Performing Histories (1)
With works by Kader Attia, Andrea Fraser, Ion Grigorescu, Sharon Hayes, Dorit Margreiter, Deimantas Narkevičius, and Martha Rosler
September 12, 2012–March 11, 2013
The Yoshiko and Akio Morita Media Gallery, second floor
Performance by Andrea Fraser
Men on the Line: Men Committed to Feminism, KPFK, 1972 (2012)
September 12, 2012, 7pm
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019
T 212 708 9400
MoMA Presents Performing Histories (1), the First in a Two-Part Exhibition and Performance
Series Focusing on Works That Challenge and Engage with History
Performing Histories (1) is the first of a two-part exhibition exploring media artworks that challenge and engage with history in various ways. All the works included are new to the Museum’s collection, and together they represent a range of perspectives, reflecting the diverse practices and backgrounds of the artists, and raising questions both about how the past is constructed, and how it can inform the present and the future.
Revisiting established narratives and examining one’s cultural, social, and personal histories are practices not bound to any specific art medium; they are generally part of a critical artistic practice that often results in revealing unknown genealogies or constructing new perspectives. In recent decades, artists have increasingly used a performative approach—in dialogue with cinematic and photographic mediums—to present alternative readings and multiple narratives. The artists in Performing Histories (1) have deconstructed, reassembled, and re-performed history, focusing on its ambiguity and the impact of ideology on individual and collective consciousness.
Performing Histories (2) will take place in The Yoshiko and Akio Morita Media Gallery from April to October 2013.
Organized by Sabine Breitwieser, Chief Curator, with Martin Hartung, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Media and Performance Art, The Museum of Modern Art.
Performance Program
In conjunction with the exhibitions, a number of live performances will be held in the Museum. The series begins with Los Angeles–based artist Andrea Fraser’s Men on the Line: Men Committed to Feminism, KPFK, 1972 (2012), a performance based on a radio broadcast from 1972 in which four men discussed a variety of issues related to feminism. Men on the Line was originally produced by West of Rome, curated by Emi Fontana for the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival, and organized by the Getty Research Institute and LA>
The series continues in January through spring 2013, with live works by artists including Ei Arakawa, Fabian Barba, Andrea Geyer, Contact Gonzo, Sharon Hayes, Simone Forti, Eiko and Koma, Kelly Nipper, and others.
Organized by Sabine Breitwieser, Chief Curator, and Ana Janevski, Associate Curator, with Leora Morinis, Curatorial Assistant, and Jill Samuels, Performance Producer, Department of Media and Performance Art.
Modern Mondays
The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2
7pm
This ongoing program brings innovative contemporary film and moving-image works to the public, providing a forum for viewers to engage in dialogue and debate with contemporary artists and filmmakers. For more information on Modern Mondays programming, visit MoMA.org/film.
Monday, October 15, 2012: An Evening with Kader Attia
Monday, October 22, 2012: An Evening with Dorit Margreiter
Monday, November 26, 2012: An Evening with Martha Rosler
Organized by Sabine Breitwieser, Chief Curator, Department of Media and Performance Art.
Modern Mondays is organized by the Department of Film and the Department of Media and Performance Art. Modern Mondays is made possible by Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro. Additional support is provided by The Contemporary Arts Council of The Museum of Modern Art.
Performing Histories is made possible by MoMA’s Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation.
*Image above:
Andrea Fraser. Soldadera (scenes from Un banquete en Tetlapayac, a film by Olivier Debroise). 1998/2001. Two-channel video installation. Committee on Media and Performance Art Funds. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Installation view, Modernologies, MACBA, 2009. © Photographer: Tony Coll. Courtesy of Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
