We know art can challenge our perceptions and ignite (sometimes fierce) debates about societal values and ethics. Thanks to this, many museums have turned throughout history into arenas for debate rather than mere curated collections. Here’s a look at notable works housed in U.S. museums that have challenged norms and forced public reckoning.
#1: “Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp – Philadelphia Museum of Art
It’s the ultimate “Is this really art?” piece. Conceived and exhibited for the first time in the United States during WW I, Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain”, a porcelain urinal presented as art, defied traditional artistic standards. It is said that Duchamp was a great chess player; here, with a single movement, he challenged us to reflect on whether it is the specific qualities of an object or the institution that houses it (the museum) that makes us consider it special and artistically valuable.
