Bataille Monument 2002

Thomas Hirschhorn made this monument to the writer Georges Bataille using wood and metallic tape. What strikes me is how raw the materials are, almost like something you’d find at a construction site, or maybe left out in the rain. This monument feels…temporary. The shiny tape is stretched and pulled, emphasizing the textures underneath. It's like Hirschhorn's thinking about the material process as he makes the work. The way the light hits that tape, those little folds and creases, is interesting, it's almost like a painter applying glazes to a canvas. It makes me think of Kurt Schwitters, actually, who worked with found materials and trash to make art. And like Schwitters, Hirschhorn makes you see that art isn't precious, it's something that can be built out of everyday life, a monument that's also a playscape. Ultimately, the monument is less about what it represents and more about how it invites you to play and think.