Site-Specific Art

Robert Irwin's Scrim veil—Black rectangle—Natural light at the Whitney Museum of American Art, 2013

Site-specific art is art conceived for a particular place, indoors or outdoors. A work may be made at that place or developed for its physical and social conditions. Its location forms part of the work rather than serving only as an interchangeable exhibition space.

The term became prominent in the 1960s and was developed through installation, land art and conceptual practices. Artists associated with these approaches include Robert Irwin, Hans Haacke, Daniel Buren and Patricia Johanson. Commissions often involve architects, public authorities and people who use the site.

The question of whether a work can be moved is central to the practice. Richard Serra opposed the relocation of Tilted Arc, made for a plaza in New York, on the grounds that removing it would destroy its identity as a work for that location.

See also

• Land Art
• Elmgreen and Dragset
• Prada Marfa
• Prada Marfa (Remilio background)