untitled works (1989 - 2008), wooden furniture and concrete
A Flor de Piel, rose petals and thread
Through her works, Salcedo reflects on and honors lives lost and tragically altered by sociopolitical violence and injustice. Her work also encourages discourse
about the human consequences of corruption in society. With activism being at
the forefront of much 20th and 21st century Latin American art, Salcedo’s work
demonstrates that she is a leader in the movement of art as a means for change and
progress in the realms of politics and culture.
I ended my museum journey in the somewhat clandestine basement of the
Guggenheim, where a short film produced by the Museum of Contemporary Art
Chicago, “Doris Salcedo’s Public Works,” was being screened as a complement
to Salcedo’s exhibition. In the film, Salcedo discusses works apart from those
exhibited, as well as her theory and concept of art on a larger scale. “Art does not
give answers, only poses questions,” she emphatically says. With that in mind, it is
up to us, the beholders of the art and denizens of society, to conceive answers to
many of the seemingly unrelenting questions of loss and adversity that her work
demands.
Photos by Stephanie D’Ercole
You can see more at:
vimeo.com/120164736
Orlando’s Art Scene, v. 1.3
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