Santiago Sierra (born in Madrid in 1966) is a renowned artist known for his controversial work in the global art community. His art focuses on critiquing the contractual economy, often by involving individuals who are typically immigrants, casual workers, or homeless wanderers. Sierra pays these individuals to perform seemingly meaningless tasks, which he then captures through videos and black-and-white photographs. By using impoverished individuals and minority groups as his artistic materials, Sierra sparks a dialogue and raises questions about societal structures.
He has them carry out some of the most degrading and perilous tasks. These “performances” include holding up walls with the help of five Mexicans, tattooing a hideous 250 cm line across the backs of Cuban youths, and making immigrants sit inside boxes for four hours. By creating these intentionally senseless “jobs,” Sierra emphasizes the disconnect between the workers and their work, revealing labor as something imposed upon them rather than a choice they make. According to Sierra, a paid worker doesn’t care whether they are told to clean a room or make it dirtier – as long as they get paid, it’s all the same. The relationship with work is solely based on money. Some criticize Sierra’s work as exploitative and accuse him of using his career as a disguise for self-promotion. Furthermore, his art performances are viewed as an attack on capitalism in general and the art world specifically, seen as both an irritant and an analysis.
Sierra’s works involve social or political structures and are intended to challenge established power relations in the realm of art and society. The participants in his art pieces are always paid the local minimum wage while Sierra’s documentation of the event can generate substantial financial gain for both the artist and the galleries representing him. Through themes of worker exploitation and marginalization, Sierra directly questions viewers about the limits imposed by contemporary capitalist globalized society.
These and other pieces employ senseless labor to showcase the working conditions in the developing countries. They also highlight the work done by immigrants in the developed nations. The intention is to make the viewers recognize the consequences of globalization, as it pushes the boundaries of capitalism to an extreme level. Sierra has drawn parallels between his work and the performance art from the 1970s. He refers specifically to Marina Abramovic and Ulay’s physically demanding and seemingly endless tasks, such as carrying buckets of stones in a performance they conducted in 1978.
However, Lifted Out Wall takes this idea a step further by employing paid workers. Sierra could have depicted the suffering and exploitation of underpaid laborers, the casualties of global capitalism, through painting, sculpting, or even filmmaking. However, he elects to brand them with a tattooed line to illustrate the existence of individuals willing to endure such humiliation for meager wages. An exhibit that exemplifies this is Sierra’s artwork “160 Cm Line Tattooed On 4 People”. In Sierra’s own words, “The tattoo is not the problem.”
The problem lies in the presence of social conditions that enable me to accomplish this task. It is possible to extend this tattooed line to a length of one kilometer by enlisting the participation of thousands of willing individuals. Sierra’s artwork has not always generated controversy. On one occasion, he found amusement in engaging in mindless aggression by hiring a truck driver to obstruct one of Mexico City’s busiest freeways. The white trailer placed across the road not only caused a massive traffic jam, but also served as the ultimate minimalist industrial object. Occasionally, if not simply once, Sierra manages to go beyond his own provocative nature.
Two years ago at PS1, as part of his project titled “Person Remunerated for a Period of 360 Consecutive Hours,” the artist hired a Hispanic guard at the museum to sit alone behind a partition in the gallery. The guard was allowed to bring personal items into his enclosed space and had access to food and drink through a narrow opening in the wall. This unique opportunity to temporarily escape from daily responsibilities didn’t seem so bad, especially considering the $10 per hour compensation.
Santiago Sierra’s artistic politics revolve around brutality and, at times, sadism. It is true that wage slavery, particularly with the availability of immigrant labor, contributes to this brutality. However, this still does not fully explain Sierra’s own processes. Unlike being symbolic or focused on oppression, Sierra’s work itself is oppressive. In his first exhibition in the UK in 2002, Sierra created a new work titled “Person Saying a Phrase.” In this piece, a beggar in Birmingham’s New Street was hired and paid to utter the following words: ‘My participation in this piece could generate a profit of $72,000.’
I am being paid five pounds. ’ On video, the beggar appeared unconcerned about the artistic or political implications of the statement. Instead, he seemed content to accept the five pounds for his efforts. As mentioned earlier, in many of Sierra’s artworks, he has always found individuals willing to perform in exchange for payment. These performances range from standing closely together inside a gallery during a private viewing, sitting in an empty box, to even engaging in more degrading acts like masturbating in front of the camera after being paid $20 or getting their backs tattooed.
Some other “performances” pieces of art can be both ironic and highly provocative. For instance, during the 2001 Venice Biennale, individuals who were illegal immigrants from various regions and naturally had dark hair were financially compensated to dye their hair blonde. Similarly, in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2000, two drug addicts had a 10 inch line shaved on their heads. As compensation for this act, each junkie received a dose of heroin. These examples clearly illustrate the concept described by Coleridge as the suspension of disbelief. This notion refers to the audience’s willingness to disregard the limitations presented by a particular medium so that these restrictions do not hinder the acceptance of an artistic creation.
Despite our repulsion as passive viewers at the idea of these two young guys being paid with heroin for their performance, it is overshadowed by the pleasure of witnessing them sitting together and possibly having a casual conversation. As we accept the final piece of art, which is a shaved line on their heads, a temporary empty spot is left on their scalps. One artwork by Sierra that I find particularly intriguing is “8 People Paid to Remain inside Cardboard boxes”.
Eight boxes of residual cardboard were created and arranged at equal distances. Adjacent to these boxes, eight chairs were positioned. A public call for participants was made, seeking individuals willing to endure the oppressive heat by sitting inside the boxes for four hours. Compensation was offered at approximately $9 per hour. Various aspects of this artwork imply potential interpretations. The initial notable aspect is the participants themselves, who all share a Hispanic heritage.
Sierra’s decision to select only Hispanic people is intriguing as it highlights a common issue faced by developed nations: illegal immigration. Despite the illegality of their employment, Sierra paid these individuals to sit beneath cardboard boxes in a partially occupied office building. The significance of the box itself is also notable, as it can be seen as a symbol of protection utilized by illegal immigrants to avoid detection.
The concept of spending four hours inside a box and receiving money for this performance is analogous to the actions of undocumented workers who work secretly and hide their legal status to avoid deportation. The box used in this piece is made of disposable material – cardboard. Unfortunately, this fragile material does not offer reliable support to those inside the boxes. While cardboard boxes provide a mere covering for individuals, they can be easily removed.
The text suggests that there is no stable or trustworthy place for individuals to rely on completely. This raises the question of whether those inside disposable boxes are also considered disposable. Another aspect discussed is the urgency experienced by many undocumented immigrants who willingly participate in this “performance” to earn money, despite their legal status.
In summary, Santiago Sierra’s work exemplifies antagonism by compensating workers from underdeveloped countries to carry out tasks (often unpleasant) typically performed by Sierra himself. This approach diverges from fostering consensus as he establishes his own regulations. As observers, our integrity becomes a subject of scrutiny. Sierra’s art urges us to contemplate our own principles as viewers, participants, and individuals.
