"Untitled" (Placebo) 1991

This striking installation by Felix Gonzalez-Torres is made from a shimmering carpet of silver-wrapped candies. At first glance, the shiny wrapper suggests industrial production, of an item manufactured in an anonymous factory. But look closer: the piece isn't just about mass production. The act of individually wrapping each candy hints at care, even love. The silver wrappers, catching and reflecting light, create a sense of allure. In this way, the work is not far removed from the meticulous, skilled approach of craft. The viewer is invited to take a candy, diminishing the work over time. This simple gesture connects to the wider social issues of loss, mourning, and memory, and implicates the viewer as an active participant in the work's changing form. Gonzalez-Torres’ choice of such a commonplace material, and the engagement with the viewer, collapses any assumed hierarchy between art and life.