Home
Talks
Duchamp's 'Readymades' and the Making of Contemporary Art
Duchamp's 'Readymades' and the Making of Contemporary Art
When surveying the diverse and often difficult works on display in modern art galleries, it's always tempting to ask: 'what exactly is contemporary art?'
Director of the Hayward Gallery in London Ralph Rugoff offers one answer to this contentious question: that 'contemporary art is defiant about defying any attempt to define it' --- and it wholly embraces this ambiguity. Rugoff credits Marcel Duchamp's concept of the 'readymade' as the watershed moment for contemporary art as we know it, the word and form arising from his repurposing of a prefabricated object as sculpture. In this video, Rugoff examines how Duchamp's concept has ricocheted through art history, touching upon works by modern and contemporary masters such as Jasper Johns, Gerhard Richter, Damien Hirst and Jeremy Deller.
Time Period:
20th century
Themes:
Ralph Rugoff is Director of the Hayward Gallery in London. Since his appointment in 2006, he has curated numerous acclaimed exhibitions including 'Psycho Buildings: Artists Take On Architecture', 'The Painting of Modern Life', 'Jeremy Deller: Joy in People', and 'The Infinite Mix: Contemporary Sound and Video'. He was previously Director of the California College of the Arts (CCA) Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts and was the founding chair of CCA's Graduate Program in Curatorial Practice. His publications include monographs on George Condo, Mark Wallinger and Anya Gallacio, as well as Circus American, Scene of the Crime, and At the Threshold of the Visible. In 2005, he won the inaugural Ordway Prize in the category of arts writer and/or curator from the Penny McCall Foundation. In 2015, he was invited to curate an edition of the Biennale de Lyon, Rugoff's incarnation of the festival examining 'La Vie Moderne'.
Watch More
Watch More
12:34
Maurizio Cattelan: Comedian
‘He created a sign that went beyond the border of the art world, beyond the border of the art fair, and invaded the collective imagination of the world.’ — Francesco Bonami on Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’.
14:52
The Revolution of the Black Square
How Kazimir Malevich’s painting of a simple Black Square changed the direction of modern art.
8:44
Ashley Bickerton: ‘Looking for Something Beyond’
Join Ashley Bickerton on the Hawaii beach where he first caught a wave to hear how a nomadic lifestyle has influenced his practice.
12:34
Maurizio Cattelan: Comedian
‘He created a sign that went beyond the border of the art world, beyond the border of the art fair, and invaded the collective imagination of the world.’ — Francesco Bonami on Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’.
14:52
The Revolution of the Black Square
How Kazimir Malevich’s painting of a simple Black Square changed the direction of modern art.
8:44
Ashley Bickerton: ‘Looking for Something Beyond’
Join Ashley Bickerton on the Hawaii beach where he first caught a wave to hear how a nomadic lifestyle has influenced his practice.
12:15
Bridget Riley: The Art of Perception
Discover the origins and evolution of Bridget Riley’s spectacular practice.
10:32
The Secrets of the Witham Shield
Teach your eyes to see the powerful symbols hidden in Celtic designs.
6:41
HENI Talks x Articulation: Barbara Hepworth, 'Family of Man'
Qabir Alli and Marianne Whiting — alumni of the Articulation Prize — discuss Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Family of Man’.