Danger: Art ahead
Commentary
The New York Times reports that 15 people were injured by Colombian artist Doris Salcedo's installation "Shibboleth" during its first eight weeks at the Tate Modern museum in London.
The installation consists of a giant crack in the floor meant to address "a long legacy of racism and colonialism that underlies the modern world."
A "shibboleth," according to tate.org, is "a custom, phrase or use of language that acts as a test of belonging to a particular social group or class. By definition, it is used to exclude those deemed unsuitable to join this group."
I suppose that means those who can't see a giant crack in the floor and trip on it should be excluded from the ranks of art patrons.
What I liked about the Times story, however, was a couple of quotes:
A kiwi woman who tripped and fell during the reporter's visit and suffered a couple of bruises: “I just didn’t see it... I don’t think it should be there at all... It’s not America, so I won’t sue.”
And this from a 29-year-old businessman visiting from Serbia: “Art is dangerous sometimes.”
