RENEGADES: 25 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE AT EXIT ART - A SELECTION FROM THE ARCHIVES

December 16, 2006 – February 3, 2007

Opening Saturday, December 16, 7-10pm

Renegades is a history of performance that was produced or presented at Exit Art over its 25-year history. Through documentation from the archives including video, photographs, slides, ephemera and other archival materials, this exhibition examines Exit Art’s seminal place in the history of performance. In 2007-2008 Exit Art will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. This silver anniversary will be commemorated during the year through new programming initiatives and other special events to include an exciting series of exhibitions that explore Exit Art’s rich and diverse history. The first exhibition, RENEGADES, highlights our history of fostering and presenting performance art in New York City. Drawn directly from our archive, this exhibition offers the opportunity to revisit a number of historically important performances as well as exhibitions that explored the contemporary history of performance art.

ARTISTS

Lynda Abraham, Vito Acconci, Skip Arnold, Ron Athey, Brandon Ballengée, Sue de Beer, Deborah Edmeades, Geoffrey Hendricks, David Henry Brown Jr., Patty Chang, Quentin Conybeare, Kirby Dick, Jimmie Durham, Deborah Edmeades, Rachel Feintsein, First World/ El Primer Mundo, Bob Flanagan, Sherman Fleming, Matthew Flower, Regina Frank, Marisa Gallo, Gilbert and George, Good Treatment of Horses, Gavin Grace, Erik Guzman, Paula Hayes, Kate Howard, Kim Jones, Courtney Kessel, David Krepfle, Julieta L.A., Joseph Lau, David Linton, Suzan-Lori Parks, Marianna, Gordon Matta-Clark, Paul McCarthy, Dominic McGill, Linda Montano, Bruce Nauman, Yasira Nun, Dennis Oppenheim, Orlan, Jun Ozaki, Adam Putnam, Reno, Sheree Rose, Amy Shapiro, Carolee Schneemann, Bonnie Sherk, Barbara Smith, Elizabeth Streb, Javier Tellez, Trickster Theater, Liz Young, Alfredo Zandieh.

CURATORS

Jeanette Ingberman and Papo Colo

CURATORIAL STATEMENT

The art of performing is a purposeful action done in public or private. It is recorded, written or orally explained. Its function is beyond drama, because it doesn’t represent, interpret, or imitate life. It belongs to another circumstance of reality, the realism of the artist’s mind. This artistic expression is an autonomous entity which has its own rules – that there are no rules. That’s why performance art is the medium in the cultural world that is closest to anarchism. At the same time it is also close to democracy because anyone can practice it. Its only skill is its will of execution and the intelligence of its intention.

This balance of meanings is what informs this misunderstood medium, between the profound and the ridiculous, the refined and the polluted, the humble and the arrogant. It seems that this expression has the power of doubt, the ambivalence of gravity and the context of the unexpected.

Everyone is performing, each person has their own role, but artists by design use performance art as a way to make a point.

The source of culture is performance – the artist practicing their particular language. It is the action of any art discipline, the initiative of making things happen, the force that provokes setting a beginning into motion.

For 25 years the stories in this medium are part of our history. This exhibition authenticates our innovation in this field.

Papo Colo

Cultural Producer, Exit Art

EXHIBITION POSTER

SERIOUS GAMES

Saturdays, January 20 and 27, 8-10PM

Performances by Trickster Theater

Directed and Conceived by Papo Colo

Featuring Rob Andrews, Mayumi Ishino, Saeri Kiritani, Jodie Lyn-Kee-Chow, Wanda Ortiz, Jolie Pichardo, Pasha Radetzki, Boryana Rossa, Rafael Sanchez, Mark Stafford, Traci Tullius...(more)

FUNDERS

General exhibition support has been provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston, Carnegie Corporation, Greenwall Foundation, Jerome Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, New York State Council on the Arts, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Exit Art’s Board of Trustees and our members.

Press Release.