Untitled 2004 - 2005

Editor: This is an 'Untitled' piece by Doris Salcedo. It appears to be a chair, but cast in concrete. It looks incredibly heavy and unusable. What do you make of it? Curator: The concrete is key. Salcedo’s choice of this material speaks volumes about permanence, weight, and the burdens carried by marginalized communities. The chair, a common domestic object, is transformed into something monumental and oppressive through the labor and material. How might this relate to the artist’s Columbian background? Editor: So the familiar form contrasts with the unexpected material to create a sense of unease? Curator: Exactly. It challenges our assumptions about function and value, prompting us to consider the social and political forces at play in its creation and consumption. Editor: I hadn’t considered the labor involved. It gives me a lot to think about.