Felix Gonzalez-Torres was born in Cuba in 1957 and moved to New York in 1979 to study at the Pratt Institute, the International Center of Photography, and New York University. He gained widespread recognition for his distinctive approach to installation art, characterized by the incorporation of seemingly mundane, everyday objects, such as piles of wrapped candies, stacks of paper, strings of light bulbs, and ticking clocks in poetic and unconventional ways. These familiar objects, rich in symbolic meaning, challenge traditional notions of authorship, permanence, and the role of the viewer. His work quietly yet powerfully reflects the political and emotional realities of the AIDS crisis and the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s. Gonzalez-Torres died of AIDS-related causes in Miami on January 9, 1996.
Between 1989 and 1995, he produced a series of billboard works featuring images such as birds in flight, empty beds, abstract textures, and isolated gestures. "Untitled" (The New Plan), part of this series, presents an ambiguous surface—perhaps fabric in motion, a close-up of denim, a body of water, or static on a screen. This intentional uncertainty invites viewers to bring their own interpretations, shaped by personal memories and perspectives.
The artist’s use of denim as a visual element carries layered significance. Beyond its roots in utilitarian workwear, denim has been widely adopted across both mainstream fashion and various subcultures. Within LGBTQ+ communities, it has functioned as a subtle form of coded expression – communicating identity and solidarity without words.
“Untitled” (The New Plan) is part of Actual Fractals Act III and will be installed in various locations around Milwaukee and rural Wisconsin in partnership with The Poor Farm for their exhibition Model Home Part II. The installation sites subtly reference the evolution of commercial advertising, from the fading hand-painted advertisements apparent around Milwaukee’s historic buildings to the ever-growing presence of digital screens used today.
Felix Gonzalez-Torres was born in Cuba in 1957 and moved to New York in 1979 to study at the Pratt Institute, the International Center of Photography, and New York University. He gained widespread recognition for his distinctive approach to installation art, characterized by the incorporation of seemingly mundane, everyday objects, such as piles of wrapped candies, stacks of paper, strings of light bulbs, and ticking clocks in poetic and unconventional ways. These familiar objects, rich in symbolic meaning, challenge traditional notions of authorship, permanence, and the role of the viewer. His work quietly yet powerfully reflects the political and emotional realities of the AIDS crisis and the culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s. Gonzalez-Torres died of AIDS-related causes in Miami on January 9, 1996.
Between 1989 and 1995, he produced a series of billboard works featuring images such as birds in flight, empty beds, abstract textures, and isolated gestures. "Untitled" (The New Plan), part of this series, presents an ambiguous surface—perhaps fabric in motion, a close-up of denim, a body of water, or static on a screen. This intentional uncertainty invites viewers to bring their own interpretations, shaped by personal memories and perspectives.
The artist’s use of denim as a visual element carries layered significance. Beyond its roots in utilitarian workwear, denim has been widely adopted across both mainstream fashion and various subcultures. Within LGBTQ+ communities, it has functioned as a subtle form of coded expression – communicating identity and solidarity without words.
“Untitled” (The New Plan) is part of Actual Fractals Act III and will be installed in various locations around Milwaukee and rural Wisconsin in partnership with The Poor Farm for their exhibition Model Home Part II. The installation sites subtly reference the evolution of commercial advertising, from the fading hand-painted advertisements apparent around Milwaukee’s historic buildings to the ever-growing presence of digital screens used today.
Social Choreography Score
by Kim Miller
Social Choreography Score
by Kim Miller
Stand before the work and notice what you feel on your skin – your clothes, your shoes, the wind.
Remember that the wind you feel has touched many others on its path.
The sun and moon are shared by everyone on this planet.
Find a shadow on the ground, and move along the edge between the dark and light. Try to fit into the space between.
Rub your hands together when you have reached the end of your movement, and clap two times – once for you and once for others.
Stand before the work and notice what you feel on your skin – your clothes, your shoes, the wind.
Remember that the wind you feel has touched many others on its path.
The sun and moon are shared by everyone on this planet.
Find a shadow on the ground, and move along the edge between the dark and light. Try to fit into the space between.
Rub your hands together when you have reached the end of your movement, and clap two times – once for you and once for others.
