Tied to a specific place, installations are grounded in their environment.
And the three-dimensional artwork really lives and breathes outside of the artist’s studio.
What is Installation Art?
Heartbeatby Charles Pétillon
Installation art is a modern movement characterized by immersive, larger-than-life works of art.
Their sizable statures enable viewers to become completely immersed in each larger-than-life environment.
Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson 1938-1973 (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.)
As a person, I was born to give out my opinions, Ai Wei Wei explains.
By giving out my opinions, I realize who I am.
In both cases, artists find innovative and inventive ways to reinterpret and reimagine everyday environments.
Plexus 35by Gabriel Dawe
For Mr. Doodle, his stop-motion video is the fruit of two years of creative labor.
His installationArchin Stockholm was no exception.
The piece paid homage to refugees in Europe and around the world.
Forest of Numbersby Emmanuelle Moureaux
It is also a reworking of an artwork originally placed in New York Citys Washington Square Park in 2017.
Influenced by the cultural heritage of the Ancient Egyptians, SpY created a sphere composed of polished-chrome circles.
The work features 20 mirrored circle shelters that are an invitation to resync with the planet.
The Urchinsby Choi+Shine Architects
The drones were synchronized to the music played during the anniversary concert.
It is the remembrance of a vanished living space and thus of the people and things of the past.
The Doodle House by Mr. Doodle
Sam Cox, better known asMr.
Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson 1938-1973 (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain orCC BY-SA 2.5],via Wikimedia Commons
Doodle, set the internet on fire when hereleased a videoof a project that took him two years.
In the end, his house becomes a giant installation, both inside and out.
One sees each one as an incubator for collaborations, experiences, and conversations.
2021 was also the culmination ofChristo and Jeanne-Claudes long-awaited plans to wrap ParisArc de Triomphein fabric.
Loss and hope were other strong themes in this years group of installations.
Some artists, likeMotoi Yamamoto, produced work influenced by their own personal loss.
Other installations, like the life-size elephant sculpture traveling the globe for theCoExistence project, focused on global loss.
No matter what the message, what these art installations have in common is their ability to create impact.
Lets take a closer look at these 10 art installations to see what makes them the best of 2021.
A post shared by Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg (@suzannefirstenberg)
In America.
How Could This Happen…was created bySuzanne Brennan Firstenbergto commemorate what has been lost in the COVID-19 pandemic.
All told, over 670,000 white flags dotted the area, each representing an American life lost.
This installation quickly became more than a piece of art.
It was aplace for people to mournwhat has been lost and to pay their respects.
In doing so, Firstenberg gave people an important outlet for their emotions after this pivotal time in history.
By working with Floyd’s brother Terrance, the collective group wishes to marry monuments with a movement.
To do so, shecollected 10,000 letters from people around the globe and strung them together with scarlet thread.
Over100,000 fallen cherry blossom petalswere lovingly created from salta medium Yamamoto often works with.
This choice is both aestheticYamamoto appreciates its whitenessand symbolic.
In Japan, salt has been associated with cleansing since ancient times.
A quiet, reflective installation, Yamamoto has created a space to contemplate life and its meaning.
His nature-inspired work helped root visitors in the arboretums mission to connect with trees.
By using natural motifs, his oversized figures weave a tale of just how interconnected nature and humans are.
Particularly striking isUMI, a sculpture of a maternal figure gently cradling her bump.
On display in Tokyo, the installation takes advantage of the deep sauna culture in Japan.
They were then encouraged to repeat the cycle so you can experience a new piece of art.
Quantum Memoriesby Refik Anadol
Digital artistRefik Anadoluses cutting-edge technology to create incredible installations.
In early 2021, he created a piece for the NGV Triennial using AI.
In fact, over 200 million images of nature were used to put togetherQuantum Memories.
The results were mesmerizing videos set into an enormous frame.
The three-dimensional qualities of the imagery only added to the dynamic installation.
Bonus: Learn more about Refik Anadol’s work in his interview with theMy Modern Met Top Artist Podcast.
Growby Daan Roosegaarde
Dutch designerDaan Roosegaardeis known for his installations that help us imagine a better world.
These lights not only give the field a futuristic look, but they also encourage plant growth.
The work is part of a bigger plan to raise awareness about using connectivity with nature.
The sculptures were created in India.
Photo: Pinar Noorata/My Modern Met
In fact, they were hand-crafted by Indigenous communities and then made their long journey to the UK.
World events, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Black Lives Matter protests, shaped the way we lived.
And, as a consequence, they also shaped the way we saw and consumed art.
This was particularly true of installation artists.
This wouldn’t be Banksy’s only artistic contribution related to COVID-19.
Many artists used their craft to ensure that what happened to Floyd would not be forgotten, includingJammie Holmes.
Photo: © Motoi Yamamoto 2021
The artist organized airplanes to fly across five major U.S. cities carryingbanners with Floyd’s last words.
Our mothers are burying us way too early.
My fiancee shouldnt worry every time Im headed out of the house on my own.
Yes, I carry a pistol, Mr.
I carry it to protect myself from you by any means necessary.
At some point, you will realize you cant kill us all.
And in many cities, old Confederate monuments were forcibly removed or ordered taken down by the legislature.
In Richmond, Virginia the last remaining of these was the Robert E. Lee Monument.
So while the city decided what measures to take, light projection artistDustin Kleintook matters into his own hands.
Klein’s project is a reminder that the best art can often come spontaneously from matters that move us.
Photo: Brian Adams
Bending Arcby Janet Echelman
ArtistJanet Echelmanis known for her large-scale installations using twine.
Her work in St. Petersburg, Florida is no exception.
Measuring 72 feet tall and spanning 424 feet,Bending Arcis a focal point of the new Pier Park.
The positive reaction they had shows that even the most simple gestures can be the most powerful.
Working with the local community, Taylor conceived theCoral Greenhouse.
In this installation, the youth are in charge of running a laboratory to investigate the ocean.
And as always, the setup makes a wonderful artificial reef for marine life.
Her installationDischargeis an incredible example of how creative reuse can produce striking results.
The London-based artist used around 10,000 pigeon feathers to create an explosion trickling from a bookcase.
Inspired by the mating rituals of bowerbirds, he filled the space with enormous, oversized flowers.
By declaring their love openly, they are starting a wider dialogue about acceptance and identity.
Photo: Banksy
Each artist was asked to use the desert as their canvas, and they all delivered.
Many created interactive pieces that invited visitors to engage with the art.
Some, likeeL Seedeven took direct inspiration from the surroundings.
Photo: courtesy of Jammie Holmes and Library Street Collective
His workMirageis based on a 7th-century love story from the area.
So I decided to create a work that would blend into the desert.
Jameel and Butheyna were never able to be together.
Photos: courtesy of Dustin Klein
Thats also a mirage.
It unites us all.
Using strategically placed mirrors that rotate, Lapierre’sAZIMUTreflects back fragments of the surroundings.
Photo: Brian Adams
But not all artists practice their work outdoors.
Eventually, shoppers were allowed to register their interest for items via the officialGross Domestic Productwebsite.
So what’s the meaning behind the installation?
Photo: courtesy of Jason deCaires Taylor
It’s actually quite practical.
A greeting card company is attempting to seize legal control over the name Banksy.
I just dont want them to get sole custody of my name, Banksy stated.
Photo: courtesy of Kate MccGwire
One of the most striking installations in the museum is theForest of Resonating Lamps.
Changing seasonally, the spring installation paid homage to Japan’s celebrated cherry blossoms.
2019 Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY.
Photo: ImagenSubliminal (Miguel de Guzmán and Rocío Romero)
Presented by Creative Time.
Her work amplifies the words of those directly affected and brings personal perspective to staggering statistics.
His site-specific art aims to highlight the shared human experience through interconnected glowing orbs.
“Mirage” by eL Seed (Photo: Lance Gerber)
As they spider out across 15 acres, they form Munro’s largest installation to date.
I would encourage people to be inspired by nature because it truly holds all the answers!
Each pair either clasps or touches in a powerful sign of unity.
Photo: courtesy of Arnaud Lapierre
The results are a visually stunning, yet shocking, look at what the future might hold.
In 2019, for the 30th anniversary of the Louvre Pyramid, the French artistcreated a memorablethough ephemeraltribute.
Once pasted, the art piece lives on its own.
The sun dries the light glue and with every step, people tear pieces of the fragile paper.
The process is all about [the] participation of volunteers, visitors, and souvenir catchers.
By transforming this funerary tradition, Tuna gives a wake-up call to the public.
Photo:Banksy
Explore these spectacular installations below.
In 2018, Taylor added a new piece to his ambitious oeuvre:Coralarium, a submerged sculpture gallery.
Like all of Taylor’s creations,Colarariumtranscends its role as a work of art.
Photo:teamLab
It’s almost like an inverse zoo, deCaires Taylor said.
In cities, we go into space and look at caged animals.
Its almost a reversal of how we interact with wildlife.
© 2019 Jenny Holzer, member Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Presented by Creative Time. (Photo: Lauren Camarata)
Unfortunately,Colarariumwas destroyed by the Maldivian authorities in September.
They deemed the piece offensive to Islam due to its depiction of human forms.
StudioKCAopted to call the installationSkyscraperas a nod to the size of the whale.
© 2019 Bruce Munro. All rights reserved. (Photo: Serena Munro)
Once assembled, these site-specific sculptures came to measure anywhere from 15 to 60 feet tall.
Though initially slated to last only through 2018, this installation will be on-view into the new year.
Depending on weather, it may even last until summer 2019.
Photo: Lorenzo Quinn
In 2018, he collaborated withFondation Beyelerto createGaiaMotherTree, a crocheted structure that took root in Zurichs Central Station.
The branches of the tree are weighted with bags of spices.
This work is all about intimacy.
Photo: Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho
Presented by theRenwick Galleryin Washington DC, this unique exhibition shows the work of HYBYCOZO in a new light.
This modern approach to exhibition is the driving force behind theAustrian art installationat Paris’Atelier des Lumieres.
Some, includingLorenzo Quinns site-specificSupportsculpture andCaptain Boomer Collectives hyperrealistic beached whale, comment on climate change.
Photo:JR
And others, likeGreyworldsGarden of LightandKristen VisbalsFearless Girl, shine a spotlight on those who deserve recognition.
Be sure to catch a glimpse of these amazing installations below.
To Ai Weiwei, this image is all-too-familiar, as he himself is a refugee.
Photo:Yankose
Though inspired by ancient architecture, the avant-garde aesthetic of the wire sculptures culminated in a highlycontemporary installation.
Created forNOW Gallery, the site-specific show featured 10,000 freshly-cut irises.
To add a contemporary touch to Porto’sAmor de Perdicaosquare, FAHR021.3 installedEclipse, a metallic purple, 6-meter-tall sphere.
Photo: Marc Wilmot
In 2017, she createdForest of Numbers, an interactive and immersive piece crafted from 60,000 paper cut-outs.
Thus, as visitors walked around the exhibit, they were conceptually traveling through time.
Along withColor Mixing,I Am Here, andBunshi, Forest of Numbersis part of Moureaux’s100 Colorsseries.
Photo: DAKU
Like the year before, 2016 saw a wide range of beautiful, fascinating, and poignant installations.
Take a peek at our favorite installations below.
Pei’s iconic glass pyramidat the world-famous Musee du Louvre in Paris.
Photo: DAKU
Like all of Christo’s installations, the local landscape ofThe Floating Piersplays an important role in its concept.
The water, the wind, the sun all this is part of the project.
2015 definitely raised the bar with its immersive, playful, and even thought-provoking exhibits.
As viewers approach it, however, they can easily see the stacks of books descending into the earth.
Its compact structure is reminiscent of a mining shaft or water well with no apparent bottom.
Her pieces are constructed from crystal, chrome-plated metal, precious stones, mirrors, and optical glass.
Photo: Jason deCaires Taylor and the Fairmont Maldives
When combined, these ornamental components certainly enlivened an empty wooden chapel for Drummen’sInstallation Arnhempiece.
The artist’s most famous infinity room installation,Room No.
2(a.k.a.Mirrored Room), was on display at NYC’sPace Galleryin August.
Photo: Courtney Mattison
Her awe-inspiring installations feature a dizzying amount of dots that engulf the viewer in a fantastical, dreamlike world.
Its center, surrounded by delicate, tiny florets, mimics the flower’s wispy shape and feel.
This immersive installation made its way to the U.S. after a successful debutin the United Kingdom.
Photo: StudioKCA
It gives them a sense of freedom and reinforces the fact that a work-life balance is extremely important.
Intricate details are revealed through contrast created by backlights shining through the wispy layers of fabric.
Petillon hopes that their unexpected presence will encourage passersby to view the locale in a different light.
Photo: Thomas Dambo
Now enjoy our list of the top 10 most amazing installations in 2014.
He often composes his works using various found items that he merges together into beautiful forms.
Read more,here.
Photo: Fondation Beyeler
Read more,here.
Nowhere and Everywhere at the Same Time No.
Hundreds of delicate pendulums, swinging in timed sequences, dangled from an old municipal market space.
Photo: HOTTEA
Visitors were welcome to walk through the installation but they had to avoid touching the pendulums.
Suddenly, they became dancers as their strides and side-steps produced a lively choreography!
Read more,here.
Photo: HYBYCOZO
Read more,here.
Drummen’s installations are made from crystal, chrome-plated metal, precious stones, mirrors, and optical glass.
Read more,here.
Photo: Culturespaces
Reflection / Kolonihavehusby Tom Fruin
Check out those rainbow reflections!
Fruin’s colorful plexiglass house, calledKolonihavehus, was on display.
Read more,here.
Photo: Yayoi Kusama / MoMA PS1
Read more,here.
Read more,here.
It was titledNot Red But Greenand it brought the outdoors inside.
Photo: RATP
Nygrd’s incredible piece looks especially tranquil set against the bright white walls.
Read more,here.
The stunning installation covered 16 acres, which is roughly equivalent to 250 tennis courts or 16 soccer fields.
The clay models were handmade under artist Paul Cummins and the setting was designed by Tom Piper.
Read more,here.
Why do we love installation art?
First, it’s oftentimes immersive, providing visitors with a multi-sensory experience.
If you were lucky enough, you may have experienced one or a few of these artworks first-hand!
Production company Sextafeira Produes had created the cheery installation to turn traditional shopping streets into an engaging visual experience.
Read more:Street Artist JR Makes the Louvre “Disappear” with Creative Optical Illusion
Photographer Patrcia Almeida took great shots of asimilar installation art piecefrom the year prior, which went viral.
This was part of an art festival calledAgitAgueda.
CalledUnwoven Light, this hovering sculpture by artistSoo Sunny Parkwas made of chainlink fencing and Plexiglas.
Read more:Powerful Series Projects Faces of Indigenous People Onto the Amazon Rainforest
Sixty plush puppets of cows, chickens, pigs, lambs were seen moving their heads through wooden slats.
This was the monumental installation’s US debut.
Read more:Cave-Like Installation Features 10,000 Tree Species Spanning Millions of Years
Read more:Golden Piers Installed on Italian Lake Offers Visitors the Chance to Walk on Water
Read more:Artist Creates Spellbinding Salt Labyrinth Inside a 13th Century French Castle
Read more:Ai Weiwei Wraps 14,000 Refugee Life Jackets Around Berlin Landmark
Read more:Giant Installation of 150,000 Native Australian Blooms Displays the Power of Flowers
Read more:Thousands of Illuminated Orbs Bathe the Australian Desert in a Blanket of Vibrant Light
Read more:Intriguing Installation Plunges Library Deep into the Ground
Read more:Kaleidoscopic Installations Made of Thousands of Pieces Crawl Across Floors, Walls, and People
Read more:Projection Mapping on King’s College Chapel Blends 16th-Century Gothic Architecture with Contemporary Art
Read more:New Mirrored Infinity Room Immerses Viewers in Mesmerizing World of Endless Reflections
Read more:Monday Commuters Delighted by London Bridge’s Transformation into Rainbow Brick Road
Read more:New “Infinity” Rooms by Yayoi Kusama Offer Expansive Look at Her Dreamlike Body of Work
Read more:Giant Floating Dandelion Made of Over 3,000 Hand-Blown Glass Orbs
Read more:Vibrant Rainbow Installation Made with 60 Miles of Thread Weaves through the Smithsonian
Read more:Stunning Light Show on Empire State Building is a Moving Tribute to Endangered Animals
Read more:New York Art Installation Invites Adults to Release Their Inner Child and Dive Into a Giant Ball Pit
Read more:Interactive Installation Transports Viewers to Dazzling Universe of Infinite Lights
Read more:Elegant Figures and Faces of Dancers Emerge from Intricately Folded Sheets of Fabric
Read more:Abandoned Detroit House Gets Adorned with 4000 Flowers
Read more:Spectacular Installation of 100,000 Illuminated Balloons Float Inside of London Market
Read more:Artist Collects 50,000 Keys Across the Globe for An Immersive Exhibition on Memories
Read more:New Colorful Canopies of Umbrellas in Portugal
Read more:English Building’s Brick Facade Playfully Slumps Down
Read more:9,000 Human Sand Silhouettes Serve as a Reminder of D-Day
Read more:First Look: New Sparkling Chain Link Fence Sculpture
Read more:Banksy’s Disturbing Stuffed Animals Truck Roams New York
Read more:Massive Fabric Sculpture is Life-Size Home within Home
Read more:Feel Like a Spider in This New Steel Wire Web
Read more:Ai Weiwei’s Forever Bicycles Installation Stuns Toronto
Read more:Interactive Indoor Rain Room Comes to New York
Read more:7 Most Spectacular ‘Mirror Room’ Installations by Yayoi Kusama
