September 26, 1985: Throughout his [. . . .] which actively involve [. . . .]. In a 1969 perrormance work entitled Following Piece the artist randomly chose people on the street and followed them--sometimes for hours--until they entered a private space such as a home or office. Through the act of following, Acconci illustrated his belief that humans activate space with a physical and psychological presence. We use this presence to establish our territorial boundaries: to distinguish what is public from what is private.
Sixteen years later, Acconci still examines the physical and psychological dynamics of space. However, more recent sculptural works, like the ones pictured here, invite, rather than force, participation. In Houses Up the Wall, 1985, the artist uses body cutouts and mirrors to encourage us to experience, in a literal way, the relationship between architecture and the human form.
Pieces like Parting of the Ways, 1985, and Bug House, 1985, comprising the installation in The Brooklyn Museum’s Grand Lobby, act as public “furniture”. As the installation titled Public Relations suggests, these works are designed to provoke consideration of our interaction with people and objects in public spaces. Although we rarely think of it, the shape, height, and placement of furniture has tremendous power to shape and limit our movement and to define our relationships with others. In the social arena, sitting at the head of the table usually indicates power; standing freely while others sit often confers advantage. By creating whimsically shaped public “furniture”, Vito Acconci invites us into that social arena and encourages us to consider how we affect, and are affected by, the people and objects around us.
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1971 - 1988. 1985, 057.
