Purple Void
Tony Oursler, 2005
Information
Created in 2005, Purple Void is made of aluminum and an LCD screen with an acrylic surface. Its dimensions are 106.7 × 111.8 × 2.5 cm, and its technique combines sculpture and digital imagery in a way that remains pioneering. The work is housed in The Met Hotel’s permanent collection.
Artistic Context
Tony Oursler (b. 1957, New York) is internationally recognized for his radical approach to video art, sculpture, and the use of new media. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, he became widely known during the 1977–1989 decade with works shown in alternative spaces and museums.
From 1991 onwards, his “Dummies”—paper or fabric figures brought to life through projection—created a new framework for perceiving the human face as a projection surface, sparking global interest and, often, controversy.
In Purple Void, Oursler explores the individual’s relationship with mass media through a work that combines sound, image, and material in an almost psychoanalytic experience. With imagination, technical mastery, and sharp humor, he transforms the viewer into an active participant in a dystopian narrative.
Placement & Dynamics at The Met
Purple Void is one of the most distinctive digital installations in The Met Hotel’s collection, bringing the feeling of the “digital body” into the design hospitality space. Placed in a central yet introverted spot, it draws attention through its visual intensity and the hypnotic rhythm of the moving image.
It reflects the hotel’s strategy of hosting art that stimulates thought, connects technological media with human psychology, and transforms the space into a place of emotional engagement.
Why it deserves your attention
- A Unique Hybrid: Purple Void is neither a painting nor a video—it’s a “living” screen that breathes in the space.
- A Personal Challenge: The viewer feels both watched and involved, as if they are a protagonist in the work itself.
- Ahead of Its Time: It combines technology, performance, and visual power in a work that preceded the digital age we live in today.