Gregor Schneider's 2013 Edinburgh installation confronts race, gender, and sexuality through naked black men

Gregor Schneider's installation Süßer Duft Edinburgh 2013 was commissioned for the Edinburgh Art Festival in 2013. The work consists of a series of white corridors leading to a black room containing ten naked black men who become silent when visitors enter. Visitors experience the work differently based on their gender, sexuality, and race. A straight white female visitor reported feeling threatened despite knowing it was artwork, while a gay white male visitor found it exciting. The installation raises questions about racial stereotypes, objectification, and historical silencing of black men. Schneider leaves these questions unanswered for visitors to interpret. The work references Katheryn Russell-Brown's concept of the 'criminalblackman' stereotype and Questlove's experiences as a tall African American man perceived as threatening. The review was originally published in October 2013 by ArtReview.