All That Glitters is Not Gold: Viewer Understanding of Felix Gonzalez-Torres's Candy Spill Installations

The push to “queer the museum” calls for an increase in the inclusion of LGBT+ artworks and artists as an intervention into the heterosexual museum and canon. While popular, the display of queer, abstract objects is complicated as many museum visitors do not perceive the LGBT+ themes. In this article, I present the data on audience interpretation of two candy spill installations, Untitled (L.A.) (1991) and Untitled (Placebo-Landscape-for-Roni) (1993), when they were featured in exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. Participant observation of and interviews with visitors demonstrate that while they understood the piece as a disruption to the site, no LGBT+ content was perceived. I make specific recommendations to museums based on the findings that argue the installation display, label text and placement, and museum staff training impact the viewer's understanding. As museums continue to participate in the queer turn, more should be considered when tackling the ethical display of LGBT+ works.