In the mid 20th century, art reached to its highest level at modernity.

Simple Paintings or photos

were no longer sufficient. The effects caused by industrialization, faith in art itself became more
courageous and performance art began to rise. But what was ‘performance art’? ‘‘Performance art
has typically been defined as motivated by a ‘redemptive belief in the capacity of art to transform to
human life’’ 1 says Amelia Jones.
Performance art could be call as ‘living sculptures’. It includes body, music, poetry and of course
performance. In performance art, art was equal to living. It was Conceptualist and sort of Dadaist.
Without rules with legit artists. Art could not be bought. Need for galleries were reduced. Galleries
were public spaces.
When the subject is performance art, one of the names we can tell is Vito Acconci. In the class
material we discussed about three of his works which are: Following Piece, Step Piece and Theme
Song.
Acconci may not be the one who first started ‘performance art’ but probably one of the most
impressive artist. May called experimental, voyeuristic and even disturbing. Use his body – which is a
rational thing- for irrational purposes.

Step Piece:
In Step Piece, Acconci stepped on and off a stool. He did that every morning and kept a record
about timing. He published of his daily improvement as a monthly report. We can call that the
familiarization of the body and push the limits of how much our body capable of doing everyday
activities. As Dörte Zbikowski says: ‘’ Acconci not only penetrates real space, but also essentially
endeavors to integrate art into everyday life, such that art itself »disappears«. ‘’ 2 Ultimately that
was one of the main purposes of performance art. Our body is something very personal, something
very individual so as art itself, and using it in a public space makes art kind of ‘disappearance’.
Of self and context, body art was more interesting and it was like an indicator of how human biology
orientates itself to regular activities. Almost something similar to post war attitudes that you start to
deny war or crimes after you get used to it in some time.
Apart from those, Acconci in that process let the audience come and watch him while he is doing
his ‘daily activity’. Art was accessible almost like a 3D experience. Confronts the idea that art
viewing.

Following Piece:
Around 70’s Acconci’s works shifted to another level. He started to use his body between the
boundaries of artist / audience relationship.

‘’ In his earlier works, the essence originated solely from himself, whereas in Acconci’s post-presence
period, responsibility for the art piece increasingly shifted onto the viewers’ shoulders’’ says Billy
Tran. 3 In Following Piece, Acconci following someone until he or she enters a private place that he
couldn’t enter. Sort of an intervention in the private sphere. Disappearing in the anonymity of the
streets4. It’s again about the boundaries between self and other, body and the borders in personal
distances. At the same time voyeuristic.
In his interview Acconci said; ‘’ [...] so when I was doing a piece like Following Piece, there was
no viewer or, if anything, I was the viewer. [...] I designed in the way a newspaper event is designed.
[...]’’ 5 As Acconci, underlines that idea, again a familiar thesis is appearing. Thus artist become
integrated with public.

The Security Zone:

Security Zone may seems a bit different from Acconci’s other works. He gives us a photo with a
poet written around the photo. Poet is like that:

1 Amelia Jones , Body Art / Performing The Subject. Pg : 13

2 Dörte Zbikowski , Vitto Acconci / http://hosting.zkm.de/ctrlspace/d/texts/01?print-friendly=true
3 Billy Trance , The Implicit Distance. / http://www.billytran.com/acconci.html
4 Dörte Zbikowski , Vitto Acconci / http://hosting.zkm.de/ctrlspace/d/texts/01?print-friendly=true
5 Dörte Zbikowski , Vitto Acconci / http://hosting.zkm.de/ctrlspace/d/texts/01?print-friendly=true
We are alone here. You and I.
‘’ At the far end of a pier.
Open pier, narrow pier.
You know I don’t trust you, don’t you?
I’m blindfolded, my hands are tied behind my back, and my ears are plugged.
I have to trust you only you can stop me walking off into the water.
I learn to trust you, my trust builds up.
But will I still trust you tomorrow? ‘’
In his Security Zone work, he used his body as the victim. Examined the boundaries between trust and
violation and borders of the body.
Trust is something builds by impulse – response. And you need time to trust. Acconci mentioned
clearly that his trust depends on the guidance of the other. He made some kind of an experiment about
the reactions of his body. His own body was his subject again.
Almost in his every work, Acconci points out directly the viewer itself. And as the human beings
his works still appeals us.

Acconci always knew that curiosity was our weakness. And as the basis of the performance art he
never hesitated to use his body as the canvas. ‘’ I’m using my own person in pieces, but I’m trying to
turn my person into a nonperson in the sense of a person without will, without volition. I’m subjecting
myself to a scheme. And I thought, if I’m going to go on using my own person in pieces, maybe I have
to concentrate more on person. Rather than attend to a world considered as if it’s out there, I have to
start to attend to me. ‘’ 6 says Acconci in one of his interview.
To sum up, as an architect, poet, photographer, video artist and a model, he is probably going to
continue to apply his alternative ideas to his own body. Acconci’s self surveillance is going to stay
mostly absurd , disturbing and of course highly interesting.

Bibliography :
1 . Napier A. David , Foreign bodies: Performance, Art, and Symbolic Anthropology , University
California Press , 1992
2 . Jones Amelia , Body Art : Performing The Subject , University of Minesota Press , 1998

6 Shelly Jackson / Interview with the Acconci / http://www.believermag.com/issues/200612/?

read=interview_acconci
3 . Jackson Shelly , Interview with Vitto Acconci , http://www.believermag.com/issues/200612/?
read=interview_acconci , 12.01.2011
4 . Zbikowski Dörte , Vitto Acconci , http://hosting.zkm.de/ctrlspace/d/texts/01?print-friendly=true ,
09 .01.2011
5 . Trance Bily , The Implicit Distance , http://www.billytran.com/acconci.html , 11.01.20111
6 . Wikipedia , Vitto Acconci , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vito_Acconci

Simin Soyer