OCCUPY GRAMSCI
In a time when a simple “share” or “tag” in social networking
websites connotes political awareness, the viewer might not be able to get rid
of one old question: “What is the role of social engagement in contemporary
art?” In his Gramsci Monument, Thomas Hirschhorn has tried to address
such themes by making a platform for everybody to participate.
Gramsci Monument was
constructed this summer in Bronx, New York. Built with the help of local
residents, Gramsci Monument looks conspicuously shaky and contingent.
The site contains several public platforms for people to spend time in and it
is also covered with banners and spray paints of Gramsci’s quotations.
By opening up his monument to people of all walks of life, the
artist has successfully subverted the most important feature of traditional
monuments. Here, people don’t step back in awe, but enter the space, engage
with it and with each other, and most importantly, they “occupy” the sanctioned
space of an aesthetic object. By doing so, Hirschhorn tries too hard to raise
the possibility of “counter-hegemony”.
Hirschhorn’s attempt at contributing to the
idea of social sculpture established by Joseph Beuys in 1960s, seems exciting
but hardly geared to leave a lasting effect on the viewer’s mind and it remains
unable to provide the viewer with a deeper understanding of Gramsci’s ideas and
their relevance to the contemporary world.
I agree that the participatory element is a contemporary and strategic tactic to grab the attention of younger audiences and the art world at large; people love an interactive piece that they feel equal with and can participate in. I think describing the root cause/reason for the monument would have helped with your critique, and giving more examples and details about what kinds of things have happened there, whether intended or not. I think Gramsci himself was trying to go against the ruling power, but I'm not sure if that was Hirschhorn's intention with the monument, to encourage "counter hegemony." I agree that it was hard to be completely convinced of Gramsci's relevance to today, but I think the information was there if I chose to be more patient and pay closer attention - I don't think it's due to Hirschhorn being unable to showcase it.
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