Adel Abdessemed

Conceptual artist Adel Abdessemed, like William Lamson and Cai Guo-Qiang, creates situations based on deliberate actions—or “acts” as he calls them—carried out on everyday materials, which he documents with videos, photographs, and later juxtaposes with a sculptural remainder from the action itself. In Grand canyon (2008), Abdessemed dangled from a precipice over the canyon’s abyss and carved the single word “DEATH” into the underside of the boulder from which he was hanging. The work consisted of Abdessemed's daring act, as well as photograph of it and the engraved rock itself, relocated to the gallery.