During the Christmas holidays when i returned home i visited the Tate Modern specifically to see Doris Salcedo’s Shibboleth. Her instillation involves a crack that dissects the whole of the massive Turbine hall.
'The concrete walls of the crevice are ruptured by a steel mesh fence, creating a tension between these elements that resist yet depend on one another.'
Its a mind blowing work of art and i think one of the best to feature in the Turbine hall. Instead of looking up at the sheer scale of the Turbine Hall your focus is shifted to the floor and you end up following the crack the whole length of the hall. My mind started to wonder how they went about doing it, and when you start to think about it makes you appreciate it as a work of art even more.
The Tate Modern website goes on to say 'Shibboleth asks questions about the interaction of sculpture and space, about architecture and the values it enshrines, and about the shaky ideological foundations on which Western notions of modernity are built.' I think this is a valid point and the scale of the shibboleth helps to push this point home.
It was also eye opening to find out what the word Shibboleth means:
'Salcedo is addressing a long legacy of racism and colonialism that underlies the modern world. A ‘shibboleth’ is a custom, phrase or use of language that acts as a test of belonging to a particular social group or class. By definition, it is used to exclude those deemed unsuitable to join this group.' I think this elevates the instillation from being a mere spectacle and explains the point that Salcedo ultimately wanted to get across.
I highly recommend going along to see it in person as you will not be disappointed. It is one of the best instillations the Turbine hall has accommodated to date.
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