Object Annotation 5

Jean Tinguely, Homage to New York, 1960

Hereniko discusses the potential of virtual and digital environments to make art accessible and to connect people to cultural objects in transformative ways. Although Homage to New York was a physical piece, its self-destruction highlighted themes of impermanence and the fleeting nature of experiences, mirroring virtual spaces where experiences are often transient and memory-based. Furthermore, the documentation of this performance piece in photographs and film extends its life virtually, allowing audiences beyond the original event to connect with and reflect on its themes. Furthermore, Homage to New York is a monster of a time commitment to set up and takes very little time to self destruct. VR could allow for people across the world to experience the forces at play in a way video can't, without the technical challenges of recreating the piece every time.

Hereniko and Homage to New York

The subject matter of Homage to New York is, believe it or not, New York. No city in America has such a powerful identity associated with it as New York City. As a result, it's no surprise we see parallels between Hereniko's writings on how art can foster a sense of community and cultural connection when examining Homage to New York. The original piece had bystanders in the same room with one another, observing the contraptions unfold. As a result, a sense of community was created from the shared experience of watching something ephemeral occur. However, now that Homage to New York can be replicated through VR or watched on video the novelty is gone and so it struggled to build a community of New Yorkers as easily. Imagine an inside joke between friends suddenly being used by everyone. On the other hand, New Yorkers around the world can appreciate their hometown through video, which connects to Hereniko's point on virtual art helping to prevent diaspora.

Hereniko and Subject

In the 1960's many artists felt anxiety around industrialization and rapid growth. However, Jean Tinguely decided to embrace the chaos industrialization brought to life in his homage to New York. I see this shift as a perfect example of Winckelmann's belief that our environment shapes our ability to find beauty in art. Winckelmann believed the Greek climate meant tasks could be done naked which gave the Greeks a better appreciation for form, and "objectively" good art. While I don't believe Winckelmann's point about some art being objectively good or bad, the chaotic city environment has an obvious impact on Jean Tinguely's ability to find beauty. Instead of finding beauty in biology, we can now find it in cars, neon lights, and steel machines.

Winckelmann and Context

Classen discusses how smells of decay can create feelings of discomfort and in-group out-group exclusion. Homage to New York creates its own decay which is meant to provoke similar feelings of discomfort and anxiety. Particularly, anxiety surrounding the rapid growth of New York, developments in technology, overstimulation, and accelerationism. We see how decay, while mechanical and not biological, can create a sense of chaos and fear just like Classen says it can. Viewers are overstimulated by the plethora of asymetrical forces that exist in a city and so the decay Classen talks about brings a sense of anxiety. The collapse of the city parallels the schizophrenic collapse of our own mental capacity from urban environments.

Classen and Style

Rickey, his last name is a first name and it's confusing, emphasizes that movement should be central to kinetic art. Forces need to be integral to the piece rather than decorative or supplementary. Homage to New York exemplifies this principle, as its purpose is inextricably linked to its movement and eventual self-destruction. Tinguely’s sculpture captures Rickey’s ideals by being inherently dynamic, with each component contributing to a sense of orchestrated motion and chaos, making movement itself the artwork’s primary language. Furthermore, this piece falls under what Rickey would describe as "movement itself" because every physical component of the piece is meant to exert some sort of force, which means that forces are the sole focus of the piece.

Rickey and Homage to New York