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Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2026, 9(8); doi: 10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090805.

Curating Consumer Space: The Transformation of Sculpture into Installation

Author(s)

Qiantong (Pei Ying) Wong

Corresponding Author:
Qiantong (Pei Ying) Wong
Affiliation(s)

Academy of Arts and Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

Abstract

This article examines the transformation of sculpture into installation within contemporary consumer space, focusing on shopping malls, luxury retail environments, commercial complexes, hotels, and real-estate developments. Rather than treating this shift solely as an internal evolution of artistic media, the study argues that it is closely related to the changing spatial logic of consumer society, in which commercial environments increasingly function as sites of cultural experience, symbolic consumption, and visual communication. Drawing on theories of spatial production, consumer society, spectacle, and site-specific practice, the article analyzes how sculpture moves from an autonomous object toward a spatial, experiential, and communicative form. It further investigates how this transformation reshapes curatorial practice, shifting it from the display of discrete artworks toward the production of spatial experience, cultural identity, and commercial value. The article argues that sculpture and installation increasingly contribute to place-making, brand differentiation, audience engagement, and the symbolic enhancement of consumer environments, while also raising critical questions concerning artistic autonomy, spectacle, and commercial instrumentalization.

Keywords

Sculpture; Installation Art; Consumer Space; Curatorial Practice; Commercial Space; Spatial Production; Cultural Value

Cite This Paper

Qiantong (Pei Ying) Wong. Curating Consumer Space: The Transformation of Sculpture into Installation. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 8: 28-35. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090805.

References

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