The Kiss (2013): Immortality in the Age of Social Media
Amid the cacophony of voices in the art world, “The Kiss” emerges not as a whisper, but a resonant chord that strikes deep. Created in 2013, it elegantly marries the age-old quest for artistic immortality with the immediacy and omnipresence of social media.
At its core, “The Kiss” is a sculpture, but one that remains incomplete without human interaction. By inviting visitors to stand on its marble base and engage in an intimate act of affection, it does not simply transform the viewer into the viewed but elevates them to the pedestal of artistry. This is a bold deviation from tradition – while sculptures have historically sought to capture and epitomize human form and emotion, “The Kiss” is a canvas awaiting the brushstrokes of human connection.
This transformative nature of the artwork is further accentuated when participants, now co-artists, tag their captured moment with #lbthekiss. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook, typically seen as the realm of fleeting interactions and ephemeral memories, become archives, ensuring the longevity of these personal art pieces. In doing so, “The Kiss” explores the new pathways to immortality in the digital age. If once artists relied on stone and paint to eternalize moments, now hashtags and pixels play the role of preserving our narratives.
However, the most intriguing aspect of this piece is its deliberate dissolution of traditional roles in the art world. The admirer is no longer a passive observer; they are the artwork. This subtle but profound shift in dynamics forces us to reckon with the questions about art's ownership, creation, and consumption. Who is the real creator here? The artist who conceived the idea, or the participant who breathed life into it?
