Suspended in Time and Space: The Concept of the Fragment in Contemporary Installation Art

Abstract

For centuries, the term “the fragment” has been used to signify impartial and incomplete artistic objects. Ranging from antique sculptural fragments to the fragmented views of Cubism and contemporary destruction (fragmentation), the fragment has occupied an important space in readings and definitions of artworks of diverse historical periods and artistic mediums. However, there has not been a similar thorough interest in the history and meaning of the term in art history. The lack of a clear distinction or a complete history of the concept causes unintentional conflation of fragments with other smaller, impartial objects – symbols, icons, etc. – when writing on fragments in visual arts. This thesis aims to define the specificities of the fragment in visual arts, specifically in contemporary installation art. By analysing theoretical writings on the fragment ranging from Romanticism to contemporary theory and comparing these theoretical models to practical artworks, the research highlights the specificities of the fragment as a distinct concept. The thesis does so by focusing on three stages of the fragment – the production of it, its being, and its reception by observers. This thesis aims to present the fragment as a specific aesthetic concept found in contemporary art with specificities that crucially affect its being in time and space and the creation of interpretations of it. It aims at questioning the narrow usage of the term solely for impartial material objects and suggests expanding it to understand specific modes of the fragment’s being that allow for diverse and open-ended models of reception. Following the threefold structure of my research (production/being/reception) and synthesizing theory with practice, the thesis will seek to answer the central question of the thesis: How can a fragment be defined as a specific and distinct aesthetic category found in contemporary installation art?