"Untitled" (Toronto)
Felix Gonzalez-Torres
American, born Cuba. 1957–1996
1992
A long, vertical installation of ordinary light bulbs, an extension cord, and porcelain sockets in which the artist turns domestic hardware into a spare, mutable monument that gestures toward memory, loss, and the possibility of replenishment.
It reads as a single thin line climbing a white wall and then collapsing into a scattered, luminous tangle on the floor, the repeated bulbs registering as delicate, rhythmic beats that feel at once clinical and intimate.
Part of González‑Torres’s practice of using everyday materials as open-ended, participatory sculptures, this work extends Minimalist restraint into personal and political territory—inviting viewers to reflect on absence, care, and the social effects of the AIDS crisis.
Medium
Light bulbs, extension cord, and porcelain light sockets
Dimensions
Dimensions vary with installation
42' (12.8 meters) long, with 20' (6 meters) extra cord
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Emily and Jerry Spiegel
Accession
295.1997
Palette
Exhibitions