Vito Acconci

MAI 36 Galerie, Zurich
Acquired by the present owner from the above in March 2007

This work is in very good condition overall. The edges and corners of the foam board are slightly worn, which are not visible when the work is framed. The photograph on the top panel and the photograph on the lower panel have visible imperfections in the images, which are from the negative or printing process; they are inherent to the medium and working method of the artist. Framed under glass.
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Before incorporating performance into his practice in 1969, Vito Acconci trained as a writer and lived as a poet in New York City.   By the late 1960s Acconci sensed there were limitations to the page; writing did not allow him to explore the space in which he inhabited.  As he put it, there was a desire to “define my body in space, find a ground for myself, an alternate ground from the page ground I had as a poet.” 

 In an era filled with counterculture and social revolution, an emphasis was placed on introspection.  This was, for the most part, a personal investigation that focused on the emotional, mental and psychological rather than the physical.  Just as he did while writing poetry, Acconci felt the traditional definition of self-exploration was restrictive.  Thus he adopted the most literal approach to discovering “the self” and shifted his practice from the page to performance, sound and video work. 

 Lean (1969), Spin (1970) and Broad Jump ‘71 (1971) are three early examples of Acconci’s transformative performances, the documentation of which is as exact as the intention behind them.  Lean and Spin are early masterworks, telling of Acconci’s desire to engage his body with his surroundings.   Similarly, Broad Jump ‘71, which took place in the Atlantic City Convention Hall, is emblematic of Acconci’s desire to incorporate social commentary into his practice.  It was staged as a competition for men and the victor was awarded a woman.  Such a dissident social statement suggests an understanding of oneself is only made possible through understanding the body’s place amongst others.

 As performances, Acconci’s work accomplished what he sought to achieve, identifying with his own body, as the subject of his practice and the object with which he worked.  However, as viewers removed from these performances we are only left with few precious photographs and handwritten texts to piece together the end results, an altogether personal accomplishment and feeling.  Sotheby’s is privileged to offer 3 pieces from the Sender collection that represent Acconci’s influential oeuvre; pieces that help us comprehend how Acconci’s experiences helped him achieve a stronger awareness of his own physicality and the body’s place in art.