One of Life’s Ultimate Lessons, in Art

This work by artist Adrian Piper shows the phrase “Everything will be taken away” written twenty-five times on a chalkboard.  It says so much about school, about life.  It strikes me as ironic, though, for when education is reduced to the repeating of other’s beliefs–as is so often the case–there is no “will be.”  Everything has already been taken.

Note: this image appears as part of Google Arts & Culture, an exciting online repository for artwork for around the world.