A Visual Interplay of Cracks Metaphorically to Present Segregation in Conceptual Painting

This installation-based study investigates the intersection of conceptual art, site-specific installation, and socio-political critique by employing the metaphor of cracks to visualise segregation. Executed on and around a visibly cracked wall, the work unfolds in three interconnected parts that blend found objects, black-painted tree branches, and multicoloured woven fabrics into a spatial, immersive experience. Cracks extend from the wall into the surrounding environment, transforming metaphor into lived encounter, while the juxtaposition of dark, fractured branches and vibrant textiles symbolically enacts the tension between division and unity. Grounded in conceptual art’s emphasis on idea over object, the installation leverages metaphor, materiality, and appropriation to provoke reflection on ethnic and religious segregation. The cracked wall serves not just as a physical backdrop but as an active narrative agent, reinforcing the role of site-specificity in generating meaning. Through embodied viewer engagement and the strategic reinvention of ordinary materials, the work transcends traditional visual art to become a participatory dialogue on social fragmentation. The installation directs viewers into a sensory and intellectual negotiation with division, offering space for both critique and contemplation of collective healing.