SHIBBOLETHOn Furniture，Art and the Border of Infamy

【Abstract】Sensitivity to art is relevant to all professions，although for those students directly related to creativity， the habit of attending to exhibitions is indispensable for their personal growth and for their education as future designers.

【Key words】Furniture；Art；Border of Infamy

Someone insensitive to the pleasure produced by an aesthetic experience， not only has fewer tools to build their critical thinking， also will be excluded from one of the most valuable constructions of human thought. Art is deeply linked to our essence and we can recognize ourselves as thinking creatures with some sort of leading role in this world.

This essay deals with an exhibition by the Colombian sculptor Doris Salcedo， she was born in Bogota （1958）. Salcedo studied fine arts at the University Jorge Tadeo Lozano in the same city， she also took part in the guides training program of Bogota’s Museum of Modern Art under the supervision of the Colombian artist Beatriz Gonzales. In the early 80's she moved to the United States where she completed an MFA at the University of New York. Doris Salcedo is one of the most recognized figures of contemporary art in Colombia and has display her work around the world in such prestigious venues as the Tate Modern in London， the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid. She currently lives and works in Bogotá Colombia.

Doris Salcedo was selected in 2007 for the annual Unilever Series at the Tate Modern in London， one of the most prestigious shows in the arts world， this honor has also been given to internationally acclaimed artists such as the British-Indian Anish Kapoor or the Chinese Ai Weiwei. The massive size of the hall is a key determinant for the works， these should cover an area of approximately 3500 square meters， and is visited by millions of viewers， it is estimated that nearly 5 million people annually visit the Tate Modern.

Her work is called Shibboleth. This is a biblical word that appears in the Book of Judges（Chapter 12，verses1-15）①a kind of password used by the tribe of Gilead to recognize their enemies belonging to the town of Ephraim， as they were unable to pronounce the sound \"shi\"， saying instead the sound \"si\". This was the sign to condemn the enemies trying to run away， which then were captured and slaughtered.

Salcedo's work has always reflected a deep commitment to the political and social reality of her country. Many of her works consist of used pieces of furniture （old chairs， tables and cabinets） that are transformed into objects capable of transmitting strong emotions at first glance， often associated with physical and emotional pain and suffering.

Shibboleth is not a traditional piece of sculpture or a readymade but a disruption. It’s a crack in the floor of the Turbine Hall that aims to mark a fracture in the homogeneous and monochrome tissue of Western history， always divided in good and bad， believers and impious， gods and demons. Western history has always been written by proud winners， that is why it tends to dehumanize the enemies， and is full of one-way truths and absolute convictions， along with desires of extermination of anyone who has dared to violate the ephemeral limits of our borders， our laws and our moral.

Near the side door of the Tate Modern could be seen a slight crack that led to the side and then began its expansion along the 167-meter floor. First imperceptibly， then more and more forceful， to complete a zigzag course around the hall， ending with a gap of 50 centimeters between the two walls of the crack. These walls were reinforced by a mesh， a fabric capable of contain and isolate just like fences around private properties and prisons， dividing the world into good and bad， rich and poor， locals and foreigners.

The experience of the exhibition begins with the building itself， the former Bankside Power Station designed by the British architect： Sir Giles Gilbert Scott， author of iconic buildings， as the Battersea Power Station， and the legendary London’s Red Telephone Boxes. The space by itself resembles a cathedral， a huge space that rises endless， not trying to reach God in the highest， but rather devoted to the pursuit of art.

Many thoughts arise from contemplating Shibboleth. Its visual strength fulfills its purpose of reminding the divisions that dominate the world， particularly those of racism and xenophobia. For example， the world is full of travel facilities， aircrafts， high-speed trains， etc. but only a small percentage of people have the right to use them， something as fortuitous as the place of birth determines whether or not an individual will have the right to take a plane. Your nationality puts a great barrier in being able to hop or not into that plane. It’s not only a matter of having the money to buy the ticket but also it is necessary to feed an insatiable bureaucracy； visas， letters， insurances and so on. All in the name of fear.

But what are we afraid of？ Immigrants？ Terrorists？ Drug dealers？ Aren’t those new monsters a result of the moral failings of a globalized society？ Maybe we are just afraid of ourselves， and all the emptiness of our lives， perhaps the fact that we are conscious of how insignificant we are stops us to fully accept and enjoy the difference in others.

An artist from the so-called third world， someone from a dehumanized country divided by an endless war shouts out in the center of European culture， that we are all the same， regardless of the language or the accent， regardless of the color， sexual orientation or country of origin， we all deserve the same humane treatment and the same respect for our rights， for our freedom of speech， thinking and movement. This ideas are clear for most countries in theory since a long time ago but in practice does not apply， and is precisely art what can help us to bring awareness to it.