSTORM

DESCRIBE

COMPARE

Sophie Calle - La tasse de café from La Visite Guidée, 1996 (1)

"...I am for the art of things lost or thrown away, coming home from school..."Claes Oldenburg

Leaving the 'white cube' of the gallery behind means that artists are not confined to working in pristine exhibition spaces but can explore and make work about other public, private or commercial spaces. This means artists can reach much wider audiences than those who have traditionally visited galleries. Through the creation of public art they can engage with these audiences by making work which is relevant to people's everyday experiences.

Many of the artists featured in this website make site specific work. In this section we look at the work of Gabriel Orozco and Sophie Calle

Other artists whose work you could look at in relation to this area include:

• Georges Adeagbo
• Anya Gallaccio
• Hans Haacke
• Tomoko Takahashi