Art installation is a contemporary art form in which art is arranged in a specific space the artist or according to the artist’s specifications. Site-specific art installations take advantage of and interact with the existing architecture or landscape. Artists will select and arrange materials in a space in order to alter the viewer’s perception of it. Environmental artworks are works of art that are displayed outside.
A temporary or permanent art installation is possible. It can be seen in public or private spaces and is not limited in terms of content. A typical installation will include sculpture, sound, video, light, and performance, among other media. Rather than the static experience of viewing one object or artwork at a time, it seeks to immerse the viewer in an environment, engaging him or her in a variety of sensory experiences. The viewer’s role as witness or participant in art installations is heavily emphasized.
Although the concept of an art installation dates back much further, the art installation movement began in the early twentieth century, when Surrealists like Marcel Duchamp began arranging spaces in which to display assemblage sculptures. By the 1960s, artist Allan Kaprow was incorporating elements of art installation into an early form of performance art in which the viewer is immersed in the environment and becomes an active participant in the artwork. The idea of installation art became more popular during this time period. In fact, the term installation was first used to describe an art form in 1969 the Oxford English Dictionary.
When more artists began creating works that did not fit the standard museum or gallery model for displaying artwork in the 1970s, the term “art installation” became widely used. Rather, many artists began to create works that highlighted structures or filled spaces in unusual ways. Walter De Maria created The New York Earth Room in 1977, filling a 3,600 square foot (334 square meter) interior space with 250 cubic yards (191 cubic meters) of earth that was 22 inches (56 cm) deep.
Newer forms of art installation place a greater emphasis on newer technologies. Virtual reality, projected images, and web-based art, for example, can be used in conjunction with or instead of site specificity. These new types of art installations expand the boundaries of internal space and create more interactive environments.