Santiago Sierra - 3 Cubes of 100cm on each side moved 700cm
Kunsthalle Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, 2002
Santiago Sierra's '3 Cubes of 100cm on each side moved 700cm' was performed in a public art institution in Switzerland in 2002. Employing six illegal Albanian refugees with out work permits to move by hand three large cement cubes from one wall of the gallery to the opposing one.
Although using clear references to Minimalist sculpture Sierra's work is more-over an exploration of arts relationship to labour and politics. Understanding people as he would any other material, "Persons are objects of the State and of Capital and are employed as such". Paying a tiny wage to the six Albanians for their exhausing work '3 Cubes of 100cm on each side moved 700cm' illustrated how easily the human body can be exploited for labour.
There is a good article written about Sierras work and the surrounding notions of labour by Heidi Kellett which can be found here.
