Xavier Robles de Medina
Cult Value

The sculpture Cult Value by Xavier Robles de Medina builds upon the drawing Rajio Taiso (study) and creates a three-dimensional translation of the original sculpture of the same name. By covering the sculpture Rajio Taiso with saran wrap, the artist alludes to the sfumato technique used in Renaissance painting, blurring the hard lines of the original form and suspending the original sculpture in a metaphorical cloud. This technique also serves to further simplify the forms present in Frans Huys’ etchings, which served as the inspiration for Rajio Taiso (study).

The title “Cult Value” is again a reference to Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” in which he distinguishes between the “cult value” and “exhibition value” of art. According to Benjamin, the “cult value” of an artwork is its aura of authenticity and uniqueness, which is derived from its connection to tradition and ritual. The “exhibition value,” on the other hand, is the value derived from the artwork’s ability to be reproduced and disseminated widely.

Robles de Medina’s use of saran wrap on the sculpture is a subversion of the traditional notion of cult value, as it creates a reproducible surface that is ephemeral and contingent. As he explains, “the use of saran wrap undermines the notion of a permanent sculpture or an artwork with ‘cult value.’ The piece is in constant flux, dependent on the viewer’s perception”. By creating a work that is open-ended and inviting the viewer’s interpretation, Robles de Medina challenges the idea of the artwork as a static, immutable object.