An installation is a cohesive composition made up of various objects and materials, both natural and man-made. By using familiar objects in unexpected ways, artists can change their meaning, play with reality, highlight an issue, and draw attention to it.
1 Running Fence
This is the longest installation in the world. Despite its relatively low height of 5.5 meters, it stretches for 40 kilometers. Created in the 1970s by Christo Javacheff and his wife Jeanne-Claude de Guillebon, they began wrapping various objects in fabric to elevate them to the status of art. The fence, stretching across California, became their most ambitious project.
2 Atomium
A symbol of the peaceful atom and the atomic age, and one of Brussels’ main attractions, built in 1958. The installation stands 102 meters tall, consisting of nine spheres connected by tubes. Each sphere has an 18-meter diameter, and visitors can move through the Atomium via special escalators.
3 The Matter of Time
A series of weathered steel semi-circles occupying an entire gallery in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Walking through them creates the illusion that space is moving around the visitor.
4 Sunflower Seeds
This work by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was unveiled in 2010 at Tate Modern. The installation covers 1,000 square meters with 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds, each hand-made and painted. They symbolize the Chinese people and encourage viewers to reflect on the role of individuals in society, highlighting the uniqueness of each person despite apparent similarities.
5 Giant Rubber Duck
Florentijn Hofman created a giant rubber duck, a symbol of childhood and innocence, in 2007. The “toy” weighs nearly a ton and measures 26 by 20 by 32 meters. Released into the world’s oceans, it has floated past the shores of many countries, demonstrating how all people are connected by water.
6 Shibboleth (Crack in the floor of the Tate Modern Gallery, London)
An exhibit that caused several visitors to be injured. The crack in the floor was artificially created in 2007, measuring 167 meters long, about 1 meter deep, and 25 centimeters wide. Doris Salcedo’s work symbolized the division among people. However, the installation was removed a year later.
7 CD Lake
Bruce Munro created a lake from 600,000 CDs, divided by a “river.” The artwork covered an entire field but was dismantled after two months, with the CDs being recycled.
8 Leviathan
Anish Kapoor created a giant Leviathan from tightly stretched and inflated tent fabric. The installation covers 14,000 square meters and reaches a height of 35 meters. Its sheer size is meant to immerse viewers in a state of physical and aesthetic shock.
9 Metalmorphosis
A fountain made of metal platforms and plates, designed in the shape of a man’s head from whose mouth water flows. The metal platforms constantly move at incredible angles. The head weighs 14 tons.
10 Planet of Children
A giant sculpture of Mark Quinn’s 7-month-old son. The bronze baby weighs 7 tons, and the reclining figure is 10 meters tall. Hidden supports give the impression that the child is floating in the air, expressing the boundless love parents have for their children.
