Exhibition Guide

For Felix Gonzalez-Torres, “Untitled” (Water) was rich with meaning. Its fluid strands of blue, silver, and clear beads evoked warm memories of the sea and alluded to water inside the human body. Installed across a threshold between two open spaces, the curtain also suggests a person’s passage from one place or state to another. Familiar commercially-fabricated strands of plastic beads help the viewer connect with the artwork on a personal level. The artist goes even further by inviting viewers to touch the beads, move through the sculpture, and feel themselves enveloped by the long strands. Asked about his creative strategy, the artist observed: “…I don’t attach sentiment to mass-produced materials or objects, they already have it. I just make them obvious.”