
Wall With Blattodea Pheromone, 2007
From Wall Works
Test strips of cockroach pheromones to be displayed equidistantly on a wall. Stripes 10 x 6.5 cm (4 x 2½ in), overall dimensions depend on the wall. Limited to 12 installations, with a signed and numbered certificate giving specific on-site instructions.
This wall work edition by Santiago Sierra transforms an architectural surface into a charged zone of discomfort and potential infestation. The work consists of standardized test strips containing cockroach pheromones, installed at regular intervals across a wall. Invisible to the eye but biologically active, the strips emit a powerful chemical attractant that – under the right conditions – can provoke an actual infestation. With its minimalist aesthetic and precise spacing, the installation initially appears innocuous, even decorative. Yet behind this clean geometry lies a latent threat: if cockroaches are present in the space, they will be drawn to the wall, exposing the reality of contamination and undermining the supposed neutrality of the gallery environment. In typical Sierra fashion, the work functions as both a conceptual provocation and a social critique – using invisible biological material to question ideas of hygiene, control, and the boundaries of institutional space. Wall With Blattodea Pheromone is not merely to be looked at, but to be lived with – its meaning contingent on presence, vulnerability, and the unseen systems that shape both art and life.