Thomas Hirschhorn

(Born 1957 in Bern, Switzerland)

Wood-Chain VIII (Pisa Tower), 2004
Wood
117 x 84 x 24 in. (297.2 x 213.4 x 61 cm)
Fractional and promised gift of
Beth and Anthony Terrana

Thomas Hirschhorn's Wood-Chain VIII (Pisa Tower) resembles a giant necklace with an attached pendant in the shape of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Made of wood, one of the artist's signature rough and democratic materials, the piece juxtaposes incongruous symbols of architecture and globalization, such as a tourist souvenir trinket of the Pisa Tower and flashy hip-hop "bling" jewelry. Reflecting the artist's preoccupation with dystopian conflicts of globalization, the base of the pendant reads "Utopia, Utopia, One World, One War, One Army, One Dress," which was also the title of Hirschhorn's acclaimed 2005 ICA exhibition.

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