rudolf stingel makes installations out by covering the walls of a gallery with panels of celotex tuff-R, an insulated foil-covered foam that invited visitors to scratch, gouge, rip and insert objects like a giant graffiti wall. it’s a very moving experience because there is a chaotic overlay of multi-scaled art unique and predictable. these installations make the point that user-generated art can be gorgeous as long as the medium is suitable for a wide array of participants and maintains an consistent esthetic no matter what people do. it behaves very similarly to comments on a blog post, sometimes childish and obnoxious and sometimes sensitive and delicate but always revealing of the particular viewing public’s soul. i photographed this wall in venice at the 2003 art biennial.
