I must have skipped over Santiago Sierra's three short pages in Taschen's "Art Now" close to fifteen times without ever giving any time to the blownout videograbs and grainy photographs. Recently, I found my eyes again on his section, and figured I should give it a shot.
In short, "social trauma" is a thematic package that Sierra's work can be wrapped up in. Another would be "kicking people when they're down". "10-inch line shaved on the heads of two junkies who received a shot of heroin as payment" is the name of the above work, and without wasting words, explains the seemingly playful image in a downright unsettling fashion.
Sierra's brand of explotation in and of itself doesn't create real change in the social structures it seeks to address, and in the end, it is the viewing public that will make decisions as to what to do with Sierra's provocations. To make up your own mind, check out this and other works at: http://www.santiago-sierra.com/index_1024.php
