BorisGroys

PoliticsofInstallation
Thefieldofartistodayfrequentlyequatedwiththeartmarket,andtheartworkisprimarily
identifiedasacommodity.Thatartfunctionsinthecontextoftheartmarket,andevery
workofartisacommodity,isbeyonddoubt;yetartisalsomadeandexhibitedforthose
whodonotwanttobeartcollectors,anditisinfactthesepeoplewhoconstitutethe
majorityoftheartpublic.Thetypicalexhibitionvisitorrarelyviewstheworkondisplayas
a commodity. At the same time, the number of largescale exhibitionsbiennales,
triennales,documentas,manifestasisconstantlygrowing.Inspiteofthevastamountsof
moneyandenergyinvestedintheseexhibitions,theydonotexistprimarilyforartbuyers,
butforthepublicforananonymousvisitorwhowillperhapsneverbuyanartwork.
Likewise, art fairs, while ostensibly existing to serve art buyers, are now increasingly
transformedintopublicevents,attractingapopulationwithlittleinterestinbuyingart,or
withoutthefinancialabilitytodoso.Theartsystemisthusonitswaytobecomingpartof
theverymassculturethatithasforsolongsoughttoobserveandanalyzefromadistance.
Artisbecomingapartofmassculture,notasasourceofindividualworkstobetradedon
the art market, but as an exhibition practice, combined with architecture, design, and
fashionjustasitwasenvisagedbythepioneeringmindsoftheavantgarde,bytheartists
oftheBauhaus,theVkhutemas,andothersasearlyasthe1920s.Thus,contemporaryart
canbeunderstoodprimarilyasanexhibitionpractice.Thismeans,amongotherthings,that
itisbecomingincreasinglydifficulttodaytodifferentiatebetweentwomainfiguresofthe
contemporaryartworld:theartistandthecurator.
Thetraditionaldivisionoflaborwithintheartsystemwasclear.Artworks weretobe
produced by artists and then selected and exhibited by curators. But, at least since
Duchamp,thisdivisionoflaborhascollapsed.Today,thereisnolongeranyontological
differencebetweenmakingartanddisplayingart.Inthecontextofcontemporaryart,to
makeartistoshowthingsasart.Sothequestionarises:isitpossible,and,ifso,howisit
possibletodifferentiatebetweentheroleoftheartistandthatofthecuratorwhenthereis
nodifferencebetweenartsproductionandexhibition?

Now,Iwouldarguethatthisdistinctionisstillpossible.AndIwouldliketodoso
by analyzing the difference between the standard exhibition and the artistic
installation. A conventional exhibition is conceived as an accumulation of art
objectsplacednexttooneanotherinanexhibitionspacetobeviewedinsuccession.
Inthiscase,theexhibitionspaceworksasanextensionofneutral,publicurban
spaceas something like a side alley into which the passerby may turn upon
paymentofanadmissionfee.

Themovementofavisitorthroughtheexhibitionspaceremainssimilartothatofsomeone
walkingdownastreetandobservingthearchitectureofthehousesleftandright.Itisbyno
means accidental that Walter Benjamin constructed his Arcades Project around this
analogybetweenanurbanstrollerandanexhibitionvisitor.
Thebodyoftheviewerinthissettingremainsoutsideoftheart:arttakesplaceinfrontof
theviewerseyesasanartobject,aperformance,orafilm.Accordingly,theexhibition
spaceisunderstoodheretobeanempty,neutral,publicspaceasymbolicpropertyofthe
public.Theonlyfunctionofsuchaspaceistomaketheartobjectsthatareplacedwithinit
easilyaccessibletothegazeofthevisitors.
Thecuratoradministersthisexhibitionspaceinthenameofthepublicasarepresentative
ofthepublic.Accordingly,thecuratorsroleistosafeguarditspubliccharacter,while
bringing the individual artworks into this public space, making them accessible to the
public,publicizingthem.
Itisobviousthatanindividualartworkcannotassertitspresencebyitself,forcingthe
viewertotakealookatit.Itlacksthevitality,energy,andhealthtodoso.Initsorigin,it
seems,theworkofartissick,helpless;inordertoseeit,viewersmustbebroughttoitas
visitorsarebroughttoabedriddenpatientbyhospitalstaff.
Itisnocoincidencethatthewordcuratorisetymologicallyrelatedtocure:tocurateis
tocure.Curatingcuresthepowerlessnessoftheimage,itsinabilitytoshowitselfbyitself.
Exhibition practice is thus the cure that heals the originally ailing image, that gives it
presence,visibility;itbringsittothepublicviewandturnsitintotheobjectofthepublics
judgment.
However,onecansaythatcuratingfunctionsasasupplement,likea pharmakon inthe
Derridean sense: it both cures the image and further contributes to its illness. 1 The
iconoclasticpotentialofcurationwas initiallyappliedtothesacralobjects ofthepast,
presentingthemasmereartobjectsintheneutral,emptyexhibitionspacesofthemodern
museumorKunsthalle.
It is curators, in fact, including museum curators, who originally produced art in the
modernsenseoftheword.Thefirstartmuseumsfoundedinthelate18thandearly19th
centuriesandexpandedinthecourseofthe19thcenturyduetoimperialconquestsandthe
pillagingofnonEuropeanculturescollectedallsortsofbeautifulfunctionalobjects
previouslyusedforreligiousrites,interiordecoration,ormanifestationsofpersonalwealth,
andexhibitedthemasworksofart,thatis,asdefunctionalizedautonomousobjectssetup
forthemerepurposeofbeingviewed.Allartoriginatesasdesign,beitreligiousdesignor
thedesignofpower.Inthemodernperiodaswell,designprecedesart.Lookingformodern
artintodaysmuseums,onemustrealizethatwhatistobeseenthereasartis,aboveall,
defunctionalizeddesignfragments,beitmassculturaldesign,fromDuchampsurinalto
Warhols Brillo Boxes, or utopian design thatfrom Jugendstil to Bauhaus, from the
RussianavantgardetoDonaldJuddsoughttogiveshapetothenewlifeofthefuture.

Artisdesignthathasbecomedysfunctionalbecausethesocietythatprovidedthebasisfor
itsufferedahistoricalcollapse,liketheIncaEmpireorSovietRussia.
InthecourseoftheModernera,however,artistsbegantoasserttheautonomyoftheirart
understoodasautonomyfrompublicopinionandpublictaste.Artistshaverequiredthe
righttomakesovereigndecisionsregardingthecontentandtheformoftheirworkbeyond
anyexplanationorjustificationvisvisthepublic.Andtheyweregiventhisrightbut
onlytoacertaindegree.Thefreedomtocreateartaccordingtoonesownsovereignwill
doesnotguaranteethatanartistsworkwillalsobeexhibitedinthepublicspace.
Theinclusionofanyartworkinapublicexhibitionmustbeatleastpotentiallypublicly
explainedandjustified.Thoughartist,curator,andartcriticarefreetoarguefororagainst
theinclusionofsomeartworks,everysuchexplanationandjustificationunderminesthe
autonomous, sovereign character of artistic freedom that Modernist art aspired to win;
everydiscourselegitimizinganartwork,itsinclusioninapublicexhibitionasonlyone
amongmanyinthesamepublicspace,canbeseenasaninsulttothatartwork.Thisiswhy
thecuratorisconsideredtobesomeonewhokeepscomingbetweentheartworkandthe
viewer,disempoweringtheartistandthevieweralike.Hencetheartmarketappearstobe
more favorable than the museum or Kunsthalle to Modern, autonomous art. In the art
market,worksofartcirculatesingularized,decontextualized,uncurated,whichapparently
offersthemtheopportunitytodemonstratetheirsovereignoriginwithoutmediation.The
artmarketfunctionsaccordingtotherulesofthePotlatchastheyweredescribedbyMarcel
MaussandbyGeorgesBataille.Thesovereigndecisionoftheartisttomakeanartwork
beyondanyjustificationistrumpedbythesovereigndecisionofaprivatebuyertopayfor
thisartworkanamountofmoneybeyondanycomprehension.
Now,theartisticinstallationdoesnotcirculate.Rather,itinstallseverythingthatusually
circulatesinourcivilization:objects,texts,films,etc.Atthesametime,itchangesinavery
radicalwaytheroleandthefunctionoftheexhibitionspace.Theinstallationoperatesby
meansofasymbolicprivatizationofthepublicspaceofanexhibition.Itmayappeartobe
astandard,curatedexhibition,butitsspaceisdesignedaccordingtothesovereignwillof
anindividualartistwhoisnotsupposedtopubliclyjustifytheselectionoftheincluded
objects,ortheorganizationoftheinstallationspaceasawhole.
Theinstallationisfrequentlydeniedthestatusofaspecificartform,becauseitisnot
obvious what the medium of an installation actually is. Traditional art media are all
definedbyaspecificmaterialsupport:canvas,stone,orfilm.Thematerialsupportofthe
installationmediumisthespaceitself.Thatdoesnotmean,however,thattheinstallationis
somehowimmaterial.Onthecontrary,theinstallationismaterialparexcellence,since
itisspatialandbeinginthespaceisthemostgeneraldefinitionofbeingmaterial.The
installationtransformstheempty,neutral,publicspaceintoanindividualartworkandit
invitesthevisitortoexperiencethisspaceastheholistic,totalizingspaceofanartwork.
Anythingincludedinsuchaspacebecomesapartoftheartworksimplybecauseitis
placedinsidethisspace.Thedistinctionbetweenartobjectandsimpleobjectbecomes

insignificant here. Instead, what becomes crucial is the distinction between a marked,
installationspaceandunmarked,publicspace.WhenMarcelBroodthaerspresentedhis
installationMusedArtModerne,DpartementdesAiglesattheDsseldorfKunsthallein
1970,heputupasignnexttoeachexhibitsaying:Thisisnotaworkofart.Asawhole,
however,hisinstallationhasbeenconsideredtobeaworkofart,andnotwithoutreason.
Theinstallationdemonstratesacertainselection,acertainchainofchoices,alogicof
inclusionsandexclusions.Here,onecanseeananalogytoacuratedexhibition.Butthatis
preciselythepoint:here,theselectionandthemodeofrepresentationisthesovereign
prerogativeoftheartistalone.Itisbasedexclusivelyonpersonalsovereigndecisionsthat
arenotinneedofanyfurtherexplanationorjustification.Theartisticinstallationisaway
toexpandthedomainofthesovereignrightsoftheartistfromtheindividualartobjectto
thatoftheexhibitionspaceitself.
Thismeansthattheartisticinstallationisaspaceinwhichthedifferencebetweenthe
sovereign freedom of the artist and the institutional freedom of the curator becomes
immediatelyvisible.TheregimeunderwhichartoperatesinourcontemporaryWestern
cultureisgenerallyunderstoodtobeonethatgrantsfreedomtoart.Butartsfreedom
meansdifferentthingstoacuratorandtoanartist.AsIhavementioned,thecurator
including the socalled independent curatorultimately chooses in the name of the
democraticpublic.
Actually,inordertoberesponsibletowardthepublic,acuratordoesnotneedtobepartof
anyfixedinstitution:heorsheisalreadyaninstitutionbydefinition.Accordingly,the
curatorhasanobligationtopubliclyjustifyhisorherchoicesanditcanhappenthatthe
curatorfailstodoso.Ofcourse,thecuratorissupposedtohavethefreedomtopresenthis
orherargumenttothepublicbutthisfreedomofthepublicdiscussionhasnothingtodo
withthefreedomofart,understoodasthefreedomtomakeprivate,individual,subjective,
sovereignartisticdecisionsbeyondanyargumentation,explanation,orjustification.Under
theregimeofartisticfreedom,everyartisthasasovereignrighttomakeartexclusively
accordingtoprivateimagination.Thesovereigndecisiontomakeartinthisorthatwayis
generallyacceptedbyWesternliberalsocietyasasufficientreasonforassuminganartists
practicetobelegitimate.Ofcourse,anartworkcanalsobecriticizedandrejectedbutit
canonlyberejectedas awhole.Itmakesnosensetocriticizeanyparticularchoices,
inclusions,orexclusionsmadebyanartist.Inthis sense,thetotalspaceofanartistic
installationcanalsoonlyberejectedasawhole.ToreturntotheexampleofBroodthaers:
nobodywouldcriticizetheartistforhavingoverlookedthisorthatparticularimageofthis
orthatparticulareagleinhisinstallation.
OnecansaythatinWesternsocietythenotionoffreedomisdeeplyambiguousnotonly
inthefieldofart,butalsointhepoliticalfield.FreedomintheWestisunderstoodas
allowingprivate,sovereigndecisionstobemadeinmanydomainsofsocialpractice,such
asprivateconsumption,investmentofonesowncapital,orchoiceofonesownreligion.
Butinsomeotherdomains,especiallyinthepoliticalfield,freedomisunderstoodprimarily
as the freedom ofpublic discussion guaranteed bylawas nonsovereign, conditional,
institutional freedom. Of course, the private, sovereign decisions in our societies are

controlledtoacertaindegreebypublicopinionandpoliticalinstitutions(weallknowthe
famousslogantheprivateispolitical).

Yet, on the other hand, open political discussion is time and again interrupted by the
private,sovereigndecisionsofpoliticalactorsandmanipulatedbyprivateinterests(which
then serve to privatize the political). The artist and the curator embody, in a very
conspicuousmanner,thesetwodifferentkindsoffreedom:thesovereign,unconditional,
publiclyirresponsiblefreedomofartmaking,andtheinstitutional,conditional,publicly
responsiblefreedomofcuratorship.
Further, this means that the artistic installationin which the act of art production
coincideswiththeactofitspresentationbecomestheperfectexperimentalterrainfor
revealing and exploring the ambiguity that lies at the core of the Western notion of
freedom. Accordingly, in the last decades we have seen the emergence of innovative
curatorialprojectsthatseemtoempowerthecuratortoactinanauthorial,sovereignway.
Andwehavealsoseentheemergenceofartisticpractices seekingtobecollaborative,
democratic,decentralized,deauthorized.
Indeed,theartisticinstallationisoftenviewedtodayasaformthatallowstheartistto
democratizehisorherart,totakepublicresponsibility,tobegintoactinthenameofa
certaincommunityorevenofsocietyasawhole. Inthissense,theemergenceofthe
artisticinstallationseemstomarktheendoftheModernistclaimofautonomyand
sovereignty.
Theartistsdecisiontoallowthemultitudeofvisitorstoenterthespaceoftheartworkis
interpretedasanopeningoftheclosedspaceofanartworktodemocracy.Thisenclosed
spaceseemstobetransformedintoaplatformforpublicdiscussion,democraticpractice,
communication,networking,education,andsoforth. Butthisanalysisofinstallationart
practicetendstooverlookthesymbolicactofprivatizingthepublicspaceoftheexhibition,
which precedes theactofopeningtheinstallationspacetoacommunityofvisitors.AsI
havementioned,thespaceofthetraditionalexhibitionisasymbolicpublicproperty,and
thecuratorwhomanagesthisspaceactsinthenameofpublicopinion.
Thevisitorofatypicalexhibitionremainsonhisorherownterritory,asasymbolicowner
ofthespacewheretheartworksaredeliveredtohisorhergazeandjudgment.Onthe
contrary,thespaceofanartisticinstallationisthesymbolicprivatepropertyoftheartist.
Byenteringthisspace,thevisitorleavesthepublicterritoryofdemocraticlegitimacyand
entersthespaceofsovereign,authoritariancontrol.Thevisitorishere,sotospeak,on
foreignground,inexile.Thevisitorbecomesanexpatriatewhomustsubmittoaforeign
lawonegiventohimorherbytheartist.Heretheartistactsaslegislator,asasovereign

oftheinstallationspaceeven,andmaybeespeciallyso,ifthelawgivenbytheartisttoa
communityofvisitorsisademocraticone.
Onemightthensaythatinstallationpracticerevealstheactofunconditional,sovereign
violencethatinitiallyinstallsanydemocraticorder.Weknowthatdemocraticorderis
never brought about in a democratic fashiondemocratic order always emerges as a
resultofaviolentrevolution.Toinstallalawistobreakone.Thefirstlegislatorcannever
actinalegitimatemannerheinstallsthepoliticalorder,butdoesnotbelongtoit.
Heremainsexternaltotheorderevenifhedecideslatertosubmithimselftoit.Theauthor
ofanartisticinstallationisalsosuchalegislator,whogivestothecommunityofvisitors
thespacetoconstituteitselfanddefinestherulestowhichthiscommunitymustsubmit,but
doessowithoutbelongingtothiscommunity,remainingoutsideit.Andthisremainstrue
eveniftheartistdecidestojointhecommunitythatheorshehascreated.Thissecondstep
shouldnotleadustooverlookthefirstonethesovereignone.
Andoneshouldalsonotforget:afterinitiatingacertainorderacertainpoliteia,acertain
communityofvisitorstheinstallationartistmustrelyontheartinstitutionstomaintain
thisorder,topolicethefluidpoliteiaoftheinstallationsvisitors.Withregardtotheroleof
policeinastate,JacquesDerridasuggestsinoneofhisbooks(Laforcedeslois)that,
thoughthepoliceareexpectedtosupervisethefunctioningofcertainlaws,theyarede
factoalsoinvolvedincreatingtheverylawsthattheyshouldmerelysupervise.
Tomaintainalawalwaysalsomeanstopermanentlyreinventthatlaw.Derridatriesto
showthattheviolent,revolutionary,sovereignactofinstallinglawandordercanneverbe
fullyerasedafterwardsthisinitialactofviolencecanandwillalwaysbemobilizedagain.
Thisisespeciallyobviousnow,inourtimeofviolentexport,installing,andsecuringof
democracy. One should not forget: the installation space is a movable one. The art
installationisnotsitespecific,anditcanbeinstalledinanyplaceandforanytime.And
weshouldbeunder noillusions that therecanbe anythinglike acompletelychaotic,
Dadaistic,Fluxuslikeinstallationspacefreeofanycontrol.
In his famous treatise Franais, encore un effort si vous voulez tre rpublicains, the
MarquisdeSadepresentsavisionofaperfectlyfreesocietythathasabolishedallexisting
law,installingonlyone:everyonemustdowhatheorshelikes,includingcommitting
crimesofanykind.2Whatisespeciallyinterestingishow,atthesametime,Saderemarks
upon the necessity of law enforcement to prevent the reactionary attempts of some
traditionallymindedcitizenstoreturntotheoldrepressivestateinwhichfamilyissecured
and crimes forbidden. So we also need the police to defend the crimes against the
reactionarynostalgiaoftheoldmoralorder.
Andyet,theviolentactofconstitutingademocraticallyorganizedcommunityshouldnot
beinterpretedascontradictingitsdemocraticnature.Sovereignfreedomisobviouslynon
democratic,soitalsoseemstobeantidemocratic.However,evenifitappearsparadoxical

atfirstglance,sovereignfreedomisanecessarypreconditionfortheemergenceofany
democraticorder.
Again, the practice ofart installation is agood example ofthis rule. The standard art
exhibitionleavesanindividualvisitoralone,allowinghimorhertoindividuallyconfront
andcontemplatetheexhibitedartobjects.Movingfromoneobjecttoanother,suchan
individualvisitornecessarilyoverlooksthetotalityoftheexhibitionsspace,includinghis
orherownpositionwithinit.Anartisticinstallation,onthecontrary,buildsacommunity
ofspectatorspreciselybecauseoftheholistic,unifyingcharacteroftheinstallationspace.
The true visitor to the art installation is not an isolated individual, but a collective of
visitors.Theartspaceassuchcanonlybeperceivedbyamassofvisitorsamultitude,if
youlikewiththismultitudebecomingpartoftheexhibitionforeachindividualvisitor,
andviceversa.
Thereisadimensionofmassculturewhichisoftenoverlooked,thatbecomesparticularly
manifest in the context of art. A pop concert or a film screening creates communities
amongitsattendees.Themembersofthesetransitorycommunitiesdonotknoweachother
theirstructureisaccidental;itremainsunclearwheretheyhavecomefromandwhere
theyaregoing;theyhavelittletosaytooneanother;theylackajointidentityorprevious
historythatcouldprovidethemwithcommonmemoriestoshare;nevertheless,theyare
communities.Thesecommunitiesresemblethoseoftravelersonatrainorairplane.Toput
itdifferently:theseareradicallycontemporarycommunitiesmuchmoresothanreligious,
political,orworkingcommunities.Alltraditionalcommunitiesarebasedonthepremise
thattheirmembers,fromtheverybeginning,arelinkedbysomethingthatstemsfromthe
past:acommonlanguage,commonfaith,commonpoliticalhistory,commonupbringing.
Such communities tend to establish boundaries between themselves and strangers with
whomtheysharenocommonpast.
Massculture,bycontrast,createscommunitiesbeyondanycommonpastunconditional
communitiesofanewkind.Thisiswhatrevealsitsvastpotentialformodernization,which
isfrequentlyoverlooked.However,masscultureitselfcannotfullyreflectandunfoldthis
potential,becausethecommunitiesitcreatesarenotsufficientlyawareofthemselvesas
such.
Thesamecanbesaidofthemassesmovingthroughthestandardexhibitionspacesof
contemporarymuseumsandKunsthalles.Itisoftensaidthatthemuseumiselitist.Ihave
always been astounded by this opinion, so counter to my own personal experience of
becoming part of a mass of visitors continuously flowing through the exhibition and
museumrooms.Anyonewhohaseverlookedforaparkinglotnearamuseum,ortriedto
leaveacoatatthemuseumcheckroom,orneededtofindthemuseumlavatory,willhave
reasontodoubttheelitistcharacterofthisinstitutionparticularlyinthecaseofmuseums
thatareconsideredparticularlyelitist,suchastheMetropolitanMuseumortheMoMAin
NewYork.Today,globaltouriststreamsmakeanyelitistclaimamuseummighthaveseem
likearidiculouspresumption.

Andifthesestreamsavoidonespecificexhibition,itscuratorwillnotbeatallhappy,will
notfeelelitistbutdisappointedforhavingfailedtoreachthemasses.Butthesemassesdo
notreflectthemselvesassuchtheydonotconstituteanypoliteia.Theperspectiveofpop
concertfansormoviegoersistooforwarddirectedatstageorscreentoallowthemto
adequatelyperceiveandreflectthespaceinwhichtheyfindthemselvesorthecommunities
ofwhichtheyhavebecomepart.
Thisisthekindofreflectionthatadvancedpresentdayartprovokes,whetherasinstallation
art,orasexperimentalcuratorialprojects.
Therelativespatialseparationprovidedbytheinstallationspacedoesnotmeanaturn
awayfromtheworld,butratheradelocalizationanddeterritorializationofmasscultural
transitorycommunitiesinawaythatassiststheminreflectingupontheirowncondition,
offeringthemanopportunitytoexhibitthemselvestothemselves. Thecontemporaryart
spaceisaspaceinwhichmultitudescanviewthemselvesandcelebratethemselves,asGod
orkingswereinformertimesviewedandcelebratedinchurchesandpalaces(Thomas
Struths Museum Photographs capture this dimension of the museum very wellthis
emergenceanddissolutionoftransitionalcommunities).
Morethananythingelse,whattheinstallationofferstothefluid,circulatingmultitudesis
an aura ofthe here and now.The installation is,above all, amasscultural version of
individualflnerie,asdescribedbyBenjamin,andthereforeaplacefortheemergenceof
aura, for profane illumination. In general, the installation operates as a reversal of
reproduction.Theinstallationtakesacopyoutofanunmarked,openspaceofanonymous
circulationandplacesitifonlytemporarilywithinafixed,stable,closedcontextofthe
topologicallywelldefinedhereandnow.Ourcontemporaryconditioncannotbereduced
tobeingalossoftheauratothecirculationofthecopybeyondhereandnow,as
describedinBenjaminsfamousessayonTheWorkofArtintheAgeofMechanical
Reproduction.3 Rather, the contemporary age organizes a complex interplay of
dislocations and relocations, of deterritorializations and reterritorializations, of de
auratizationsandreauratizations.
Benjaminsharedhighmodernistartsbeliefinaunique,normativecontextforart.Under
thispresupposition,toloseitsunique,originalcontextmeansforanartworktoloseitsaura
forevertobecomeacopyofitself.Toreauratizeanindividualartworkwouldrequirea
sacralization of the whole profane space of a copys topologically undetermined mass
circulationatotalitarian,fascistproject,tobesure. This isthemainproblemtobe
foundinBenjaminsthinking:heperceivesthespaceofacopysmasscirculation
andmasscirculationingeneralasauniversal,neutral,andhomogeneousspace.He
insistsuponthevisualrecognizability,ontheselfidentityofacopyasitcirculatesinour
contemporaryculture. ButbothoftheseprincipalpresuppositionsinBenjaminstextare
questionable.

Intheframeworkofcontemporaryculture,animageispermanentlycirculatingfromone
mediumtoanothermedium,andfromoneclosedcontexttoanotherclosedcontext.For
example,abitoffilmfootagecanbeshowninacinema,thenconvertedtoadigitalform
andappearonsomebodyswebsite,orbeshownduringaconferenceasanillustration,or
watchedprivatelyonatelevisioninapersonslivingroom,orplacedinthecontextofa
museuminstallation.Inthisway,throughdifferentcontextsandmedia,thisbitoffilm
footage is transformed by different program languages, different software, different
framingsonthescreen,differentplacementinaninstallationspace,andsoon.Allthis
time,arewedealingwiththesamefilmfootage?Isitthesamecopyofthesamecopyof
the same original? The topology of todays networks of communication, generation,
translation,anddistributionofimagesisextremelyheterogeneous.
The images are constantly transformed, rewritten, reedited, and reprogrammed as they
circulatethroughthesenetworksandwitheachsteptheyarevisuallyaltered.Theirstatus
ascopiesofcopiesbecomesaneverydayculturalconvention,aswaspreviouslythecase
withthestatusoftheoriginal.
Benjaminsuggeststhatthenewtechnologyiscapableofproducingcopieswithincreasing
fidelitytotheoriginal,wheninfacttheoppositeisthecase.Contemporarytechnology
thinksingenerationsandtotransmitinformationfromonegenerationofhardwareand
software to the next is to transform it in a significant way. The metaphoric notion of
generationasitisnowusedinthecontextoftechnologyisparticularlyrevealing.Where
therearegenerations,therearealsogenerationalOedipalconflicts.Allofusknowwhatit
meanstotransmitacertainculturalheritagefromonegenerationofstudentstoanother.
Weareunabletostabilizeacopyasacopy,asweareunabletostabilizeanoriginalas
an original. There are no eternal copies as there are no eternal originals.
Reproduction is as much infected by originality as originality is infected by
reproduction.
Incirculating through various contexts, a copybecomes aseries ofdifferent originals.
Everychangeofcontext,everychangeofmediumcanbeinterpretedasanegationofthe
statusofacopyasacopyasanessentialrupture,asanewstartthatopensanewfuture.
Inthissense,acopyisneverreallyacopy,butratheraneworiginal,inanewcontext.
Every copy is by itself a flneurexperiencing time and again its own profane
illuminationsthatturnitintoanoriginal.Itlosesoldaurasandgainsnewauras.Itremains
perhapsthesamecopy,butitbecomesdifferentoriginals.Thisalsoshowsapostmodern
projectofreflectingontherepetitive,iterative,reproductivecharacterofanimage(inspired
byBenjamin)tobeasparadoxicalasthemodernprojectofrecognizingtheoriginalandthe
new.Thisislikewisewhypostmodernarttendstolookverynew,eveniforactually
becauseitisdirectedagainsttheverynotionofthenew.Ourdecisiontorecognizea
certainimageaseitheranoriginaloracopyisdependentonthecontextonthescenein
whichthisdecisionistaken.Thisdecisionisalwaysacontemporarydecisiononethat
belongsnottothepastandnottothefuture,buttothepresent.Andthisdecisionisalso

alwaysasovereigndecisioninfact,theinstallationisaspaceforsuchadecisionwhere
hereandnowemergesandprofaneilluminationofthemassestakesplace.
Soonecansaythatinstallationpracticedemonstratesthedependencyofanydemocratic
space(inwhichmassesormultitudesdemonstratethemselvestothemselves)ontheprivate,
sovereigndecisionsofanartistasitslegislator. Thiswassomethingthatwasverywell
knowntotheancientGreekthinkers,asitwastotheinitiatorsoftheearlierdemocratic
revolutions.Butrecently,thisknowledgesomehowbecamesuppressedbythedominant
politicaldiscourse.EspeciallyafterFoucault,wetendtodetectthesourceofpowerin
impersonal agencies, structures, rules, and protocols. However, this fixation on the
impersonal mechanisms of power lead us to overlook the importance of individual,
sovereigndecisionsandactionstakingplaceinprivate,heterotopicspaces(touseanother
termintroducedbyFoucault).
Likewise, the modern, democratic powers have metasocial, metapublic, heterotopic
origins. Ashasbeenmentioned,theartistwhodesignsacertaininstallationspaceisan
outsider to this space. He or she is heterotopic to this space. But the outsider is not
necessarilysomebodywhohastobeincludedinordertobeempowered.Thereisalso
empowermentbyexclusion,andespeciallybyselfexclusion.Theoutsidercanbepowerful
preciselybecauseheorsheisnotcontrolledbysociety,andisnotlimitedinhisorher
sovereignactionsbyanypublicdiscussionorbyanyneedforpublicselfjustification.
Anditwouldbewrongtothinkthatthiskindofpowerfuloutsidershipcanbecompletely
eliminatedthroughModernprogressanddemocraticrevolutions.Theprogressisrational.
Butnotaccidentally,anartistissupposedbyourculturetobemadatleasttobeobsessed.
Foucaultthoughtthatmedicinemen,witches,andprophetshavenoprominentplaceinour
society any morethat they became outcasts, confined to psychiatric clinics. But our
cultureisprimarilyacelebrityculture,andyoucannotbecomeacelebritywithoutbeing
mad(oratleastpretendingtobe).Obviously,Foucaultreadtoomanyscientificbooksand
onlyafewsocietyandgossipmagazines,becauseotherwisehewouldhaveknownwhere
madpeopletodayhavetheirtruesocialplace.Itisalsowellknownthatthecontemporary
politicaleliteisapartofglobalcelebrityculture,whichistosaythatitisexternaltothe
society it rules. Global, extrademocratic, transstate, external to any democratically
organizedcommunity,paradigmaticallyprivate,thiseliteis,infact,structurallymad
insane.
Now,thesereflectionsshouldnotbemisunderstoodasacritiqueofinstallationasanart
formbydemonstratingitssovereigncharacter.Thegoalofart,afterall,isnottochange
thingsthingsarechangingbythemselvesallthetimeanyway.Artsfunctionisratherto
show, to make visible the realities that are generally overlooked. By taking aesthetic
responsibility inavery explicit wayfor the designofthe installationspace, theartist
revealsthehiddensovereigndimensionofthecontemporarydemocraticorderthatpolitics,
forthemostpart,triestoconceal. Theinstallationspaceiswhereweareimmediately
confronted with the ambiguous character of the contemporary notion of freedom that

functionsinourdemocraciesasatensionbetweensovereignandinstitutionalfreedom.The
artisticinstallationisthusaspaceofunconcealment(intheHeideggeriansense)ofthe
heterotopic,sovereignpowerthatis concealedbehindtheobscuretransparencyofthe
democraticorder.

AversionofthistextwasgivenasalectureatWhitechapelGallery,London,onOctober2,
2008.
2009efluxandtheauthor