The artwork entitled “Why not Sneeze, Rose Sélavy?” was created by artist Marcel Duchamp in 1921. It is a ready-made sculpture that forms part of the Dada art movement and is currently held at the Tate Modern in London, UK. The dimensions of this installation piece are modest, measuring 12.4 x 22.2 centimeters.
The artwork is a curious and enigmatic assemblage, which challenges traditional conceptions of art and its materials. It consists of a birdcage filled with marble cubes that closely resemble sugar cubes. Within the cage, there is also a thermometer and a cuttlebone. The presence of ordinary objects repurposed into art typifies Duchamp’s Dadaist approach, wherein everyday items are elevated to the status of art through their selection and presentation by the artist. This piece, being a ready-made, inquires into the nature of art, the role of the artist, and the relationship between form and function. Duchamp’s intention was to engage the viewer in a broader dialogue that questions perception and reality, as the artwork’s deceptive appearance belies the unexpected heaviness of the marble cubes, which might be anticipated to be light as sugar.
