5 Art Installations That Have The Power To Change The World

Art imitates life, as the saying goes. Art helps us express great emotions and interpret reality in a way that can change the perspective of all who lay eyes upon it. These five impactful installations have the power to shape how people see the world.

1. 'What Were You Wearing?' by Jen Brockman and Dr. Mary Wyandt-Hiebert

The Chicago Tribune / Via chicagotribune.com

This touring collection depicts the outfits real survivors were wearing at the time of their sexual assault. The purpose behind Brockman and Wyandt-Hiebert's exhibit is to shatter the myth that a person's wardrobe choice or outward appearance somehow invites the crime itself, dispelling the rhetoric of victim blaming.

2. 'Reclaiming the Monument' by Dustin Klein

The Museum of Modern Art / Via moma.org

This installation was born in the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, as many state and local legislatures finally voted for the removal of old Confederate monuments. The light projections on the Robert E. Lee Confederate statue in Richmond, Virginia highlight the faces of police brutality victims, as well as messages of the movement and faces of important Black citizens throughout history. These projections transform the statue from a symbol of racism and white supremacy into a space for all to mourn those who were murdered in racial hate crimes and to celebrate Black contributions.

3. 'Untitled' (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres

The Art Institute of Chicago / Via arctic.edu

This interactive art piece consists of 175 pounds of brightly-colored wrapped candies. The candies represent the healthy weight of Felix's partner, Ross Laycock, who tragically passed away from AIDS in 1991. As visitors remove pieces of candy, the pile shrinks, highlighting Laycock's diminished physical condition before his untimely death and calling attention to the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS. The work is constantly replenished by museum personnel, as a metaphorical gifting of eternal life to the artist's partner.

4. 'The Dinner Party' by Judy Chicago

Brooklyn Museum / Via brooklynmuseum.org

This 1970s feminist art installation features a triangular banquet table that is set with 39 place settings and a tile floor beneath inscribed with 999 names. The spots at the table and carvings on the floor commemorate the lives of influential women throughout time, from Sojourner Truth and Virginia Woolf to Susan B. Anthony and Georgia O'Keeffe. It is a symbol of their mark on history and their literal seat at the table.

5. 'And How Many Rains Must Fall before the Stains Are Washed Clean' by Imran Qureshi

Met Museum / Via metmuseum.org

This exhibit transformed the rooftop of the Met into the aftermath of a war zone and was Qureshi's response to the brutal bombings in Lahore, a major city in his homeland of Pakistan. The piece is representative of the disturbing effects all forms of violent bloodshed can have on the human spirit. Yet, within the red acrylic blood spatter, there were emerging intricate flower patterns, illustrating that violence pervades life, but it does not stamp out life. Violent tragedy tinges the soul like blood in water, but it can also give rise to hope and new beginnings.