via: antoni
Notes:
Janine Antoni's work, particularly her piece involving the cube made of chocolate and soap, is a powerful exploration of the body, consumption, and the often-blurred lines between indulgence and necessity. The piece, which consists of a large chocolate cube that the artist licked into shape and a similar soap cube that she washed herself with, invites viewers to contemplate the intimate and repetitive actions we perform daily. By using her body to transform these materials, Antoni brings attention to the personal, tactile relationship we have with objects and substances, pushing the boundaries of what is considered sculpture.
The duality of the materials—chocolate representing desire, indulgence, and pleasure, and soap symbolizing cleanliness, ritual, and purification—adds a rich layer of meaning to the work. Antoni cleverly juxtaposes these two substances to question how societal norms and personal desires shape our experiences with our own bodies. The act of licking and washing becomes symbolic, not only of consumption and purification but also of the slow erosion of identity and form. As the artist's body interacts with the cubes, they gradually lose their original shapes, echoing the way our bodies and identities are continuously reshaped by our interactions with the world around us.
Antoni's piece is also a meditation on the ephemeral nature of art and the body. Both the chocolate and soap cubes are transient; they change, deteriorate, and eventually disappear with use, much like the human body itself. This impermanence is central to the work's impact, as it challenges traditional notions of sculpture as something permanent and immutable. Instead, Antoni's work exists in the moment of interaction, highlighting the temporal and personal nature of art. In doing so, she invites the viewer to reconsider the value of art, not just as an object to be observed but as an experience to be lived.
- RJG