Installation art is a genre of contemporary art that involves filling a room with a three-dimensional display that is specifically designed to alter the perception of space. It is a fairly new genre and was not formally recognised until the middle of the 20th century. The works can be either temporary or permanent and are designed in a way that involves all the senses to create a total artistic experience. As technology improves, more sub-categories are being added to the genre including a variety of interactive instalments and immersive virtual reality projects. Installations have been utilised to create a variety of effects and some of the projects have been quite popular among viewers. Alternative Investments with installation Art.

The Gates by Christo and Jeanne-Claude is the largest artwork to be completed since the Sphinx in Egypt. The project took 26 years from the beginning of the idea to completion. The finished installation consisted of 7,500 gates adorned with saffron-coloured silk panels. The Gates lined 23 miles of pedestrian pathways in Central Park from February 12-27 of 2005. Visitors from around the world travelled to New York to view the marvel once it was completed.

Cloaca by Belgian artist Wim Delvoye was the first U.S. museum exhibition of his work. The piece consisted of seven stainless steel tables with an array of chemical beakers, electric pumps, and plastic tubing that was designed to replicate the human digestive system. Coaca was fed twice daily through a funnel and, through a 27-hour digestive process, extracted the nutrients and deposited the solids onto a conveyor belt.

These are only two examples of the type of planning, thought, and genius that is involved in many works of installation art. There are many more worth examples to see and it is well worth the time to observe a few for anyone who has never done so before,