Behind a Facade, 2004
15 dioramas
cardboard, ink, acetate, glue, wood
52 x 76 x 10 inches
(10 x 14 x 8 inches each)
15 dioramas
cardboard, ink, acetate, glue, wood
52 x 76 x 10 inches
(10 x 14 x 8 inches each)
1935 Vincent van Gogh's Blockbuster Ear
During a major exhibition of works by van Gogh, artist Hugh Troy molded a piece of beef to look like an ear and smuggled it into the MoMA. Troy placed it on a table with a label that read: "This is the ear which Vincent van Gogh cut off and sent to his mistress, a French prostitute, Dec. 24, 1888."
During a major exhibition of works by van Gogh, artist Hugh Troy molded a piece of beef to look like an ear and smuggled it into the MoMA. Troy placed it on a table with a label that read: "This is the ear which Vincent van Gogh cut off and sent to his mistress, a French prostitute, Dec. 24, 1888."
1955 Lynching the Lynching Photograph
Edward Steichen’s exhibition The Family of Man is often referred to as being a display of American propaganda. An image that was initially included but later removed was of an African-American man brutally tied to a tree and tortured. It was taken down because too many visitors stopped to examine it, causing congestion. Rather than relocate the photograph Steichen removed it entirely because he “felt the flow of the exhibition was being lost.”
Edward Steichen’s exhibition The Family of Man is often referred to as being a display of American propaganda. An image that was initially included but later removed was of an African-American man brutally tied to a tree and tortured. It was taken down because too many visitors stopped to examine it, causing congestion. Rather than relocate the photograph Steichen removed it entirely because he “felt the flow of the exhibition was being lost.”
1958 Braques, Cezanne and Kandinsky Relax on the Sidewalk
Robert Barnes, a former MoMA employee relayed a tale from the fire that broke out on the second floor where he and other staff members risked their lives to remove art from the smoke filled galleries. The works of art were placed on the sidewalk and leaned against the building. At one point in midst of the frenzy the group looked around at each other only to realize that they were all back in the building and no one was downstairs looking after the paintings and sculptures. Barnes and another staff member ran down and to their surprise found the works safely resting against the building.
Robert Barnes, a former MoMA employee relayed a tale from the fire that broke out on the second floor where he and other staff members risked their lives to remove art from the smoke filled galleries. The works of art were placed on the sidewalk and leaned against the building. At one point in midst of the frenzy the group looked around at each other only to realize that they were all back in the building and no one was downstairs looking after the paintings and sculptures. Barnes and another staff member ran down and to their surprise found the works safely resting against the building.
1959 The Surreal Skied Method
As part of the exhibition Towards the “New” Museum of Modern Art, Alfred H. Barr installed a series of paintings in a cluster to emphasize the lack of space available to hang works in the Museum’s collection. This display of Surrealist paintings was partly a scheme to raise funds and ironically a revival of an exhibition design used frequently by Barr. He called it the “skied” method.
As part of the exhibition Towards the “New” Museum of Modern Art, Alfred H. Barr installed a series of paintings in a cluster to emphasize the lack of space available to hang works in the Museum’s collection. This display of Surrealist paintings was partly a scheme to raise funds and ironically a revival of an exhibition design used frequently by Barr. He called it the “skied” method.
1960 Jean Tinguely Unleashes an Homage to New York
Tinguely along with Harold Hodges, Robert Breer and Billy Kluver created a machine that destroyed itself in the Museum’s sculpture garden. The installation included numerous bicycle wheels, a bucket of gasoline, a baby bassinet, a weather balloon, candles, and a piano among a network of gears, axles and electrical switches. It took 27 minutes for the self-destructing sculpture to not only bellow smoke, but also to unexpectedly send parts of itself into the invitation-only audience, before collapsing.
Tinguely along with Harold Hodges, Robert Breer and Billy Kluver created a machine that destroyed itself in the Museum’s sculpture garden. The installation included numerous bicycle wheels, a bucket of gasoline, a baby bassinet, a weather balloon, candles, and a piano among a network of gears, axles and electrical switches. It took 27 minutes for the self-destructing sculpture to not only bellow smoke, but also to unexpectedly send parts of itself into the invitation-only audience, before collapsing.
1969 Guerilla Art Action Group Demands Communilization
Guerrilla Art Action Group, co-founded by Jean Toche and Jon Hendricks, expressed public consciousness through happenings, written manifestos, publications, and mail art. In 1969 they carefully removed Malevich’s White on White and posted a manifesto in its place addressed to the Museum’s Board of Trustees. They demanded the sale of a million dollars worth of art and its proceeds to go the poor. They also demanded that MoMA be closed until the end of the Vietnam War and that a transparent power structure be established at the institution.
Guerrilla Art Action Group, co-founded by Jean Toche and Jon Hendricks, expressed public consciousness through happenings, written manifestos, publications, and mail art. In 1969 they carefully removed Malevich’s White on White and posted a manifesto in its place addressed to the Museum’s Board of Trustees. They demanded the sale of a million dollars worth of art and its proceeds to go the poor. They also demanded that MoMA be closed until the end of the Vietnam War and that a transparent power structure be established at the institution.
1970 Yoko Ono's Modern Fart
Ono took out an ad in a local newspaper promoting her “one-woman show at the Museum of Modern F art” accompanied by an image of the artist strolling in front of the MoMA carrying a shopping bag with a large letter F on it. Additionally Ono’s assistant brought a glass container of flies into the Museum‘s sculpture garden and set them free after having sprayed them with the same perfume used by Ono. A photographer documented the flies around the museum and on adjacent buildings to track how far they flew.
Ono took out an ad in a local newspaper promoting her “one-woman show at the Museum of Modern F art” accompanied by an image of the artist strolling in front of the MoMA carrying a shopping bag with a large letter F on it. Additionally Ono’s assistant brought a glass container of flies into the Museum‘s sculpture garden and set them free after having sprayed them with the same perfume used by Ono. A photographer documented the flies around the museum and on adjacent buildings to track how far they flew.
1970 Hans Haacke Touches Rockefeller with a Ten Foot Poll
In the Information show Haacke posed the question: "Would the fact that Governor Rockefeller has not denounced President Nixon's Indochina Policy be a reason for you not voting for him in November?" Visitors dropped "ballots" into either of two Plexiglas ballot boxes, for "yes" and "no" (visitors chose "yes" twice as often as "no").
In the Information show Haacke posed the question: "Would the fact that Governor Rockefeller has not denounced President Nixon's Indochina Policy be a reason for you not voting for him in November?" Visitors dropped "ballots" into either of two Plexiglas ballot boxes, for "yes" and "no" (visitors chose "yes" twice as often as "no").
1970 Skinny Dipping in Johnson’s Pool
Yayoi Kusama had a nude-in happening in the Philip Johnson sculpture garden titled Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead at MoMA. Four participants disrobed and entered the reflecting pool to splash about and interact with River, Aristide Maillol’s 1943 sculpture of a female nude.
Yayoi Kusama had a nude-in happening in the Philip Johnson sculpture garden titled Grand Orgy to Awaken the Dead at MoMA. Four participants disrobed and entered the reflecting pool to splash about and interact with River, Aristide Maillol’s 1943 sculpture of a female nude.
1995 Duchamp Goes Out For Fresh Air
Nine years ago a white male stole Bicycle Wheel from the gallery that features various Surrealists works. He carried the artwork past a number of security staff, none of whom noticed the theft in progress. He then rode an escalator down to the first floor and exited the building through the revolving doors where he struggled briefly and finally drew the attention of two guards and staff member. A pursuit ensued, but winded guards gave up the chase early. Late that same night the perpetrator returned the dada sculpture to the Museum, having separated the wheel from the wooden stool and threw the two components over the sculpture garden’s 54th Street wall. The sculpture, insured for one million dollars, was allegedly restored and placed back on display.
Nine years ago a white male stole Bicycle Wheel from the gallery that features various Surrealists works. He carried the artwork past a number of security staff, none of whom noticed the theft in progress. He then rode an escalator down to the first floor and exited the building through the revolving doors where he struggled briefly and finally drew the attention of two guards and staff member. A pursuit ensued, but winded guards gave up the chase early. Late that same night the perpetrator returned the dada sculpture to the Museum, having separated the wheel from the wooden stool and threw the two components over the sculpture garden’s 54th Street wall. The sculpture, insured for one million dollars, was allegedly restored and placed back on display.
Make Room for Dada, Constructivism
and Suprematism, 2004
cardboard, ink, glue, metal, wood, and paper
120 x 252 x 204 inches
and Suprematism, 2004
cardboard, ink, glue, metal, wood, and paper
120 x 252 x 204 inches
Kazimir Malevich,
White On White, 1918,
Oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 in., 2004 single channel DVD
33 seconds
White On White, 1918,
Oil on canvas, 31 1/2 x 31 1/2 in., 2004 single channel DVD
33 seconds