3000 HOLLOWS OF 170 X 70 X70 cm EACH 2002

His works reflect his non-compliance with the social system in which we live, a system which highlights social and racial differences.  The main concept on which his artist career is based is related to work, above all that of immigrants and marginalised societies with the lack of opportunities and the submissive attitude to labour activity in the hope of receiving a salary and permitting the continued operation of the capitalist system.  Following this premise, for some of his works the artist contracted workers to undertake useless activities throughout the course of one work day.

The project completed at the NMAC Foundation in 2002 is based on these premises, where a group of immigrants of Maghribian and Sub-Saharan origin, contracted and insured for the occasion spent three weeks excavating 3000 hollows each of 180 x 70 x 70 cm in size, on a hill within the Montenmedio estate from where one can make out the African continent.  Later the artist took aerial photographs of the hollows and presented a 3 image edition and video which can be seen at the NMAC Foundation.

The 3000 aligned hollows occupy a surface area of 25,000m2 some two and a half hectares, on arid land.  The structuring of the hollows, their positioning and numbering is a minimalist concept and like other minimalist artists, through this project Santiago Sierra hopes to find a meaning to the social reality of many people who cannot find their place in a global world, in a world of borders, of “non-places” where economic partnerships prevail or personal relationships.