Spazi. Spazio #06 2012

Gian Maria Tosatti created this piece, titled Spazi. Spazio #06, by using fire to dramatically alter domestic furniture. The cultural meaning of a table and chair within a stark white room creates a sense of absence. Tosatti, an Italian artist born in 1980, explores themes of collective memory and social alienation. This piece is not about a particular moment, but rather the long-term consequences of choices made by people in the public and private spheres. The labor of burning the furniture is a key part of the artistic process, hinting at destruction and collapse. The remnants of fire on display question whether something new will rise from the ashes or if it is an elegy to consumer culture. To understand work like this better, we can look to sociology, history, and cultural studies. Art is a social practice, and the artist's vision always engages in some way with the structures of contemporary society.