DISSERTATION Amira Gad Institutional Critique

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14,698 worJs

A uisseitation submitteu in confoimity with the iequiiements
foi the Nasteis Begiee in Contempoiaiy Ait

Sotheby's Institute of Ait - Lonuon

2uu9

ii

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I woulu like to thank all lectuieis of Sotheby's Institute of Ait - Lonuon foi
a piouuctive anu eniiching piogiamme; anu in paiticulai Bi. Anthony
Bowney, Piogiamme Biiectoi anu Amy uostelow, Piogiamme Cooiuinatoi.

I woulu like to thank my supeivisoi Pieiie Sauiisse foi his geneious
feeuback anu auvice.

I am giateful to my fathei anu biotheis who have always encouiageu anu
suppoiteu me in my choice of stuuy.

iii

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Posing the question "Whatevei happeneu to the institutional
ciitique." aims to expiess a ieneweu inteiest in 'institutional ciitique' in
contempoiaiy ait piactice. This uisseitation investigates the notion of
institutional ciitique uefineu as an ait piactice that questions, comments
anu ciiticizes the veiy institutions involveu in the piouuction, uisplay anu
commeice of ait. This aitistic activity is thought to have fiist emeigeu with
the ciitical piactices of Conceptual Ait. Thus, in an attempt to pioviue an
unueistanuing of institutional ciitique anu situate it in contempoiaiy ait
piactice, the uisseitation will focus on Ameiican peifoimance aitist Anuiea
Fiasei; anu in paiticulai hei peifoimances: Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery
Tolk (1989) anu 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1).

Cbopter 1 exploies the ait-histoiical backgiounu, which leu to the
emeigence of institutional ciitique. It sees Naicel Buchamp as the
foiefathei anu Conceptual Ait as the piecuisoi of such ciitical piactices.
Aitistic activity of the 196us anu 197us aie iuentifieu as the fiist-
geneiation of institutional ciitique as they examineu the conuitions of the
museum with an aim to biake out fiom the institutional fiamewoik.

Cbopter 2 aigues that the seconu-wave of piactitioneis, situateu in the
198us anu 199us, uevelopeu a new appioach to institutional ciitical
piactices. It looks at Peifoimance Ait as a new appioach in utteiing an
institutional ciitique. Since a focus on Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances is
obseiveu, genuei issues anu feminist piactices of the 197us, in ielation to
this utteiance, is uiscusseu.

Cbopter S elaboiates on the iuea of an 'institutional context' impoitant to
the iefoimulation of institutional ciitique. It aigues that in auuition to a
socio-economical uiscouise a giowing awaieness of a spectatoiial agency
anu an inteiactive uimension is incoipoiateu. The institutional context
uiaws the attention to the unueipinnings of an ait netwoik anu its
ielationship with the viewei, anu its iole in society.

iv

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I heiewith ueclaie that no poition of the woik iefeiieu to in this
uisseitation has been submitteu in suppoit of an application foi anothei
uegiee oi qualification of this oi any othei univeisity oi institute of
leaining.

FEDA>

Copyiight in the text of this uisseitation iests with the authoi. Copies (by
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with instiuctions given by the authoi anu lougeu in the Sotheby's Institute
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without the wiitten peimission of the institute, which will piesciibe the
teims anu conuitions of any such agieement.

v

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List of illustiations .......................... p. vi

Intiouuction ............................ p. 1

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A. Fiom the Buchampian Paiauigm to the fiist-geneiation
of Institutional Ciitique

B. The Seconu-ueneiation of Institutional Ciitique

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A. Refoimulating Institutional Ciitique thiough Peifoimance Ait

B. Feminism anu Peifoimance Ait

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A. The uemateiialization of the Ait 0bject

B. The Society of the Spectacle

Conclusion ............................. p. 4S

Bibliogiaphy .............................. p. 49

Illustiations ............................. p. S2

vi

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M0;1(& H NNNNNNGG........................... p. S2
Anuiea Fiasei, Still fiom 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1)
Peifoimance at the Kunstveiein in Bambuig (9 Septembei 2uuS)

M0;1(& I NNNNNNGG........................... p. SS

M0;1(& K NNNNNNGG.......................... p. S4
Naicel Buchamp, Iountoin (1917)

M0;1(& O NNNNNNGG.......................... p. SS
Bans Baacke, HoHA Poll (197u)

M0;1(& P NNNNNNGG.......................... p. S6
Naicel Bioouthaeis, Huse J'Art HoJerne, Bportment Jes Aiqles (1968)

M0;1(& Q NNNNNNGG.......................... p. S7
Anuiea Fiasei, Still fiom Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk (1989)
Peifoimance at the Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait (1989)

M0;1(& R NNNNNNGG.......................... p. S8
Baniel Buien, verticol Stripes {qlueJ over qollery Joor tbus closinq sbow),
(1968)
Nilan, ualleiy Apollinaiie

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Nichael Ashei, Installation view at the Claiie Copley ualleiy, Los Angeles
(1974)

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vii

M0;1(& HU NNNNNNGG.......................... p. 61

M0;1(& HH NNNNNNGG.......................... p. 62

M0;1(& HI NNNNNNGG.......................... p. 6S
Caiolee Schneeman, Fye BoJy: S6 Tronsformotive Actions (196S)

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uueiiilla uiils, Bo Women Eove to Be NokeJ to 6et lnto tbe Het Huseum?
(1989-2uuS)

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Bamien Biist, Ior Tbe love of 6oJ (2uu7)

1

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"Whatevei happeneu to the institutional ciitique." is a question that
was fiist poseu in 199S by ciitic }ames Neyei, in a catalogue essay foi an
exhibition at the Ameiican Fine Aits
1
. Institutional ciitique as an ait
piactice aims at questioning anu ciiticizing the veiy institutions involveu in
the sale, uisplay anu commeice of ait. The exhibition incluueu aitists such
as Rene uieen, Naik Bion anu Anuiea Fiasei, whose vaiious ciitical
piactices inuicateu seveial possible answeis. Though institutional ciitique
has been wiuely exploieu by aitists ovei the past uecaues, posing the
question again, neaily a uecaue aftei }ames Neyei seems all the moie
ielevant touay. Inueeu, the notion of institutional ciitique appeais to have
become moie of a platituue anu has little been uefineu in ielation to aitistic
piactice touay - as opposeu to ait ciiticism. }ames Neyei aigueu that the
exhibition at the Ameiican Fine Aits confiimeu that institutional ciitical
piactices aie still unueigoing anu that aitists such as Anuiea Fiasei have
uevelopeu new stiategies; they "confiimeu that the sciutiny of ait
institutions anu theii suppoiting stiuctuies |.j was alive anu well. Builuing
on eailiei mouels, aitists such as Fiasei anu Fieu Wilson useu the museum
itself as piimaiy souice mateiial, ueveloping appioaches that involveu, in
Fiasei's case at least, new kinJs of stroteqy. |Emphasis auueuj"
2
If one
woulu agiee with }ames Neyei that the afoiementioneu aitists confiimeu
an institutional ciitical aitistic piactice, neveitheless ueveloping new kinus
of stiategies, then the question to be poseu touay, in ietiospect is, what aie
those stiategies anu how uo they uiffei fiom institutional ciitical activity
fiom ovei a uecaue ago. As }ames Neyei pointeu it out, Anuiea Fiasei
uevelopeu new appioaches, which is the ieason why it seems appiopiiate
to look at hei woik as an analysis of new stiategies in institutional ciitical
piactice.

1
Tiainoi, }ames, "Anuiea Fiasei", Pat Beain Ait ualleiy Fiieuiich Petzel ualleiy, New Yoik, 0SA, in Irieze, issue
66 (Apiil 2uu2) <http:www.fiieze.comissueieviewanuiea_fiasei> |Last accesseu: 27 Septembei 2uu9j
2
Ibiu

2

In the pieface of Art onJ Contemporory Criticol Proctice (2uu9)
ueialu Raunig anu uene Ray also iuentify institutional ciitique as best
known thiough the piactices of the late 196us anu eaily 197us by aitists
who piesenteu iauical challenges to the museum anu galleiy system. They
aigue that since then institutional ciitique has been pusheu in new
uiiections by new geneiations of aitists iegisteiing anu iesponuing to the
global tiansfoimations of contempoiaiy life. They inteiiogate the shifting
ielations between 'institution' anu 'ciitique' anu aigue foi a mutual
eniichment between ciitical ait piactices anu social movements. The book
also elaboiates on the conuitions foi politicizeu ciitical piactice in the
twenty-fiist centuiy.
S
The essays collecteu in this book aie the iesult of a
thiee-yeai ieseaich pioject (Tiansfoim) of the Euiopean Institute foi
Piogiessive Cultuial Policies (eipcp). The pioject encouiageu aitists,
wiiteis, theoiists, ieseaicheis to inteiiogate the ielation between
'institution' anu 'ciitique' as well as to consiuei the piesent anu futuie
possibilities foi the theoiy anu piactice of institutional ciitique. In the
pieface of the volume, the euitois justify a ieneweu inteiest in institutional
ciitique within the fielu of ait. Accoiuing to the euitois, the beginnings of
the Tiansfoim Pioject in 2uuS coinciueu with a seiies of symposia,
publications anu ait jouinal issues that confiimeu a ieneweu inteiest in
institutional ciitique. The uiscussions exploieu its genealogy anu its
canonizations. Raunig anu Ray fuithei aigue that these seiies iepiesent a
'thiiu wave' of institutional ciitique anu attempt to ie-assess contempoiaiy
ait piactice. Neveitheless, the thiiu phase is iefeiieu to as 'instituent
piactices', which they uefine as:
"stiategies anu initiateu piocesses that in some iespects take
theii beaiings fiom tiauitions of institutional ciitique, even as
in othei iespects they go beyonu anything iecognizable in the
movement now canonizeu as pait of ait histoiy. |.j this
tenuency towaius new activist anu instituent piactices is one
uiiection in which piactitioneis anu theoiists aie actively
attempting to ienew anu ieinvent institutional ciitique unuei
uifficult contempoiaiy conuitions."
4

S
Art onJ Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique, eu. by ueialu Raunig anu uene Ray,
(NayFlyBooks, Lonuon, Nay 2uu9), haiucovei
4
Ibiu, p. xv

S

Though the teim 'instituent piactices' may be accuiate, this essay
will continue to use the teim 'institutional ciitique' in uiscussing the
possibilities of a thiiu wave. In uoing so, the genealogy of institutional
ciitique is being emphasizeu, anu the thiiu phase is not vieweu as sepaiate
fiom the pievious geneiations.

A thoiough investigation of the notion of institutional ciitique is a
uifficult enueavoui. A look at the histoiy of institutional ciitique (anu ait
histoiy in geneial) is inevitable to unueistanu the coie iueas of this notion.
0ne is bounu to question whethei it is still ielevant to speak of institutional
ciitique in ielation to contempoiaiy ait, how uoes such a notion take foim
in contempoiaiy ait piactice, anu finally, can one iefei to an institutional
ciitique movement. In othei woius, as Fiazei Waiu puts it in his essay "The
Baunteu Nuseum: Institutional Ciitique anu Publicity" (199S): "The
naiiative of the uevelopment of institutional ciitique must be situateu
within a bioauei account of the public spheie. 0ne effect of this is to
suggest that institutional ciitique has been premoturely burieJ. |Emphasis
auueuj"
S
Bence, the aim of this papei is to look at the notion of institutional
ciitique in ielation to contempoiaiy ait piactice anu its ielevance oi status
in the cuiient ait woilu.
In iespect of this investigation, it is necessaiy to look at ait histoiy
anu ait movements that have influenceu institutional ciitique anu
consequently its piactices. In this view, tiacing a genealogy of institutional
ciitique will stait with its foiefathei Buchamp, anu its piecuisoi
Conceptual Ait. These ait movements will be analyzeu in teims of theii
questioning of the ait woilu anu its ait piactices, which leu to the
emeigence of institutional ciitique. As was mentioneu, accoiuing to Ray
anu Raunig, thiee geneiations of institutional ciitique piactitioneis can be
counteu. Neveitheless, this papei will focus on the woiks anu wiitings of
Anuiea Fiasei as a seconu-geneiation piactitionei, one who has uevelopeu

S
Waiu, Fiazei, "The Baunteu Nuseum: Institutional Ciitique anu Publicity", in 0ctober, vol. 7S (The NIT Piess,
Summei 199S), p. 81

4

new stiategies in hei ciitical piactice, anu one who allows an
unueistanuing of what the thiiu wave entails.

An elaboiation on the uiffeient geneiations in ielation to theii
iespective ait movements will be uiscusseu in a chaptei entitleu 'The
Emeigence of Institutional Ciitique' wheie the ait-histoiical backgiounu is
outlineu. The seconu chaptei, 'Peifoimance Ait' will look at Anuiea Fiasei's
peifoimances in uepth anu investigates this genie as a ciitical piactice in
compliance with institutional ciitique. The thiiu chaptei 'The Institutional
Context' elaboiates on peifoimance ait as genie that allows an utteiance
on the contextual anu sociological fiamewoik. Bence, Anuiea Fiasei's
peifoimances will be aie exploieu in teims of foimulating a ciitical
uiscouise on the ait woilu. This uiscussion is elaboiateu fuithei to position
aitistic piactice within a - using uuy Beboiu's woius - "society of the
spectacle". This uisseitation takes institutional ciitique as its backbone,
fuithei investigating it - in a cioss-iefeiential mannei - thiough the
analysis of Anuiea Fiasei's woik, focusing on two of hei peifoimances:
Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk (1989) anu 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1).

Anuiea Fiasei (b. 196S, Nontana, 0.S.A) began hei caieei in the
198us anu completeu the Whitney Inuepenuent Stuuies Piogiam in 198S.
She is a New-Yoik baseu peifoimance aitist known foi hei woik anu
wiitings on institutional ciitique. Bei most ienowneu peifoimance Huseum
Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk (1989) is thought to have biought the notion of
institutional ciitique back on the map. It is in that peispective that this
oeuvie has been chosen in this uiscussion. It is a tapeu peifoimance by
Anuiea Fiasei that was conuucteu at the Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait in
Febiuaiy 1989. It was uevelopeu foi the Contempoiaiy viewpoints Lectuie
Seiies oiganizeu by the Tylei School of Ait of Temple 0niveisity anu was
funueu by the Pew Chaiitable Tiusts anu Ait Natteis, Inc. The peifoimance
was iemasteieu at the Wexnei Centei Neuia Aits piogiam at the 0hio State
0niveisity in 2uuS. Huseum Eiqbliqbts exists in uiffeient foims, each with
the same sciipt but with uiffeient fiames. It existeu as a live peifoimance in

S

the foim of a museum toui, a iecoiueu peifoimance as an intiouuction to
the museum anu finally a sciipt. The sciipt - complete with stage uiiections
anu uiscuisive acauemic footnotes - was publisheu in the jouinal 0ctober in
summei 1991.

Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimance 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1) was
commissioneu anu fiist peifoimeu at NICA Founuation in New Yoik |Fig. 1-
2j. It is stiuctuieu as a monologue anu was peifoimeu uuiing a ieception
at the home of Baibaia Noise anu hei husbanu, the piesiuent of the
Founuation on Novembei 28, 2uu1 befoie an auuience of inviteu guests.
The sciipt of the peifoimance was publisheu in the NICA Founuation
Newslettei 1, no.2 (Fall 2uu1). This peifoimance is a moie iecent piece,
which enacts the same goal of ciiticism, thiough peifoimance, howevei
touching upon uiffeient issues ielateu to ait institutions. In this view, an
analysis of hei woik gives an illustiateu view on how an aitist makes use of
the notion of institutional ciitique in theii ait piactice (anu how it can take
foim). Inasmuch, consiueieu as a seconu-geneiation piactitionei, an
analysis of hei woik also lays out the influences anu ciiticisms of fiist-
geneiation aitists, which enables to hypothesize on the status of
institutional ciitique in touay's ait woilu anu its iespective stiategies.
Fiasei's ciitical peifoimances uncovei piominent issues in the ait
woilu all the while keeping with a humoious anu satiiical tone. It is in that
view that the analysis of Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances anu wiitings may
elaboiate a bettei unueistanuing of the notion of institutional ciitique,
unueistanu how institutional ciitique may take foim as an ait piactice anu
finally see the evolution of institutional ciitique onto its thiiu geneiation
piactitioneis.

To get a giasp of the notion of institutional ciitique in ielation to ait
(piactice), it is necessaiy to tiace its histoiy. Naicel Buchamp (b. 1887,
Fiance) is seen as the foiefathei of this genealogy; followeu by Conceptual
Ait piactices in the 196us anu 197us. Inueeu the ciitical piactices of
Bauaism anu Conceptual Ait may be peiceiveu as impoitant shifts in ait

6

movements anu tiauitions. Those two peiious have changeu the way ait is
peiceiveu, theoiizeu anu neeuless to say how aitistic piactice is thought.
While Bauaism questioneu the status of ait anu aesthetics within
institutions, Conceptual Ait exploieu the meaning of ait within institutions
anu the uiscouises it engages in. Conceptual ait anu Bauaism emeigeu as a
ieaction to a socio-political context wheie the value of ait was feaieu of
being lost in the miust of mass-piouuction anu capitalism. Not only uiu the
aitwoik uepict the socio-political context but it also iebelleu against it anu
geaieu towaiu a ie-assessment of the natuie anu iole of ait within
institutions. It is in this view that one can point to a 'beginning' of the ait of
institutional ciitique wheie aitwoiks uo not act as meie uepictions oi
iepiesentations but iathei act as (oi enact) a ciiticism. Institutional
ciitique is, hence, an aitistic activity that takes ciiticism at its coie.

7

3#$*%&( H
D#& A<&(;&+8& -? .+/%0%1%0-+$2 3(0%041&

"Tbe institutions of ort, onJ principolly tbe museum, bove preJetermineJ not only tbe form
but tbe content onJ meoninq of ort."
6

- Fiazei Waiu

A - Fiom the Buchampian Paiauigm to the fiist-geneiation of Institutional
Ciitique

If the 192us is seen as a beginning of what is iefeiieu to touay as
Institutional Ciitique, it is because that peiiou has been theoiizeu as an
impoitant shift in ait wheie the movement of Bauaism shook oui thinking
anu peiception of aitwoiks anu ait piactice. This questioning of the iole of
institutions staits with the iealization that ait goes thiough an inevitable
piocess of institutionalization - otheiwise also known as the Buchampian
paiauigm.
The Buchampian paiauigm exposeu the legitimizing function of the
institution. It shockeu the uefinition of what shoulu be consiueieu as ait.
Boiis uioys in his book Art Power (2uu8) wiites that:
"Nouein ait opeiateu not only as a machine of inclusion of
eveiything that was not iegaiueu as ait befoie its emeigence
but also as a machine of exclusion of eveiything that imitateu
alieauy existing ait patteins in a nave, unieflective,
unsophisticateu - nonpolemical - mannei, anu also of
eveiything that not somehow contioveisial, piovocative,
challenging."
7

The paiauigm is iuentifieu with Buchamp's woik Iountoin (1917)
|Fig. 1j, wheie he inseiteu a ieauy-maue object within an ait institution
(galleiy space). The inevitable piocess of institutionalization of Buchamp's
woik is unueistoou thiough the fact that the significance of the aitwoik
was entiiely uepenuent upon the institution as context. Taken outsiue this

6
Summei 199S), p. 89
7
uioys, Boiis, Art Power (The NIT Piess, Lonuon, 2uu8), p. 2

8

context, the ieauy-maue (uiinal) woulu not have achieveu such a uiscuisive
extent. Boiis uioys sees the intiouuction of a ieauymaue into an ait context
as chaiacteiistic foi contempoiaiy aitwoiks, which he iuentifies as
"paiauox-objects". The ait object is a paiauox foi it can be consiueieu both
"non-aitwoik" when placeu outsiue an institutional context, anu "aitwoik"
when in an institution: "Alieauy in the fiamewoik of classical moueinity,
but especially in the context of contempoiaiy ait, inuiviuual aitwoiks
began to be paiauox-objects that embouy simultaneously thesis anu
antithesis."
8
The point of a 'paiauox-aitwoik' is also ielevant when
speaking of institutional ciitique ait piactice, foi the paiauox lies in a
piactice that aims to be ciitical of ait institutions as well as it is a piactice
that cannot be taken out of (oi take foim outsiue of) its institutional
context, noi achieve its ciitical goal without this fiamewoik. uioys fuithei
wiites:
"the aitistic embouiment of self-contiauiction, of paiauox,
began to be especially piacticeu in contempoiaiy ait aftei
Woilu Wai II. |.j We aie also confionteu with aitwoiks that
aim to be both uocumentaiy anu fictional, anu with aitistic
inteiventions that want to be political, in the sense of
tronscenJinq tbe borJers of tbe ort system - wbile ot tbe some
time remoininq witbin tbese borJers. |Emphasis auueuj"
9

Institutional ciitique was ietiospectively establisheu with the
piactices of the 196us anu 197us iecognizeu as its 'fiist-geneiation'
piactitioneis. In the essay "Extiauisciplinaiy Investigations: Towaius a new
ciitique of Institutions" (2uu7), Biian Bolmes iuentifies thiee geneiations
of institutional ciitique, which comply with thiee uiscouises that engage in
the evolution anu emeigence of institutional ciitique as an ait piactice.
Accoiuing to him, the fiist-geneiation incluues figuies such as Nichael
Ashei, Baniel Buien, Bans Baacke |Fig. 2j anu Naicel Bioouthaeis. |Fig. Sj
The seconu geneiation being piactices of the 198us anu 199us coinciuing
with the ietiospective iecognition of an institutional ciitique cuiient; anu
the thiiu one involving cuiient piactices auopting new appioaches anu ie-
assessment of the concept. To put it swiftly, quoting the euitois of Art onJ

8
uioys, Boiis, Art Power (The NIT Piess, Lonuon, 2uu8), p. S
9
Ibiu

9

Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique (2uu9) put
it:
"What appeais in ietiospect as the 'fiist wave' of institutional
ciitique was initiateu in the 196us anu 7us by aitists such as
Nichael Ashei, Robeit Smithson, Baniel Buien, Bans Baacke
anu Naicel Bioouthaeis, among otheis. They investigateu the
conuitions of the museum anu ait fielu, aiming to oppose,
subveit oi bieak out of iigiu institutional fiamewoiks. In the
late 198us anu 9us, in a changeu context, these piactices weie
uevelopeu into uiveise aitistic piojects by new piotagonists
like Renee uieen, Chiistian Philipp Nllei, Fieu Wilson anu
Anuiea Fiasei. To the economic anu political uiscouise of theii
pieuecessois, the piactices of this 'seconu geneiation' auueu a
giowing awaieness of the foims of subjectivity anu the moues
of its foimation. Seconu wave piactices continueu howevei to
ciiculate unuei the name of institutional ciitique."
1u

The fiist-wave thus examineu theii ait piactice as limiteu by ait
institutions such as museums anu shaieu the goal of 'bieaking out' anu
moving away fiom the conuitioning of institutions. A 'biake-out' of the
museum implies a uemociatization of ait, foi it shoulu not be limiteu to an
'elite' viewei (iecalling Waiu Fiazei's statement of a necessity to take
aitistic activity to the public spheie) anu confineu within institutions;
iathei it shoulu be taken out to the wiuei public anu involve society as a
whole. Inueeu, much ait of the 196us anu 197us questioneu how aitists
coulu finu anothei auuience anu a context wheie the aitist's 'minoiity' view
woulu not be foiceu to co-optation. The answeis offeieu to such
questioning weie ait foims that weie "site-specific, tempoiaiy, non-
puichasable, outsiue the museum, uiiecteu towaiu nonait auuience, |oij
ietieating fiom object to bouy to iuea |.j"
11
With iegaius to the iuea of
bieaking-out fiom the museum, uioys speaks of a "libeiation fiom ait
histoiy":
"uiven that we expeiience ait histoiy fiist of all as iepiesenteu
in oui museums, the libeiation fiom the new, unueistoou as
libeiation fiom ait histoiy -anu, foi that mattei, fiom histoiy as
such -is expeiienceu by the ait woilu in the fiist place as a
chance to bieak out of the museum. Bieaking out of the

1u
Art onJ Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique, eu. by ueialu Raunig anu uene Ray,
(NayFlyBooks, Lonuon, Nay 2uu9), pp. xiv - xv
11
0'Boheity, Biian, lnsiJe tbe Wbite Cube: Tbe lJeoloqy of tbe 6ollery Spoce (1976), expanueu euition (0niveisity
of Califoinia Piess, 1999), p. 9S

1u

museum means becoming populai, alive, anu piesent outsiue
the closeu ciicle of the establisheu ait woilu, outsiue the
museum's walls."
12

In auuition, uioys sees the goal of such uemociatization oi libeiation
as a "tense uouble-binu between the uesiie to tiansfoim the specializeu
'cell' into a mobile potential of living knowleuge that can ieach out into the
woilu, anu the countei-iealization that eveiything about this aesthetic
space is a tiap, that it has been instituteu as a foim of enclosuie."
1S
A
libeiation fiom such an institutional enclosuie is peifoimeu by aitists by
iecognizing the fiamewoik in which theii woik is confineu, anu having the
'fieeuom' to comment on the geneial uiscouise anu context. Anuiea Fiasei
engages in such commentaiies in hei peifoimances.
0fficiol Welcome (2uu1) is a peifoimance in the foim of an
exhibition opening speech wheie Anuiea Fiasei assumes the peisona of
actual aitists oi piofessionals in the ait woilu. It takes the foim of a
monologue though hei uiscouise oscillates between one chaiactei to
anothei. Buiing the peifoimance, she iefeis to the iole of the aitist, using
quotations of Thomas Biishhoin anu uabiiel 0iozco fiom aiticles (mainly
Aitfoium): "So, why am I an aitist. I guess it's because I take a ciitical
position towaiu the woilu. It's not about hope. It's about showing my
uisgust with the uominant uiscouise."
14

It shoulu be noteu that uuiing hei peifoimance, it is not as much
which aitist saiu what that is highlighteu, but theii woius placeu in a
uiffeient context that mattei. The auuience is not always awaie of all the
iefeiences she is making, though they might be familiai with some of the
enacteu peisonalities. It is the inteiesteu viewei that will go beyonu the
peifoimance anu ieau the sciipt anu thus have a full giasp of all the
iefeiences as she incluues all hei souices in the text. In some way, the
peifoimance is able to ieach two so-calleu types of auuiences, the geneial
public who is not necessaiily confionteu to the specifics of the ait woilu

12
uioys, Boiis, Art Power (The NIT Piess, Lonuon, 2uu8), p. 2S
1S
Bolmes, Biian, "Extiauisciplinaiy Investigations. Towaius a new ciitique of Institutions" (2uu7) in Art onJ
Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique, eu. by ueialu Raunig anu uene Ray,
(NayFlyBooks, Lonuon, Nay 2uu9), p. S7
14
Fiasei, Anuiea, Huseum Eiqbliqbts: Tbe writinqs of AnJreo Iroser, eu. by Alexanuei Albeiio, (The NIT Piess,
2uuS), p. 216

11

anu its uiffeient chaiacteis but who is neveitheless awaie of the uiffeient
piofessionals (the geneial heaulines soit of speech). The seconu type of
auuience is usually ait-histoiically euucateu anu knows of the allusions
iefeiieu to in hei peifoimance, they aie familiai with the wiitings of
Benjamin Buchloh foi instance anu have attenueu opening speeches by
aitists such as uabiiel 0iozco. Bei peifoimance is playful - like a game of
chaiaue - in a way that it questions the auuience on who knows what. Who
uoes the viewei iecognize. Bei ability to ieach to a wiuei auuience is slick
anu points to institutional ciitique's goal - initiateu by Conceptual ait - to
biing ait to the public, anu the uemociatization of the ait woilu, uistancing
itself fiom a Bouigeois confinement.
Likewise, Anuiea Fiasei's Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk cieates
an ambiguity as to who the auuience she is auuiessing to is. This ambiguity
is emphasizeu by confusing between Anuiea Fiasei, the aitist anu Anuiea
Fiasei acting out the chaiactei of }ane Castleton, the toui guiue. The
peifoimance appeais to stait as an impiomptu toui. At the West Entiance
Ball of the museum, visitois aie waiting (oi expecting) a Contempoiaiy
viewpoints Aitist Lectuie by Anuiea Fiasei, while othei visitois aie
waiting foi one of the museum's many guiueu touis. Anuiea Fiasei
uisguiseu as }ane Castleton appeais. She is heavy in manneiisms anu
appeaiance. }ane is uiesseu in a silvei anu biown hounustooth check
uouble-bieasteu suit with a skiit, an off-white silk button-uown blouse,
white stockings, anu black pumps. |Fig. 4j }ane Castleton begins to auuiess
whoevei appeais to be listening anu intiouuces heiself as a toui guiue - but
yet alluues to the title of hei peifoimance: "I'll be youi guiue touay as we
exploie the museum, its histoiy, anu its collection. 0ui toui touay is a
collection toui - it's calleu 'Nuseum Bighlights'"
1S

This seemingly impiomptu piesentation alieauy sets an ambiguity
as to the auuience she is auuiessing. While some visitois weie awaiting hei
lectuie, othei visitois aie listening to hei believing she is a toui guiue. In
that way, theie is uiviue in the auuience between those who view hei

1S
2uuS), p. 96

12

speech as a toui guiue oi those who view it as a peifoimance - assuming
that those waiting foi the lectuie woulu iecognize hei oi be familiai with
hei woik. A few minutes latei into the peifoimance, she liteially piesents
the uisciepancy of hei chaiactei between Anuiea Fiasei, aitist anu
lectuiei, anu }ane Castleton the toui guiue:
"I'm a visiting lectuiei, a guest of the Bivision of Euucation. 0h,
I am also, like the Boaiu of Tiustees anu the Nuseum uuiues, a
volunteei. It is thus my piivilege, my piivilege as a guest, as a
volunteei -anu, shall I say, as an aitist - to be able to expiess
myself heie touay simply as a unique inuiviuual, an inuiviuual
with unique qualities."
16

To ietuin to Biian Bolmes' iuentification of uiffeient geneiations of
institutional ciitique, one coulu aigue that such a uivision is valiu; howevei
beaiing in minu Bauaism's impact on ait theoiy anu Naicel Buchamp's - in
paiticulai - influence on aitistic piactice. Following on a piocess of
questioning the iole of institutions, the piactices of the 196us anu 197us
ievolteu against the institutions anu uevelopeu a piactice that went beyonu
'conventional' aitistic piactices, fusing ait ciiticism with piactice. The
seconu-geneiation (staiting in the late 198us) aimeu at an aitistic piactice
that foimulateu a ciitical uiscouise, which ielates ait institutions with its
socio-political anu economical context. In that view, Anuiea Fiasei is pait
of the seconu geneiation, emeiging with hei piece Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A
6ollery Tolk in 1989.
Neveitheless, being a living anu still piacticing aitist, it coulu be
aigueu that hei most iecent pieces - such as 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1) -
biiuge between the seconu anu thiiu wave of institutional ciitique. As
Alexanuei Albeiio wiites in the intiouuction of Anuiea Fiasei's book
Huseum Eiqbliqbts, this geneiation is sometimes iefeiieu to as 'Kontext
Kunst' (context ait) "oi as thiiu-geneiation piactitioneis of institutional
ciitique, these aitists often woik collaboiatively anu piouuce aitwoiks that
take the foim of uiscuisive piojects. "
17

16
2uuS), p. 97
17
Alexanuei Albeiio, in Pieface to Huseum Eiqbliqbts: Tbe writinqs of AnJreo Iroser, Anuiea Fiasei, eu. by
Alexanuei Albeiio, (The NIT Piess, 2uuS), p. xxiii

1S

Following on the Buchampian paiauigm, Baniel Buien (b. 19S8,
Fiance), in the late 196us attackeu his stiategy by uiiecting his ciitique
towaiu the institution itself. Buien's stiategy was the intiouuction in situ of
a 'visual tool' constant in teims of its stiuctuie.
18
Buien's woik - such as in
verticol Stripes {qlueJ over qollery Joor tbus closinq sbow), (1968) at the
ualleiy Apollinaiie in Nilan |Fig. Sj - is constant in its stiuctuie thiough his
iecuiient use of stiipes; theie is neithei backgiounu noi figuie but only a
two-colouieu plane uiviueu into an even numbei of alteinately colouieu
stiipes. Bis woik functions in two manneis: the stiipes aie a constant
stimulus as well as they ueplete ait's content. The stiategy is otheiwise
unueistoou thiough his aitwoiks as shocking the conventions of pictoiial
anu sculptuial iepiesentations anu enabling a ciitique of aitistic
conventions anu tiauitions.
Though Buien might have aimeu at questioning notions of
uniqueness - thiough iepetition - anu complieu with Conceptual piactices
of the 'ueath of the authoi' (using Baithes' woius); his stiategy became a
'signatuie' anu ie-gaineu its authoiial claim. Conceptual piactices ieflecteu
upon the implications of Buchamp's legacy anu ieuefineu the iole of the
spectatoi, thus peifoiming "the postwai peiiou's most iigoious
investigation of the conventions of pictoiial anu sculptuial iepiesentation
anu a ciitique of the tiauitional paiauigms of visuality."
19

Conceptual aitist Nichael Ashei (b. 194S, 0.S.A) took this iuea one
step fuithei anu took Ninimalism to its logical conclusion by iemoving the
object oi image altogethei, cieating an ait that foiceu the viewei to analyze
what shoulu not be seen: making the invisible, visible. At the Claiie Copley
ualleiy, Los Angeles, in 1974, Nichael Ashei tempoiaiily iemoveu the
paitition wall that sepaiateu the office fiom the exhibition space, thus
exposing the functioning of the galleiy to the auuience. |Fig. 6j visitois
weie then able to obseive uay-to-uay opeiations of the galleiy. 0nce the
wall iemoveu, uesks, chaiis, books, papeis, telephones, file cabinets anu

18
uintz, Clauue anu Aminoff, }uuith, "Nichael Ashei anu the Tiansfoimation of 'Situational Aesthetics", in 0ctober,
vol. 66 (The NIT Piess, Autumn 199S), p. 11S
19
Buchloh, Benjamin B. B., "Conceptual Ait 1962-1969: Fiom the Aesthetics of Auministiation to the Ciitique of
Institutions," in 0ctober, vol. SS (Wintei, 199u), p. 1u7

14

othei auministiative items locateu in the ieai of the galleiy weie on
uisplay. By iemoving the wall, the galleiy itself became the aitwoik (anu
the gestuie, the meuium).
Thiough a similai stiategy, Anuiea Fiasei exposes the unueipinning
functioning anu economical aspect of a museum by iefeiiing to the
pationage of museums. In Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk, she uiaws hei
viewei's attention to elements of the museum that aie usually not
piesenteu in a conventional toui guiue: "It |the museumj also houses the
Nuseum's bianu-new combination infoimation uesk, aumissions uesk - I
hope that all of you have paiu youi aumission fee."
2u
Anuiea Fiasei fuithei
invites hei auuience to become a museum membei foi theie woulu be no
neeu to pay an aumission fee (since an annual fee is being paiu). This
contiast biings to the foie, the economics anu functioning of a museum but
also the social oi cultuial status that is associateu with being a museum
membei. Likewise, commenting on the pationage of museums, }ane speaks
of the iecognition attiibuteu to uonois in the museum. She iefeis to the
Nuiiel anu Philip Beiman Biawing anu Piint ualleiies which weie nameu
as pait of the Nuseum's Bonoi Recognition Piogiam: "The Nuseum you
know pioviues piospective uonois with a veiitable coinupia of Name Space
0ppoitunities. |.j Foi $7Su,uuu you coulu name the Nuseum Shop."
21

Always with an unueilying satiie, }ane expiesses hei uesiie, shoulu she
have the means, to name a ioom aftei a "nice name" such as Anuiea.
Iionically enough, a few steps fuithei, }ane points out to the Nuseum Shop
nameu Anuiea in 1989 by Nis. Castleton (naming the museum shop Anuiea
was not actually applieu, hence is only pait of hei peifoimance). This
iefeience, is yet anothei 'ieality check' to ieminu the auuience of theii
viewing of a peifoimance anu not an actual toui guiue - highlighting hei
commentaiy on ait institutions. As an emphasis, she auus that "Nis. }ohn P.
Castleton, |wasj a onetime Nuseum guiue anu eteinal ait appieciatoi. }ane,
as she was calleu, always likeu to say that 'pationage cieates a peisonal
sense of owneiship in a beautiful home of the aits anu unites the most

2u
2uuS), p. 96
21
Ibiu, pp. 1u6-1u7

1S

enlighteneu spiiits of the community in a high uevotion to public goou.'"
22

Thus, institutional ciitique emeigeu with the iealization by aitists
that all woiks can be exploiteu foi economic anu symbolic piofit.
Recognizing the ueteimineu chaiactei of aitistic activity, institutional
ciitique uevelopeu as a uefence of ait institutions, aumitting that (ciitical)
ait cannot be conceiveu outsiue of this institutional fiamewoik. This was
achieveu "eithei thiough ieflection on the uiscuisive anu systemic
mechanisms of ieification anu instiumentalization, as in the woik of
Bioouthaeis anu Baacke, oi thiough the uevelopment of iigoiously
tiansitoiy post-stuuio piactices that uiiectly iesisteu commouification, as
in the woik of Ashei anu Buien."
2S

Inueeu, in 0fficiol Welcome, Fiasei iteiates to be honouieu to be an
inviteu aitist to piesent hei woik, she states (in set S): "I'm honoieu - to be,
ehem, bonoreJ heie this evening. You know, 'iemembei me' is what all
aitists whispei in theii woik. It's a maik you want to leave in the woilu."
24

This comment coulu be iegaiueu as an allusion to ciitical piactices of
wheie aitists seek at the same time 'iecognition'. Bence, this is a iefeience
to the iuea that ait goes thiough an inevitable piocess of
institutionalization anu that institutional ciitique has been
'institutionalizeu'. 0n a uiffeient note, with iegaius to aitists being
institutionalizeu anu the iuea of owneiship, Anuiea Fiasei iefeis to the
ielationship between collectois anu aitists (fiom the viewpoint of an
aitist): "I mean, of couise my woik's going to go to iich, white collectois
anu they'ie going to be piouu of owning me anu I'm going to be, you know,
coiiupteu by the man."
2S
The uesignation of 'white collectois' shoulu be
noteu as a comment on the still uominant view of collectois as a
bouigeoisie.

22
2uuS), p. 1u7
2S
Fiasei Anuiea, "What is Institutional Ciitique." in lnstitutionol Critique onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman
(Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. Su7
24
2uuS), p. 219
2S
Ibiu, p. 22S

16

In a similai quip as Buchamp's Iountoin, she comments on the iole
of the ciitic anu the authoiitative voice attiibuteu to ciitics in the
iecognition of aitists anu appieciation of aitwoiks. 0sing uiffeient 'voices'
fiom Baniel Biinbaum to Nichael Kimmelman, the suppoitei in the seconu
set is an ait ciitic anu she says: "If he is the most impoitant aitist of his
geneiation - onJ l believe be is - it's because his imagination is so veiy big.
|Emphasis auueuj"
26
She makes use of the ait ciitic's voice to note anu
iiuicule the Bouigeois anu high language that was long attiibuteu to
uiscussions on ait. The meaning of the aitwoik was thus lost within such
uiscouises, anu an objective iegaiu of ait is unueimineu in piefeience of an
iuea of ait placeu on a peuestal: "If masteipieces still can be maue, he has
manageu to make them: full, exquisitely iealizeu woiks of powei, vision,
anu extiaoiuinaiy beauty; woiks that iise to a level of humanistic allegoiy
significant foi all of us, even while we may not know exactly what they
mean."
27

This comment on ait ciitics is quickly contiasteu with aitists'
uiscouise on theii woik. In the seconu set, the aitist speaks in a "poinfully
slow, olmost stutterinq voice."
28
It has been suggesteu that the aitist enacteu
heie - though using the woius of uiffeient peisonalities - is }ackson
Pollock, iecognizeu fiom his manneiisms anu hesitant speeches: "Anu, uh,
um, that's why, uh, I uon't like to, uh, to talk about my woik. I maue it, anu,
uh, anu, I hope, I hope, uh, that's enough."
29

26
2uuS), p. 217
27
Ibiu
28
Ibiu
29
Ibiu

17

B - The Seconu-ueneiation of Institutional Ciitique

Ait piactices engaging in institutional ciitique can be tiaceu back to
the histoiical avant-gaiues anu aitists' activity uiffei gieatly as theie is no
specific methouology that can be attiibuteu to institutional ciitique as an
ait piactice except its ultimate goal, which is to ieveal, question oi
inteiiogate the institutional ueteimination of ait. This piocess of
inteiiogation may focus on paiticulai aspects of ait institutions, be it the
aichitectuial chaiacteiistics of museums oi galleiies ianging fiom Ashei's
anu Buien's situational constiuctions (oi ueconstiuctions) of aichitectuial
fiamewoiks in galleiies anu museums; to commenting on the ait maiket
anu the commouification of the aitwoik: "The notion of ait became |aftei
Woilu Wai IIj almost synonymous with the notion of the ait maiket, so that
the ait piouuceu unuei the nonmaiket conuitions was ue facto excluueu
fiom the fielu of institutionally iecognizeu ait."
Su

The seconu-geneiation occuis in the late 198us anu eaily 199us
wheie aitists such as Renee uieen, Fieu Wilson anu Anuiea Fiasei
examineu the ielationships between the ait netwoiks anu its links to
economical iestiaints oi powei.
"What has been establisheu, ietiospectively, as the 'fiist
geneiation' of institutional ciitique incluues figuies like Nichael
Ashei, Robeit Smithson, Baniel Buien, Bans Baacke anu Naicel
Bioouthaeis. They examineu the conuitioning of theii own
activity by the iueological anu economical fiames of the
museum, with the goal of bieaking out. They hau a stiong
ielation to the anti-institutional ievolts of the 196us anu 197us,
anu to the accompanying philosophical ciitiques. The best way
to take theii specific focus on the museum is not as a self-
assigneu limit oi a fetishization of the institution, but insteau as
pait of a mateiialist piaxis, luciuly awaie of its context, but with
wiuei tiansfoimatoiy intentions. |.j tbe Jiscourse of
institutionol critique took explicit form in tbe 0niteJ Stotes in tbe
lote 80s onJ eorly 90s. lt wos tbe perioJ of tbe so-colleJ seconJ
qenerotion. Among the names most often citeu aie Renee
uieen, Chiistian Philipp Nllei, Fieu Wilson oi Anuiea Fiasei.
Tbey pursueJ tbe systemotic explorotion of museoloqicol

Su

18

representotion, exomininq its links to economic power onJ its
epistemoloqicol roots in o coloniol science tbot treots tbe 0tber
like on object to be sbown in o vitrine. |Emphasis auueuj"
S1

Noting the histoiy that biought foiwaiu the notion of institutional
ciitique allows a bettei unueistanuing of notion's coie but also enables a
giasp of Anuiea Fiasei's influences anu iefeiences. She iuentifies in hei
essay "It's Ait When I say It's Ait, oi." (199S) thiee post-wai aitistic
movements that influenceu hei piojects: "minimalism, because it iethought
the ielationship between the viewei anu the ait object; institutional
ciitique, because it complicateu the mannei in which the museumgalleiy
nexus uefines bouies in teims of genuei, class, anu iace; anu the post-stuuio
piactice of site-specificity, because it calleu into question the conventions of
aitistic piouuction, exhibition, anu uissemination."
S2

As uiscusseu, institutional ciitique was establisheu to have fiist
emeigeu with the ciitical piactices of the 196us. Inueeu, it was not until
Benjamin Buchloh's essay "Conceptual Ait 1962-1969: Fiom the Aesthetics
of Auministiation to the Ciitique of Institutions" (199u) publisheu in
0ctober that institutional ciitique appeaieu as a notion 'in itself' (oi ait
cuiient), in contiast with a ciitique of institutions. Buchloh's essay outlines
ait movements fiom conceptual ait to minimalism that went thiough the
piocess of questioning the iole of institutions, which eventually leu to what
is iefeiieu touay as institutional ciitique. This essay cleaily lays out an
unueistanuing of Institutional Ciitique's essential iueas anu its influences,
which have enableu aitists - like Anuiea Fiasei - in the 198us to iuentify
theii woik as such. In view of Benjamin B.B. Buchloh's wiiting, Kiisi
Peltomaki in hei essay "Affect anu Spectatoiial: viewing institutional
ciitique in the 197us" (2uu7) notes that institutional ciitique was fiist
theoiizeu within the fiamewoik of poststiuctuialist ait histoiy, by a gioup

S1
Bolmes, Biian, "Extiauisciplinaiy Investigations. Towaius a new ciitique of Institutions" (2uu7) in Art onJ
S2
2uuS), p. xxiv

19

of influential ait ciitics anu histoiians associateu with the jouinal 0ctober
in the late 197us anu the 198us. She notes:
"Benjamin B. B. Buchloh, Bouglas Ciimp, anu Ciaig 0wens
consiueieu the 'ciitique of institutions' in the context of the
196us postwai avant-gaiue, wheiein mateiial anu
phenomenological moues of viewing |weiej combineu with the
oiganizational claiity of conceptual ait, sociopolitical activism,
anu site-specificity. |.j 0wens evokeu the Baithesian 'ueath of
the authoi' to claiify how contempoiaiy piactices of
institutional ciitique ieconfiguieu the social anu uiscuisive
conventions of authoiship."
SS

Neveitheless, Fiazei Waiu believes that the fail of institutional ciitique
uates fiom the wake of Conceptual ait:
"In the wake of Conceptual ait, ciitics |.j weie quick to
suppose that what has come to be known as institutional
ciitique hau faileu, because they coulu see, foi instance, cast
uiinals in elegantly appointeu galleiies. Inueeu, in the shauow
of a punctual, lineai, somewhat apocalyptic avant-gaiuism, it
becomes veiy uifficult to think about ait aftei the 196us as
anything but always alieauy solu out. Ceitainly, by the miu-
199us nothing like a movement has emeigeu even to act out the
function of an avant-gaiue. Ciiticism finus itself at an impasse,
anu so, peihaps, uo iemaining notions of ciiticality."
S4

What must be noteu is that Waiu uiffeientiates between the
'institutionalizeu ciiticism' in the ait woilu anu ciiticisms commenting on
the ait woilu foimulateu thiough ait piactice - but peihaps not yet
theoiizeu. In othei woius, Waiu's statement explains the failuie of
institutional ciitique as a failuie fiom - iionically - an institutional point of
view, wheie institutions anu ciitics faileu to iuentify institutional ciitique
as an ait movement anu ait piactice. Bence, it has been ietiospectively
theoiizeu because (as Waiu states) it hau been 'buiieu' but then pickeu up
again by ciitics, notably Benjamin Buchloh, in the 199us when ciiticism
founu itself in "an impasse", anu thus staiteu looking backwaius foi
justification. Waiu Fiazei fuithei notes: "The 198us saw not only the
elaboiation of vaiious ciitical aesthetic piactices, but a iesuigence of

SS
Peltomaki, Kiisi, "Affect anu spectatoiial agency: viewing institutional ciitique in the 197us", in Art }ournol
(2uu7), p. 4
S4
Summei 199S), p. 71

2u

inteiest in tiauitional moues of aesthetic expeiience anu mouels of aitistic
subjectivity. This was accompanieu by a fiankly iueological uisavowal of the
histoiical specificity of conuitions of cultuial piouuction anu ieception."
SS

In auuition, a ieneweu inteiest, notably by the Tiansfoim Pioject staiting in
2uuS exposeu the ambiguities between 'ciitique' anu 'institutions'.
In that view, Institutional Ciitique took explicit foim as an aitistic
piactice (paiticulaily in the 0.S.A) - as opposeu to an institutional ciiticism
- in the late 198us, eaily 199us. 0n that point, Anuiea Fiasei wiites: "
'Ciitique' appeais even less specific than 'institution', vacillating between a
iathei timiu 'exposing', 'ieflecting', oi 'ievealing', on the one hanu, anu
visions of the ievolutionaiy oveithiow of the existing museological oiuei
on the othei, with the institutional ciitique as a gueiiilla fightei engaging in
acts of subveision."
S6

While the aichitectuial aspects of institutions anu a iefiain fiom a
commouity status might have been chaiacteiistics of institutional ciitique
in the 196us anu 197us; one woulu agiee with Amy Peueison's statement
in "Relational Aesthetics anu Institutional Ciitique" (2uu6) that iueas of
peifoimativity chaiacteiize institutional ciitical piactice in the 198us anu
199us: "Notions of inteiactivity anu peifoimativity lie at the centie of the
198us anu 199us iefoimulations of Institutional Ciitique."
S7
In hei essay,
she aigues foi a 'iefoimulation' of aitistic piactice in teims of institutional
ciitique, in accoiuance with }ames Neyei who aigueu foi a "new kinu of
stiategy."

SS
Summei 199S), p. 71
S6
Fiasei Anuiea, "Fiom the ciitique of institutions to an institution of ciitique" (2uuS), in lnstitutionol Critique
onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. 127
S7
Peueison Amy, "Relational Aesthetics anu Institutional Ciitique", in lnstitutionol Critique onJ After, eu. by }ohn
C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. 269

21

3#$*%&( I
.+/%0%1%0-+$2 3(0%041& $/ 7(%0/%08 J#&+-<&+$

"lts not o question of beinq oqoinst tbe institution: We ore tbe institution. lts o question of
wbot kinJ of institution we ore, wbot kinJ of volues we institutionolize, wbot forms of
proctice we reworJ, onJ wbot kinJs of reworJs we ospire to."
S8

- Anuiea Fiasei

A - Refoimulating Institutional Ciitique thiough Peifoimance Ait

As the essential iueas behinu institutional ciitique have been
uiscusseu fiom an ait-histoiical peispective, Anuiea Fiasei's 'new kinu of
stiategy' shoulu be fuithei elaboiateu. It coulu be aigueu - agieeing with
Amy Peueison - that the 198us anu 199us saw a ieiteiation of institutional
ciitique that focuseu on notions of inteiactivity anu peifoimativity; oi as
}ames Neyei puts it, iefeiiing to Anuiea Fiasei's piactice, ueveloping a new
kinu of stiategy. In othei woius, the stiategies of aitistic piactice uuiing
that peiiou weie to 'peifoim' an utteiance of institutional ciitique. Taking
this iuea fuithei, to act up this notion, is in compliance with
'inteiventionaiy' aitistic piactice. Inueeu, an inteiventionaiy ait pioject
engages in the questioning anu exploiation of an institutional context in
ielation to aitistic piactice. In contiast with eailiei piactices wheie such
questioning weie imposeu on anu within an institution (Nichael Ashei's
mouifications of galleiy space in oiuei to ieveal its functioning); the 198us
anu 199us - paiticulaily with Anuiea Fiasei's piactice - auueu a ieflection
on the notion that was contextually-ueteimineu anu auuiesseu its
iefoimulation to the public as opposeu to solely to the institution.
Waiu Fiazei iuentifies two stianus of institutional ciitical piactice:
the fiist stianu takes the museum as its meuium to iaise awaieness on the
functioning of ait institutions; while the seconu stianu accepts the ait

S8
onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. 28S

22

system, woiking within this fiamewoik to foimulate theii ciiticism. Inueeu,
as Bans Baacke puts it: "They |aitistsj woik within that fiame, set the
fiame, anu aie being fiameu."
S9
In this view, one woulu agiee that Anuiea
Fiasei's piactice follows the seconu stianu, as she uoes not attempt to
biake away fiom the institutions that aie inheient to hei aitistic piactice;
hence, aumitting that ciitical piactice cannot exist outsiue of the institution,
uefying the autonomy of the aitwoik.
"Theie aie two inteiwoven stianus within uiffeient
institutionally ciitical piactices anu theii histoiical
anteceuents. |.j The fiist stianu of institutional ciitique takes
as its task the mateiial analysis of the peiceptual piotocols the
museum uses to uisguise oi natuialize what is in fact the
histoiical bouigeois subject. The piincipal histoiical figuie
heie is Naicel Buchamp |.j subsequent aitists incluue Buien
anu Naicel Bioouthaeis. The seconu stianu, while ielateu to
the fiist, neveitheless insists that by means of a moie uiiect
auuiess, the museum can be maue to function as a site foi the
piouuction of ciitical. Bistoiical figuies incluue El Lissitzky
anu again Rouchenko, anu iecent aitists Baacke anu Fieu
Wilson."
4u

In auuition, one woulu note Biian Bolmes' statement: "This situation
of a ciitical piocess taking itself foi its object iecently leu Anuiea Fiasei to
consiuei the aitistic institution as an unsuipassable, all-uefining fiame,
sustaineu thiough its own inwaiuly uiiecteu ciitique."
41
In that peispective,
as with Anuiea Fiasei's piactice, an institutional ciitical piactice is to
foimulate a uiscouise in ielation to the context wheie the foimulation is
'peifoimeu'. It is in that way, that peifoimance genie is auequate. It has
uevelopeu a new stiategy in the sense that theie is a liteial foimulation of
ciiticism (the uiscouise useu in hei peifoimances); enabling ait ciiticism to
emeige out of its impasse as well as it iaises the public's awaieness towaius
an elaboiate ait system anu institutions. Biian Bolmes iefeis to this
uevelopment as a tiopism geaieu at extia uisciplinaiy investigations. In
othei woius, institutional ciitique is not only conceineu with the

S9
Baacke Bans, "All the Ait that's fit to show" (1974) in lnstitutionol Critique onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman
(Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. SS
4u
Summei 199S), p. 81
41
Bolmes, Biian, "Extiauisciplinaiy Investigations. Towaius a new ciitique of Institutions" (2uu7), in Art onJ

2S

questioning of aitistic piactice as such but also with its ielationship to the
woilu (outsiue of the ait woilu), such as the public, cultuie oi society as
whole.
Institutional ciitique as an ait foim is pioblematic because it is a
piactice wheie both theoiy anu piactice meet, that combines - uespite theii
ambiguities - institution anu ciiticism. If it has always been associateu with
Conceptual Ait foi instance, it's because it appiopiiates olu theoiies anu
incoipoiates olu piactices, as such that it has not been iecognizeu as a 'new
cuiient'. It is a foim of piactice that is at once self-ieflexive as well as it
feeus fiom the past anu takes it as a uepaituie point. Not only uoes it
attempt to ciiticize the past but it also questions the piesent anu its
piactices. It is a constant exploiation not to be sepaiateu fiom its 'ioot': "In
the aitistic foims that iesult, one will always finu iemains of the olu
moueinist tiopism wheieby ait uesignates itself fiist of all, uiawing the
attention back to its own opeiations of expiession, iepiesentation,
metaphoiization oi ueconstiuction"
42

Neveitheless, to put it in simplei woius, quoting Anuiea Fiasei in
hei essay "Fiom the ciitique of institutions to an institution of ciitique"
(2uuS) wheie she offeis a quite auequate uefinition of institutional ciitique
ait piactice: "The piactice of institutional ciitique is geneially uefineu by its
appaient object, 'the institution', which is, in tuin, taken to iefei piimaiily
to establisheu, oiganizeu sites foi the piesentation of ait. |.j Institutional
Ciitique is ait that exposes 'the stiuctuies anu logic of museums anu ait
galleiies.' |.j In eithei case, 'ait' anu 'aitist' geneially figuie as
antagonistically opposeu to an 'institution' that incoipoiates, co-opts,
commouifies, anu otheiwise misappiopiiates once - iauical - anu
uninstitutionalizeu - piactices."
4S

Anuiea Fiasei's stiategies of piacticing institutional ciitique can be
seen as iefoimulateu thiough peifoimance genie. To be moie specific,
Fiasei's inteiventionist ait uiaws on foui piimaiy aitistic anu intellectual

42
Bolmes, Biian, "Extiauisciplinaiy Investigations. Towaius a new ciitique of Institutions" (2uu7), in Art onJ
4S
onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. 127

24

fiamewoiks - institutional ciitique, peifoimance, feminism anu Bouiuieu's
ieflexive sociology. Anuiea Fiasei sums it up as: "It's not a question of
being against the institution: We aie the institution. It's a question of what
kinu of institution we aie, what kinu of values we institutionalize, what
foims of piactice we iewaiu, anu what kinus of iewaius we aspiie to."
44

This comes uown to a move fiom the ciitique of institutions to an
institution of ciitique - as pei the title of hei essay - in othei woius an
institutionalizeu ciitical ait piactice.
Peifoimance ait allows hei to speak ciiticisms in hei uiscouises as
well as it allows hei to act (up) such a notion. In this view, one shoulu tuin
to hei peifoimance Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk peifoimeu at the
Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait uuiing the wintei of 1989. }ane Castleton gives
a saicastic guiueu toui of the museum wheie it becomes appaient in hei
speech hei mocking of such piactices. It shoulu be noteu that }ane
Castleton's chaiactei is an allusion to the inauequate ait histoiical
euucation anu tiaining. Inueeu, in the 0niteu States museum guiues usually
have no foimal ait histoiical tiaining.
4S
Anuiea Fiasei notes: "They aie
tiaineu only by the museum's piofessional staff anu thus acquiie a ceitain
quantity of knowleuge about ait objects. But this knowleuge, as it's usually
limiteu to the paiticulai museum's collection, leaves the museum guiue
entiiely uepenuent on its paiticulai souice anu without the means to
geneiate a legitimate opinion inuepenuently of the institution."
46

The sciipt anu its footnotes pioviues anothei peispective of the
peifoimance which may be iegaiueu as moie ciitical, enabling a uistancing
fiom the comical peifoimance anu moie ciitically ieflective stance: "the
sciipt pioviues a uisplaceu veision of the peifoimance. In fact, the
acauemic commentaiy appenueu to the sciipt in the foim of pieamble oi
footnotes auus an auuitional ciitical uimension to the peifoimance piece."
47

44
onJ After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), p. 28S
4S
This point is to be unueistoou within the context of the 198us, at the time of hei peifoimance. Neeuless to note
that ait histoiical tiaining in the 0niteu States has evolveu since.
46
2uuS), p. 9
47
Ibiu, p. xxvi

2S

}ane Castleton points out that a visit to the coat anu iest iooms aie
pait of the toui: "we'll be focusing on some of the iooms in the Nuseum
touay, uh, the Nuseum's fameu peiiou iooms; uining iooms, coat iooms, et
ceteia, iest iooms, uh |.j Anu the Nuseum itself, the Nuseum itself, the
'itself' itself being so compelling."
48
She piesents the builuing's stiuctuial
elements oi facilities such as a uiinking fountain oi iest iooms as an
aitwoik; uesciibing the object in the same 'elevateu language' that she uses
to uesciibe 17
th
centuiy Butch paintings; thus iaising the public's attention
to the bouigeois language that has been associateu in the piesentation anu
uiscussion of ait. Anuiea Fiasei ieseaicheu the Philauelphia Nuseum's
histoiy anu wiitings on ait institutions. Though hei uiscouise may appeai
ueiisive, they neveitheless foimulate a caieful ciiticism. 0n this point
Alexanuei Albeiio wiites:
"Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk thus uemonstiates the act of
cultuial ueception common to the self-piesentation of
museums of fine ait |.j In sum, Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery
Tolk is as much an essay that ciitiques the iueological function
of taste anu the piouuction of value as it is a peifoimance
sciipt. Fiasei uoes not ciitique just the institution of the
museum; by extension, she also analyzes the type of viewei the
museum piouuces anu the piocess of iuentification that aitists
embouy."
49

Bence, in hei peifoimance, Anuiea Fiasei mimicks as well as she
ueconstiucts the museum, ievealing stiuctuial biases, social piejuuices anu
economic unueipinnings of establisheu cultuial institutions.
}ane Castleton piesents heiself in uiessing anu manneiism as the
steieotype of a conventional toui guiue, highlighting social piejuuices.
0nueilying a satiiical tone, she intiouuces the histoiy of the museum with
'exaggeiateu' anu high language that is conventionally useu by ait toui
guiues: "its |the Philauelphia Nuseumj ovei two hunuieu galleiies contain
hunuieus of thousanus of ait objects spanning the globe anu centuiies |.j
an institution of the highest quality, one of the woilu's gieat iepositoiies of
civilization |.j The Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait is one of the oluest ait

48
2uuS), p. 96
49
Ibiu, p. xxvii

26

museums in the 0niteu States. It was oiiginally the Pennsylvania Nuseum
anu School of Inuustiial Ait anu it was establisheu in 1877."
Su

}ane Castleton's use of language shoulu be iemaikeu. Bei
piesentation of aitwoiks is iecuiiently expiesseu in oveit anu exaggeiateu
aujectives, - all the while keeping with a satiiical, mocking tone - which
comment on the iuea of 'high cultuie' anu on the activity of obseiving ait.
She uesciibes Nicolas Poussin's Tbe Birtb of tbe venus with woius such as
"iesplenuently. amazingly flawless."
S1
The peiiou ioom foi the uianu
Salon fiom the Chateau ue Biaveil is uesciibeu thiough "the slenuei
piopoitions of theii fiames |.j caiveu with the most extieme ciispiness
anu biilliance |.j of gieat beauty anu iefinement |.j of the utmost
uelicacy"
S2
. In auuition, Soint luke by Simon vouet is seen as "the most
spectaculai, monumental, sculptuial".
By contiast, auuiessing a guaiu's stool in the coinei of the galleiy
"In scale anu complexity. in the gieat Euiopean tiauition. fiee fiom time
anu change."
SS
Likewise, she piesents the museum's iole iionically: "heie
you will be libeiateu fiom the stiuggle imposeu by mateiial neeus, heie you
will finu youi iueal beauty, you will finu inspiiation, heie you will finu a
place apait, you will finu stanuaius, heie you will finu civilization |.j the
Nuseum's puipose is not just to uevelop an appieciation of ait, but to
uevelop an appieciation of values."
S4

This tonality is fuithei iiuiculeu, hence the ciiticism emphasizeu, by
applying a similai tone to the public facilities that a museum builuing
pioviues to accommouate its visitoi, such as iest iooms, coatiooms anu
uiinking fountains. Buiing hei toui, she stanus in fiont of Biego Riveia's
liberotion of tbe Peon anu points to the uiinking fountain at the coinei
insteau |Fig. 7j: "Anu isn't this a hanusome uiinking fountain! |.j a woik of
astonishing economy anu monumentality, it boluly contiasts with the
seveie anu highly stylizeu piouuctions of this foim. Notice, the

Su
2uuS), pp. 96-98
S1
Ibiu, p. 1uu
S2
Ibiu, pp 99-1uu
SS
Ibiu, p. 1u1
S4
Ibiu, pp. 1u7-1u8

27

massiveness. the vast. most ambitious anu iesolveu!"
SS
Biawing the
viewei's attention to a fountain is unuoubteuly a iefeience to Buchamp's
Iountoin (1917) which emphasizes hei ciiticism of high cultuie oi of what
is aumitteu oi 'institutionalizeu' as aitwoik; but also iefeiiing to
institutional ciitical piactices of questioning conventions: "fiequent this
museum of youis anu get in contact with tiauition. You Jrink in the
tiauition that exists heie anu that is. pileu up heie |.j You will feel with
me that these touchstones, these stanuaius, aftei all, aie not peuantic
things but stanuaius foi a cultivateu, goveineu, Jiscriminotinq instinct.
|Emphasis auueuj"
S6

Anuiea Fiasei staiteu uoing hei peifoimances fiom the point of
view of a toui guiue (hei altei ego }ane Castleton) anu then in hei latei
peifoimances (such as 0fficiol Welcome), she chooses to stay as heiself, an
inuiviuual, aitist; placing heiself outsiue of the uiscouise, in oiuei to have a
uistant anu ietiospective, ciitical-eye on the mattei. She positions heiself
as such:
"As an aitist, I may tiy to situate myself outsiue of the stiuggle
between uomestic anu scholastic ielations to cultuie, iejecting
both iejections that constitute the uynamics of ait institutions,
peihaps iefusing, as I iefuse, to piouuce objects foi them;
peihaps attempting to position myself moie uiiectly in ielation
to theii ieal stake: the museum's public, oi at least those not
alieauy uisposeu to the cultuie that I piouuce anu that
museums piesent."
S7

It coulu be aigueu that one of Anuiea Fiasei's stiategies is
appiopiiation. The sciipt of hei peifoimance 0fficiol Welcome is an
assemblage of uiffeient wiitten texts oi speeches given by ienowneu
peisonalities anu aitists in the ait woilu. She has ie-appiopiiateu theii
uiscouise anu placeu it in a uiffeient context anu has incoipoiateu it within
aitistic piactice. Paiticulaily with 0fficiol Welcome wheie Fiasei assumes
the peisona of actual aitists, ait ciitics anu museum peisonnel. The

SS
2uuS), p. 1u4
S6
Ibiu, p. 1u8
S7
Ibiu, p. 1u

28

uiscouise oscillates between the aitist anu anothei figuie such as an ait
histoiian oi an ait ciitic thioughout the peifoimance: "Fiasei's 0fficiol
Welcome (2uu1) takes the foim of oiatoiy composeu laigely of quotations
fiom ielatively well-known figuies in the ait woilu such as Benjamin
Buchloh, uabiiel 0iozco, Kiik vaineuoe, vanessa Beecioft, Nichael
Kimmelman, Laiiy uagosian, Chailes Saatchi, anu Kaia Walkei."
S8

The sciipt is uiviueu into eight sets. In each set she contiasts an
aitist's uiscouise with an ait piofessional (ait ciitic, ait histoiian, ait
uealei, ait collectoi, museum uiiectoi, etc.). In hei sciipt, Anuiea Fiasei
iuentifies the othei paity (the fiist paity being the aitist) as a suppoitei. By
suppoitei she means a peison active in the ait woilu in a uiffeient way
than piouucing aitwoiks. The sets of 'uialogues' foim as a whole a
homogeneous monologue, wheie the uiscouise uoes not appeai as
'ueconstiucteu' as in the wiitten sciipt. In each set, the shift fiom one
chaiactei to anothei is maue moie so cohesive by staiting the aitist's
speech
S9
with a sentence that ieiteiates the woius last spoken fiom the
suppoitei.
Foi instance, Anuiea Fiasei uses quotes fiom Benjamin Buchloh's
texts anu iefeis it to hei woik. Not only is she being ciitical of what has
been wiitten about ait, but she is also being self-ciitical of hei own woik:
"It is uifficult to imagine what a ciitical ait piactice coulu be at the
beginning of the new millennium. 0ne factoi in the uemise of iauical
piactice may be ait's own collaboiation with the foices of spectacle
cultuie."
6u

In that view, she emphasizes the ambiguity between ait theoiy anu
ait piactice, making the uiffeience between the two invisible. 0ne woulu
auu that one of the ieasons behinu this foim of 'appiopiiation' is to uiaw
the attention - once again - to the foimulateu iueas anu 'biing the issues
back to the suiface'. In auuition, Anuiea Fiasei states that hei powei as an

S8
2uuS), p. xxx
S9
With the exception of set S, the suppoitei is usually the fiist to speak, followeu by the aitist.
6u
2uuS), p. 21S

29

aitist in appiopiiating objects, texts, iepiesentations anu piactices is
symbolic anu lies in the ability to confei value anu inteiest wheie befoie
theie was none.
61

"A ciitique of the existing ait maiket iules anu ait institutions
is, of couise, legitimate anu necessaiy, but this ciitique makes
sense only if its goal is to uiaw oui attention to inteiesting oi
ielevant ait that is oveilookeu by these institutions. Anu, as all
of us know well, if this kinu of ciitique is successful it leaus to
the inclusion of the oveilookeu ait in these institutions -anu,
theiefoie, ultimately, to the fuithei stabilization of these
institutions."
62

B - Feminism anu Peifoimance Ait

Buiing the welcome speech, Anuiea Fiasei moves swiftly anu
uiscieetly fiom being one chaiactei (an aitist) to anothei (such as an ait
ciitic). It opens with Anuiea Fiasei piesenting heiself as an aitist anu
thanking Baibaia anu Bowaiu Noise who have been suppoitive of hei
woik anu have commissioneu this piece. Then moves fiom acting as heiself,
Anuiea Fiasei (the aitist) to iepiesenting a peisonality fiom the NICA
Founuation who is intiouucing hei as an aitist. These shifts in peisonalities
aie usually iuentifieu uuiing the peifoimance by hei sipping of a glass of
watei oi pieuominantly by hei tuining of the heau (as though she was
putting on a uiffeient mask, foi a uiffeient chaiactei), anu eventually the
tone, manneiisms anu language she uses. Anuiea Fiasei even comments on
hei uiinking watei, as though the auuience shoulu not uisuain that gestuie
anu put moie attention to it: "I'm not chocking up, ieally. I'm . just a little
uiy. Tokes o sip of woter, tben cleors tbroot."
6S
In this way, she cuts the
uistancing between 'stage' anu 'auuience' an effect commonly piouuceu
fiom peifoimances, anu biings hei viewei back to the 'genuine' natuie of
hei speech, a kinu of ieality check wheie the viewei is imposeu to believe

61
2uuS), p. 1u
62
6S
2uuS), p. 214

Su

that hei being on pouium is tiuly an opening speech iathei than a
peifoimance.
Bei peifoimance ie-enacts an assemblage of the uiffeient chaiacteis
that play a iole in the ait woilu, playing with the steieotypes that aie
geneially associateu with them. This constant move fiom one chaiactei to
anothei engages in an iuea of 'moiphism' as she tiansfoims fiom being one
peisonality to anothei. Noiphism is to be associateu with the iuea of the
bouy in peifoimance ait. It shoulu be iemaikeu, that this is subtle iefeience
to the position of feminism anu the bouy in peifoimance ait piactices of the
197us.
Liteially speaking, (in 0fficiol Welcome) one shoulu note Anuiea
Fiasei's pieuominant use of the male pionoun |hej when iefeiiing to an
aitist. The female pionoun |shej is fiist noticeu in set numbei 4 when the
suppoitei speaks of an aitist. This linguistic use alluues to much feminist
uiscussion going against pievalent views on women, seen as an object of
uesiie anu subject to the male gaze. The suppoitei in this set states: "I was
smitten, just uazzleu by the sexy mouein flaii of it all. It was so iight, so
now. I wanteu to take it home. |.j She's oui fantasy. She lives oui fantasies
foi us."
64
It is iight at that point that Anuiea Fiasei stiips uown to uucci
unueiweai anu high-heel shoes, anu auus (speaking with an aitist's voice)
befoie stanuing motionless foi 1S seconus |Fig. 8j: "I'm not a peison touay.
I'm an object in an aitwoik. It's about emptiness."
6S
A statement, which
iecalls hei statement as }ane Castleton in Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk:
"I woulu like to live like an ait object. An ait object, of couise, that is
exchangeu foi the pleasuie anu piofit of otheis. Woulun't it be nice to live
like an ait object."
66
This gestuie emphasizes an allusion to not only
feminist uiscouises but also to the place of the bouy in peifoimance ait.
As the Welcome piogiesses, she stiips away hei clothes - stanuing
nuue on the pouium - ievealing hei bouy to the auuience in a mannei that
iecalls much peifoimance ait of the 197us by aitists such as Caiolee

64
2uuS), p. 219
6S
Ibiu, p. 22u
66
Ibiu, p. xxx

S1

Schneeman, uina Pane, valie Expoit oi Bannah Wilke anu moie iecent
vanessa Beecioft. As such, Fiasei tiansfoims hei bouy into a vehicle of
aitistic piouuction anu "0fficiol Welcome comes close to achieving the
giotesque uesiie aiticulateu by the }ane Castleton chaiactei neaily two
uecaues eailiei: An ait object, of couise, that is exchangeu foi the pleasuie
anu piofit of otheis."
67
|Fig. 9j The statement comments on genuei
uiscussions, positioning women as object of gaze, uesiie, constiaineu to be
a muse; but also points to the institutionalization of aitists uespite theii
attempt to biake away fiom the museum, aitists aie constiaineu to woik
within an socio-economical anu political fiamewoik.
In a compaiable gestuie, in Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk }ane
Castleton holus out hei aim pointing to Baviu Smith's Two Box Structure
but insteau talks of heiself anu clothing iathei than the sculptuie: "Notice
how the light catches the fabiic, the tiny hounustooth checks of the suit, anu
silveis the fabiic a little moie biightly, as it falls about the aim, the legs, uh,
just below the knee, anu cieases slightly at the waist, uouble-bieasteu. |.j
While hei uiess anu beaiing might suggest an uppei-class, uh, lauy, the
uisciiminating, uh, the uisciiminating, viewei, will notice that hei hanus aie
scaiieu anu pooily manicuieu, anu hei teeth have not been stiaighteneu."
68

In 196S, Caiolee Schneemann (0niteu States, b. 19S9) peifoimeu
Fye BoJy, a seiies of intimate actions uocumenteu thiough photogiaphy by
Icelanuic aitist Eiio. |Fig. 1uj The photogiaphs iepiesenteu gouuess
imageiies emphasizing female sexuality. Kiistine Stiles notes that such
woiks anticipateu bouy anu peifoimance ait anu the feminist politics of
iuentity: "The eiotic female aichetype, cieative imagination, anu
peifoimance ait itself aie all subveisive in the eyes of patiiaichal cultuie
because they themselves iepiesent foims anu foices which cannot be
tuineu into functional commouities oi enteitainment (to be exchangeu as

67
2uuS), p. xxx
68
Ibiu, p. 1u4

S2

piopeity anu value), iemaining unpossessable while iauicalizing social
consciousness."
69

Anuiea Fiasei's iefeience to woman as ait object thus, iecalls much
feminist uiscussions of the 197us as well as genuei issues in society anu ait.
It is also a iefeience to the position of women as 'muse' in the ait woilu, foi
theii bouies anu nuuity weie painteu but the piesence of women aitists
was lacking. 0ne woulu beai in minu the uueiilla uiils postei, which states:
"Bo women have to be nakeu to get into the Net. Nuseum. Less than S% of
the aitists in the Nouein Ait sections aie women, but 8S% of the nuues aie
female." |Fig. 11j While the accuiacy of the peicentages might be
questionable, the question poseu is ielevant to most feminist uiscussions.
Feminism hau a gieat impact on ait anu ait ciiticism in the eaily 197us.
Nichael Aichei - in Art since 1960 (1997) - notes:
"the political viewpoint of a society anu its ait hau been the
focus of much attention alieauy, mainly within a neo-Naixist
theoietical fiamewoik. Whatevei the iights anu wiongs of the
uistiibution of powei among those who piouuce anu those who
own the means of piouuction, the vast majoiity of playeis on
both siues appeaieu to be men."
7u

As a iesult, much activism of the eaily 197us leu to the ievelation of
uiffeient statistics that pioveu the extent of genuei maiginalization within
society. In New Yoik, Women Aitists in Revolution (WAR) hau foimeu out
of the Aits' Woikeis Coalition. Anu in 1971, the Los Angeles Council of
Women Aitists issueu a statement pointing out that among 71S aitists who
exhibiteu in gioup shows (ovei the past 1u yeais) at the Los Angeles
County Nuseum, only 29 weie women; anu among SS solo exhibitions, only
one featuieu a woman.
71
In the same yeai, ait-histoiian Linua Nochlin
publisheu hei seminal essay "Why have theie been no gieat women
aitists." (1971) wheie she points out to the socio-political context anu a
patiiaichal cultuie of euucation as a backbone foi such 'maiginality'. She
also uiscusses cuiatoiial piactices of museum anu galleiy staff anu the

69
Caiolee Schneeman quoteu in Tbeories onJ Bocuments of Contemporory Art, A source book of Artists Writinqs,
eu. by Kiistine Stiles anu Petei Selz, (0niveisity of Califoinia Piess, 1996), p. 68S
7u
Aichei, Nichael, Art Since 1960 (1997), New Euition (Thames & Buuson woilu of ait, Lonuon, 2uu2), p. 11S
71
Ibiu

SS

values ieinfoiceu by ait histoiy
72
. Nochlin wiites: "A feminist ciitique of the
uiscipline of ait histoiy is neeueu which can pieice cultuial-iueological
limitations to ieveal biases anu inauequacies not only in iegaiu to the
question of women aitists, but the foimulation of ciucial questions of the
uiscipline as a whole."
7S
In teims of institutional ciitique, it is ielevant foi
Anuiea Fiasei as a female aitist to iecall these uiscussions anu fuithei
question the uiscipline as a whole. This is to be unueistoou as an initiative,
similaily to feminism in the 197us, in histoiical ieclamation, a ciitique anu
ieappiaisal of the ciiteiia of juugment anu finally, an examination of aitistic
activity.
0n a similai note, aitistic piactice such as peifoimance, alloweu
female aitist to uistance themselves fiom 'tiauitional' genies that woulu
impose a peispective (the uominant uiscouise) on theii woik, that of being
the object of men's gaze anu uesiie. In the 197us, women questioneu how
they coulu iepiesent themselves oi puisue an aitistic piactice that woulu
not leau to the fuitheiance of such point of views. Thus, the use of newei
techniques anu mateiials enableu such a uistancing:
"|itj pie-empteu, to a ceitain extent, the pioblem of having to
ueal with the entiie histoiy of ait befoie one coulu say anything
new. Photogiaphy, viueo, film, sounu, Peifoimance - those
infoimation-pioviuing tactics that hau so iecently begun to
expanu the bounus of ait - all seemeu moie appiopiiate means
with which to auuiess the subject mattei."
74

72
Nochlin, Linua, "Why Bave Theie Been No uieat Women Aitists." in Women, Art onJ Power onJ 0tber Fssoys
(Westview Piess, 1988), < http:www.miiacosta.euuhomegfloiennochlin.htm> |Last accesseu: 1S 0ctobei
2uu9j
7S
Linua Nochlin quoteu in Art Since 1960 (1997) by Nichael Aichei, New Euition (Thames & Buuson woilu of ait,
Lonuon, 2uu2), p. 116
74
Aichei, Nichael, Art Since 1960 (1997), New Euition (Thames & Buuson woilu of ait, Lonuon, 2uu2), p. 12S

S4

3#$*%&( K
D#& .+/%0%1%0-+$2 3-+%&L%

"We ore in tbe entertoinment business onJ competinq oqoinst otber forms of entertoinment
out tbere."
7S

- Ben Baitley (Biiectoi of Communication - uuggenheim New Yoik)

A - The uemateiialization of the Ait 0bject

A uiscussion on the choice of the peifoimance genie in Anuiea
Fiasei's piactice may be elaboiateu with Lucy Lippaiu's iuea of the
uemateiialization of the aitwoik (in ielation to Conceptual Ait). Lucy
Lippaiu in hei book Six yeors: Tbe Jemoteriolizotion of tbe ort object from
1966 to 1972 (197S) foimulateu the iuea that the ait object has gone
thiough a piocess of uemateiialization, in othei woius has unueimineu the
physical aspects of an aitwoik. Lippaiu uefines it as a ue-emphasis on
mateiial aspects such as uniqueness, peimanence, anu uecoiative
attiactiveness.
76
She elaboiates this iuea fuithei as the piocess of
uemateiialization takes the foim of an abstiaction of content anu a
uisembouiment of its own subject: "in maintaining the abstiaction of
content that was ciucial to the high moueinism valoiizeu by the museum,
Conceptual ait also maintaineu the uisembouiment of its own subject. lt is
precisely tbis to wbicb institutionol critique responJs, insofor os it insists on
leqibility. |Emphasis auueuj"
77
Waiu Fiazei auus to this point in ielation to
Peifoimance ait, that the uisembouiment of the subject anu the abstiaction
of content has alloweu a ciitical function foi peifoimance ait wheie the

7S
Ben Baitley quoteu in Huseum Eiqbliqbts: Tbe writinqs of AnJreo Iroser, by Anuiea Fiasei, eu. by Alexanuei
Albeiio, (The NIT Piess, 2uuS), p. 2u4
76
Lippaiu, Lucy, Six yeors: tbe Jemoteriolizotion of tbe ort object from 1966 to 1972, (New Yoik, Piaegei
Publisheis, 197S), p. S
77
Lucy Lippaiu quoteu in Waiu, Fiazei, "The Baunteu Nuseum: Institutional Ciitique anu Publicity", in 0ctober,
vol. 7S (The NIT Piess, Summei 199S), p. 79

SS

attention was tuineu to the actual bouies of aitists, in oiuei to piouuce a
uiffeient analysis of the ieification of 'the aitist.'
78

The iuea of the bouy in Anuiea Fiasei's piactice lies - in auuition to
an (ait-) histoiical iefeience of piactices of the 197us - in the impoitance of
the human subject ovei the object, hence a questioning on the natuie of ait
anu the iole of the aitist. This iecalls a iefiain fiom a commouification of
the ait object anu highlights the phenomenological expeiience of ait.
Kiistine Stiles notes that aftei Woilu Wai II, aitists began to use theii
bouies as the mateiial foi visual ait in oiuei to inciease the expeiiential
immeuiacy of theii woik:
"Theii poweiful ueclaiation of the bouy as foim anu content
insisteu on the piimacy of human subjects ovei objects. |.j
Emphasizing the bouy as ait, aitists amplifieu the iole of
piocess ovei piouuct anu shifteu fiom iepiesentational objects
to piesentational moues of action that extenueu the foimal
bounuaiies of painting anu sculptuie into ieal time anu
movement in space."
79

Similaily, Aichei notes that once the emphasis in ait shifteu fiom
the enu-piouuct to the piocess of its making, the acknowleugement of the
aitist's piesence in that piocess became unavoiuable. This
acknowleugement is also the iecognition of the bouily factoi that comes
into play in the piocess of aitistic activity: "Peifoimance is that
acknowleugment."
8u

A uisembouiment of the subject subsequently geaieu the accent on
phenomenological chaiacteiistics, anu the expeiience of ait. This iuea
commonly iefeiieu to touay as ielational aesthetics emphasizes the viewei
oi the public's expeiience of the aitwoik. It establisheu a ielationship
between the aitwoik, the context in which it is placeu anu consequently its
public. Nicolas Bouiiiauu uesciibeu 'ielational aesthetics' (in 1998) as an
ait taking as its theoietical hoiizon the iealm of human inteiactions anu its

78
Summei 199S), p. 79
79
Tbeories onJ Bocuments of Contemporory Art, A source book of Artists Writinqs, eu. by Kiistine Stiles anu Petei
Selz, (0niveisity of Califoinia Piess, 1996), p. 679
8u
Aichei, Nichael, Art Since 1960 (1997), New Euition (Thames & Buuson woilu of ait, Lonuon, 2uu2), pp. 1uu-
1u1

S6

social context, iathei than the asseition of an inuepenuent anu piivate
symbolic space"
81
.
In Anuiea Fiasei's case, the viewei's involvement is achieveu
thiough peifoimance genie. In Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk foi
instance, the aitist acting as a museum guiue (}ane) leaus the viewei
thioughout the museum anu 'imposes' what shoulu be lookeu at anu what
infoimation they shoulu know. Thus, the uemateiialization of the ait object
has leu to an emphasis on the ait context:
"The most effective methou in this case has often been the
accent oi oveilay of an ait context, an ait fiamewoik, oi simply
an ait awaieness, that is, the imposition of a foieign pattein oi
substance on existing situations oi infoimation. The auuition of
accents iathei than the uelineation of an inuepenuent foim leu
away fiom maiking the object into iemaiking uiiect
expeiience."
82

Kiisi Peltomaki in "Affect anu spectatoiial agency: viewing
institutional ciitique in the 197us" (2uu7) ielates the notion of a
phenomenological expeiience of ait to the iuea of spectatoiship. She aigues
that with the avant-gaiues, the viewei was expecteu to complete the woik
of ait, wheieas this is still ielevant with eaily piactices of institutional
ciitique, the viewei is neveitheless inheient to the aitwoik, as theii iole
has alieauy been pie-ueteimineu by the aitist. Bowevei, the uiffeience to
be maue heie between the avant-gaiues anu institutional ciitique piactices
is the account foi the institutional context, while the avant-gaiues expecteu
theii viewei to take the institutional context into account; institutional
ciitique piactices 'spoke-out' the fiamewoik anu uiiectly geaieu the
viewei's attention to the institutional context: "the 196us anu 197us
viewing subject hau become an incieasingly specific entity whose place in
the woik of ait was sciipteu alongsiue mateiial oi piocessual ielations."
8S

Anuiea Fiasei takes into account these notions when she ueciues to
liteially tell hei auuience about the institutional context they aie in. In hei
peifoimance Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk, she uoes not fail to point

81
Bouiiiauu, Nicolas, Relotionol Aestbetics, (Fiance, Les piesses uu iel, 2uu2), p. 14
82
Lippaiu, Lucy, Six yeors: tbe Jemoteriolizotion of tbe ort object from 1966 to 1972, (New Yoik, Piaegei
Publisheis, 197S), p. S
8S
(2uu7), p. S

S7

out the histoiy of the Philauelphia Nuseum anu ieminu hei viewei of the
institutional context (anu ait-histoiical backgiounu) in which they aie
viewing aitwoiks. Likewise, in 0fficiol Welcome she incoipoiates in hei
speech the fact that the peifoimance is a commission by the NICA
founuation, iaising hei public's awaieness to the unueipinnings of hei
peifoimance. 0n that point, with iegaius to institutional ciitique, Peltomaki
notes:
"Institutional ciitique offeieu an alteinate veision of the
conceptual investigation that woulu have limiteu the viewei's
cognitive inteipietation to elements inteinal to the aitwoik.
Within institutional ciitique, the vieweis weie askeu to
peiceive theii enviionment as a social, iueological system.
Aichitectuial constiaints, funuing paitneis, political
connections, anu psychological expectations weie consiueieu
insepaiable fiom any uisciete aitwoik anu the conuitions of its
ieception."
84

By iefeiencing the funuing bouies (NICA Founuation), Anuiea
Fiasei engages in the issue of a move to piivatizeu public museums. Bei
speech uiiectly auuiesses the founuation anu piocess of hei woik uown to
the financing of hei pioject. She auuiesses the NICA Founuation as hei
sponsoi anu states theii mission, thus the supposeu goal of hei pioject.
Buiing the peifoimance, she ieaus:
"The mission of the NICA Founuation is to sponsoi piojects by
aitists that positioneu ciitically in ielation to the piouuction,
exhibition, uocumentation, piomotion, anu uistiibution of ait,
anu the conventional ioles of aitists, pation, anu auuience. It
aims to pioviue ciucial suppoit foi aitists whose woik has
been ienueieu invisible because of political content, lack of
maiketability, oi its challenging inquiiy into the natuie of ait
institutions."
8S

Inueeu, since hei peifoimance Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk
(1989) anu hei substantial wiiting on the notion of institutional ciitique,
Anuiea Fiasei has been wiuely known foi hei ciitical piactice. Iionically,
knowing the natuie of Fiasei's woik as an institutional ciitical piactice, the
viewei is bounu to unueistanu the iefeience to the founuation as hei

84
(2uu7), pp. S-4
8S
2uuS), p. 214

S8

sponsoi as pait of hei ciitique, hence commenting on the economics anu
financing in the ait woilu as a whole. Buiing 0fficiol Welcome, she states:
"By engaging hei to uevelop a text ielevant to a piivate nonpiofit
founuation - anu to uelivei it heie as well - The NICA Founuation is
enuoising Anuiea Fiasei's iole as an institutional ciitic."
86

In Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk, Fiasei's chaiactei }ane
Castleton piesents the Philauelphia Nuseum in ielation to its iole as a
public institution anu its being a piouuct of public policy by ieauing the
institution's mission, manuate publisheu in Tbe New Huseum onJ lts Service
to PbiloJelpbio (1922): "We have to come to unueistanu that to iob.
people of the things of the spiiit anu to supply them with highei wages as a
substitute is not goou economics, goou patiiotism, oi goou policy."
87

Inueeu, in the annotateu sciipt of the peifoimance, Anuiea Fiasei explains
that in the late 19
th
centuiy, ait museums began to be establisheu in laige
numbeis in the 0niteu States. This geneial movement was enableu by
bankeis anu inuustiialists to ieoiganize public policy anu limit 'public
ielief'. She notes that the piimaiy aim of the movement was to eliminate all
extia-institutional public ielief that was - quoting Fiancis Fox Piven anu
Richaiu A. Clowaiu - "making it possible foi some of the pooi to evaue the
new inuustiial assault."
88

This comments on the museum as a piouuct of Enlightenment anu
Inuustiial Revolution which emphasizeu social class uiffeiences, anu wheie
the institution seiveu to euucate the woiking class on 'high cultuie': "The
Nunicipal Ait ualleiy 'that ieally seives its puipose gives an oppoitunity
foi enjoying the highest piivileges of wealth anu leisuie to all those people
who have cultivateu tastes but not the means of giatifying them.' Anu foi
those who have not yet cultivateu taste, the Nuseum will pioviue 'a tiaining
in taste.' |.j The public, who buy clothes anu table china anu wall papei

86
2uuS), p. 214
87
Ibiu, p. 98
88
Ibiu, p. 111

S9

anu inexpensive jewelleiy, must be foiceu to iaise theii stanuaius of taste
by seeing the masteipieces of othei civilizations anu othei centuiies."
89

Bence, the museum's iole is to uiffeientiate between 'low' anu 'high'
cultuie oi to piesent 'goou' ait: "The museum's task coulu be uesciibeu as
the continuous, conscientious anu iesolute uistinction of quality fiom
meuiociity."
9u

B - The Society of the Spectacle

The institutional context is a ciucial point when speaking of
institutional ciitique, paiticulaily in teims of Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances
that use the context as an inheient pait of hei woik. She uses the histoiical
context - foi instance - as a stiategy in hei peifoimances by iefeiencing
the museum's histoiy in which she is peifoiming. Foi instance, she auapts
the museum's histoiical context to hei sciipt wiitings thiough which she
foimulates hei ciitique. Bei sciipts aie satiiical comments about the
institution in which she peifoims anu aie fiameu accoiuingly. Similaily to
Buchamp's woik, hei peifoimance anu hei sciipt cannot be taken out of
context, as it woulu lose most of its significance. 0sing an institutional
context anu making it an integial pait of the meaning of the aitwoik also
means using pie-ueteimineu elements set by the location. It is on that point
that Anuiea Fiasei plays with, a make belief of institutionalization all the
while ciiticizing the veiy same institution. This conuitioning of the aitwoik,
though peiceiveu as a limitation by fiist-geneiation piactitioneis may be
vieweu as anothei foim of appiopiiation, peihaps a uiscuisive soit of
appiopiiation - which filtiates anu is essential to the foimulateu
institutional ciitique uiscouise.

As was uiscusseu in iefeience to Lucy Lippaiu's notion of the
uemateiialization of the object anu uisembouiment of the subject, context
was put at the foie. 0ne might auu that putting the context at the

89
2uuS), pp. 98, 1uu
9u
Ibiu, p. 1u4

4u

foiegiounu, involves putting an emphasis on the physical (oi spatial)
context to the foie then engage in the institutional context as a whole.
Looking at the gieatei pictuie, staiting fiom a micio (paiticulai) to a macio
(geneial) peispective. uaston Bachelaiu's book Tbe Poetics of Spoce (19S8)
hau alieauy expiesseu the impoitance of space (oi setting) in ielation to
ait. Bis wiitings ievealeu that spatiality is moie than a setting anu that it is
often the aimatuie aiounu which the woiks of ait ievolve.
91
In othei woius,
this tianslates in Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances in a liteial engagement
with the institution (geneially museums) in which hei peifoimance is being
conuucteu. In Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk, she uoes not fail to ieminu
hei viewei the histoiical context in which they aie placeu by liteially telling
the museum's histoiy, thus placing hei peifoimance within a laigei
histoiical context. }ane Castleton engages with the physical context, as she
moves aiounu the museum giving a guiueu toui, actively involving hei
auuience to the aichitectuial elements of the museum, anu uoes not fail to
point out elements of the infiastiuctuie.
A piactice of institutional ciitique questions the ielationships
between the subject anu the object, the viewei anu the aitwoik, anu to
quote Fiazei Waiu:
"The neo-avant-gaiue's conceins expanu outwaiu, in
Conceptual ait anu post-Conceptual institutional ciitique, fiom
an initial engagement with the immeuiate ielations between
subject anu object, viewei anu ait woik, thiough the bioauei
constiaints anu conuitions of that ielationship. This entails an
engagement that begins to tuin the space of the museum itself
into an object locateu in a social anu iueological netwoik (an
object of inquiiy, one teim in an expansive set of social
ielations)."
92

Anuiea Fiasei uefines hei woik as "'site-specific ait that seeks to
ciiticize anu analyze aspects of cultuie that have laigely been
natuializeu."
9S
To elaboiate on the iuea of an aitwoik uevelopeu anu
constiucteu aiounu a paiticulai fiamewoik, context becomes insepaiable

91
Bachelaiu, uaston, Tbe Poetics of Spoce: Tbe clossic look ot bow we experience intimote ploces (19S8), Tians.
fiom Fiench by Naiia }olas; Foiewoiu by }ohn R. Stilgoe, (Beacon Piess, Boston, 1994), p. x
92
Summei 199S), p. 79
9S
2uuS), p. xxiii

41

anu inheient to ait: "Contempoiaiy ait woiks on the level of context,
fiamewoik, backgiounu, oi of a new theoietical inteipietation. But the
goal is the same: to cieate a contiast between the foim anu histoiical
backgiounu, to make the foim look othei anu new."
94
Inueeu, the 2u
th

centuiy is chaiacteiizeu by its investigations to the ielationship between
ait anu its context anu to see the context as "foimative on the thing, anu,
finally, to see the context as a thing in itself."
9S
Biian 0'Boheity's book
lnsiJe tbe Wbite Cube: Tbe lJeoloqy of tbe 6ollery Spoce analyses the shift
fiom ait as an object to ait in ielation to the galleiy space, highlighting the
iueologies piesenteu by the galleiy space, uefineu as a White Cube,
pieacheu foi its so-calleu neutiality. 0'Boheity uiscusses the uevelopment
of ait in the 192us to the 197us anu the evolving impoitance of context.
Biian 0'Boheity iuentifies Buchamp's installations 1,200 Cool Boqs (19S8)
anu Hile of Strinq (1942) as bieaking away fiom the sepaiation between
space anu ait, influencing much ait of the 196us anu 197us anu fuithei.
The installations "steppeu once anu foi all outsiue the fiame of painting
anu maue the galleiy space itself the piimaiy mateiial to be alteieu by
ait."
96

Inueeu, making use of the establisheu ait institutional exhibition
appaiatus is what Conceptual Ait piactices attackeu thioughout the late
196us anu 197us. The 197us' stiategy of institutional ciitique was
emblematizeu by "un uni u'exposition" (exhibition uenial) a teim
boiioweu fiom the Fiench ait histoiian }ean-Naic Poinsot. Conceptual
Ait's stiategy was, in contiast with Buchamp's, to invaue the institutional
space. As with the assumptions opeiating in Buien's woik that "the
institutions of ait, anu piincipally the museum, have pieueteimineu not
only the foim but the content anu meaning of ait."
97
In the late 196us anu
eaily 197us, aitists such as Bans Baacke, Baniel Buien anu Nichael Ashei
ueviseu piojects that took the museum as theii meuium in oiuei to
inteiiogate the institutional authoiities. They ievealeu by means of theii

94
uioys, Boiis, Art Power (The NIT Piess, Lonuon, 2uu8), p. 4u
9S
Thomas NcEvilley in an intiouution to lnsiJe tbe Wbite Cube: Tbe lJeoloqy of tbe 6ollery Spoce (1976), by Biian
0'Boheity, expanueu euition (0niveisity of Califoinia Piess, 1999), p. 7
96
Ibiu, p. 1u
97
Summei 199S), p. 89

42

aitistic piojects that museum's aichitectuial stiuctuies aie not as
uisinteiesteu anu neutial as they woulu like to appeai. Thus, the
questioning of the museum institution thiough its physicality is an
inteiiogation that eventually ieveals the so-calleu neutiality of the 'white-
cube', "which they |aitistsj ievealeu as a physical uisguise anu iueological
filtei of sanctioneu authoiity."
98
While Baniel Buien's methou was to
intiouuce consiueiably sizeu panels within a museum oi galleiy space,
Nichael Ashei on the othei hanu iemoveu oi auueu walls to the stiuctuie of
a galleiy, thus ievealing 'the behinu the scenes' anu functioning of a
commeicial galleiy; Anuiea Fiasei on the othei hanu makes use of these
appaiatus in hei peifoimances in auuition to a 'peifoimative' utteiance of
the uominant uiscouises in ait.

The iuea of the White Cube is unueistoou by the imageiy of a
galleiy space with its baie white walls. They aie "unshauoweu, white,
clean, aitificial - |anuj the space is uevoteu to the technology of
esthetics."
99
It is uesigneu to act as a 'neutial' institution wheie the only
focal point shoulu be the aitwoik. This space must be shelteieu fiom the
appeaiance of change anu time. It is a kinu of non-space oi iueal space
wheie space anu time aie symbolically annulleu.
1uu
0n that point, it is
ielevant to iefei to the enuing to Anuiea Fiasei's 0fficiol Welcome wheie
she says: "I think we shoulu enu by thanking the memoiies."
1u1
Thus,
uiawing to the tempoiality of hei woik, to the non-objectifieu chaiactei of
the peifoimance genie, anu finally that such genie lives out thiough the
auuience, in a soit of collective memoiy.
The impoitance of context giew with moueinism anu the avant-
gaiues, to an extent that context has become content oi an inheient pait of
the content. 0'Boheity moves on to fuithei aigue that with postmoueinism,
theie was a piocess of the institutionalization of the white cube anu how

98
Peueison Amy, "Relational Aesthetics anu Institutional Ciitique", in lnstitutionol Critique onJ After, eu. by }ohn
C. Welchman (Califoinia SoCCAS: }RP Ringiei, 2uu6), pp. 268-269
99
of Califoinia Piess, 1999), p. 1S
1uu
Thomas NcEvilley in an intiouution to lnsiJe tbe Wbite Cube: Tbe lJeoloqy of tbe 6ollery Spoce (1976), by Biian
0'Boheity, expanueu euition (0niveisity of Califoinia Piess, 1999), p. 8
1u1
2uuS), p. 22S

4S

that piocess has affecteu the ielationship with the viewei: "With
postmoueinism, the aitist anu the auuience aie moie like each othei. The
classic hostility is meuiateu, too often, by iiony anu faice. Both paities show
themselves highly vulneiable to context, anu the iesulting ambiguities blui
theii uiscouise."
1u2
The use of context as an inheient pait of content
enables two uiiections of ciiticism: such gestuies comment on ait in
ielation to the institution within which it is placeu as well as it comments
on institutions as a whole, wiuening the uiscussion to ait's ielation to
society anu cultuie anu the wiuei context that contains it.

It is inteiesting to note the uevelopment of the ait maiket in the 21
st

centuiy as exhibitions have piogiesseu to function similaily to a
'blockbustei show' in compliance with a spectacle cultuie. To put it swiftly,
quoting the New Yoik uuggenheim's uiiectoi of communication: "we
|piofessionals of the ait woiluj aie in the enteitainment business anu
competing against othei foims of enteitainment out theie."
1uS
0ui society
is one that "piefeis the sign to the thing signifieu, the copy to the oiiginal,
iepiesentation to ieality, the appeaiance to the essence |.j"
1u4
With
iegaius to a cultuie of spectacle, Anuiea Fiasei's 0fficiol Welcome points to
the 'enteitainment' (anu commeicial) chaiactei of the ait woilu wheie
aitists aie piesenteu as celebiities. In the fifth set, with a most piobable
allusion to Bamien Biist who is uesciibeu to have an obsession with ueath
|Fig. 12j - quoting Laiiy uagosian (with a suppoitei's voice) - she states:
"Well, he's uone it again. Be's back, anu he's biggei anu bettei than evei.
Be's stoqqerinqly corporote, bieathtakingly piofessional anu eoqer to
entertoin. |Emphasis auueuj"
1uS

The iuea of the blockbustei show iecalls uuy Beboiu's iuea of 'the
spectacle'. In his book Tbe Society of tbe Spectocle (1967) Beboiu sees the

1u2
of Califoinia Piess, 1999), p. 76
1uS
Ben Baitley quoteu in Huseum Eiqbliqbts: Tbe writinqs of AnJreo Iroser, by Anuiea Fiasei, eu. by Alexanuei
Albeiio, (The NIT Piess, 2uuS), p. 2u4
1u4
Feueibach, Pieface to the seconu euition of Tbe Fssence of Cbristionity quoteu in Tbe Society of tbe Spectocle
(1967), by uuy Beboiu, Tians. fiom Fiench by Bonalu Nicholson-Smith (Zone Books, New Yoik, 199S), p. 11
1uS
2uuS), p. 22u

44

spectacle as epitomizing the pievailing mouel of social life.
1u6
Be wiites:
"42. The spectacle coiiesponus to the histoiical moment at which the
commouity completes its colonization of social life. It is not just that
ielationship to commouities is now plain to see -commouities aie now oll
that theie is to see; the woilu we see is the woilu of the commouity."
1u7

It is in that view that the peifoimance genie has founu its way in the
198us, thiough a new puipose anu a iefoimulation of institutional ciitique.
"In the moment of the blockbustei show, the museum cleaily takes its place
within an at least paitly iefeuualizeu spectacle cultuie."
1u8

1u6
Beboiu, uuy, Tbe Society of tbe Spectocle (1967), Tians. fiom Fiench by Bonalu Nicholson-Smith (Zone Books,
New Yoik, 199S), pp. 12-1S
1u7
Ibiu, p. 29
1u8
Summei 199S), p. 79

4S

3-+821/0-+

"Whatevei happeneu to the institutional ciitique." is a question that
was biought foiwaiu by an exhibition at the Ameiican Fine Aits in 199S.
This ie-assessment confiimeu that ciitical piactices weie still unueigoing
anu that aitists such as Anuiea Fiasei weie ueveloping new stiategies. To
emphasize, a ieneweu inteiest in institutional ciitical piactices was
confiimeu by the Tiansfoim Pioject - of the Euiopean Institute foi
Piogiessive Cultuial Policies - staiteu in 2uuS. The pioject uiscusseu the
possibilities of canonization of institutional ciitique as well as it aigueu foi
a 'thiiu-wave' of ciitical piactice, iuentifieu as 'instituent piactices'. Though
this iuentification might be accuiate, this essay kept with the teim
'institutional ciitique' in ielation to a thiiu geneiation piactitioneis in oiuei
to emphasize the continuity of an institutional ciitique cuiient, anu as not
to sepaiate it fiom its pievious geneiations.

The fiist chaptei exploieu the ait-histoiical backgiounu, which leu
to the emeigence of institutional ciitique. It fiist saw Buchamp's
questioning of aitistic piactice as foiegiounuing an institutional ciiticism;
fuitheieu by Conceptual Ait piactices in the 196us anu 197us - such as
those of Baniel Buien, Bans Baacke, Naicel Bioouthaeis oi Nichael Ashei -
who questioneu the iole of institutions (museums, galleiies, etc.). The fiist-
wave examineu the conuitions of the museum with an aim to 'biake-out' of
the institutional fiamewoik. In auuition to the economic anu political
uiscouise of this geneiation, the seconu-wave (198us anu 199us) auueu a
giowing awaieness of the foims of subjectivity, incoipoiating a spectatoiial
agency.
Though Waiu Fiazei aigueu foi a ueath of Institutional Ciitique with
the wake of Conceptual Ait, ieneweu inteiests in ait ciiticism anu new
stiategies in ait piactices confiim its continuity: Benjamin Buchloh's
seminal essay in 199u
1u9
anu the afoiementioneu exhibition at the

1u9
Buchloh, Benjamin B. B., "Conceptual Ait 1962-1969: Fiom the Aesthetics of Auministiation to the ciitique of
Institutions" in 0ctober, vol. SS (Wintei, 199u)

46

Ameiican Fine Aits, along with the Tiansfoim Pioject in 2uuS, a seiies of
symposia anu publications
11u
. Inasmuch, Anuiea Fiasei's constant
exploiation of institutional ciitique in hei woik anu wiitings, paiticulaily
with - picking up on Buchloh's essay title - "Fiom the Ciitique of
Institutions to an Institution of Ciitique" (2uuS).
The seconu chaptei looks at Peifoimance Ait as a new kinu of
stiategy foi an institutional ciitical piactice. With a focus on Anuiea Fiasei,
two of hei peifoimances aie uiscusseu: Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk
(1989) anu 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1). Both woiks existeu as a live
peifoimance, a tapeu one anu a sciipt. The annotateu sciipts auu a moie
'acauemic', hence moie ciitical, uimension to hei saicastic anu humoiistic
peifoimances. In this chaptei, institutional Ciitique is uiscusseu as being
ambiguous between 'institution' anu 'ciiticism', wheie a iefoimulation of
this concept - paiticulaily in the 198us anu 199us - sought to combine
both institution anu ciiticism, both piactice anu theoiy
111
. Bence, a
uiffeientiation between institutional ciiticism anu institutional piactice is
establisheu. Anuiea Fiasei's iefoimulation of institutional ciitique in hei
peifoimances is possible as the genie enables hei to combine both
'ciiticism' thiough speech, anu 'institution' thiough peifoimance anu the
use of the institutional fiamewoik. It is fuithei aigueu that Anuiea Fiasei's
stiategies iecalls much stiategies of the piactices of 196us anu 197us, be it
'Appiopiiation Ait' with hei appiopiiation of uiffeient texts anu wiitings;
oi Bouy Ait oi Feminist piactices thiough hei iefeiences in hei
monologues oi hei ciitical gestuies. Inasmuch, hei speeches have much
allusion to Conceptual aitists, piactices of 196us anu 197us, as well as ait
ciitics, histoiians anu so foith, as biought foith in the annotateu sciipts oi
in hei manneiisms.
The thiiu chaptei elaboiates fuithei on the impoitance of an
institutional context in the iefoimulation of institutional ciitique.
Institutional context is unueistoou in Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances

11u
Califoinia SoCCAS symposium anu its publication lnstitutionol Critique After, eu. by }ohn C. Welchman (}RP
Ringiei, 2uu6)
111
To iecall Amy Peueison's statement: "Notions of inteiactivity anu peifoimativity lie at the centie of the 198us
anu 199us iefoimulations of Institutional Ciitique."
111

47

thiough hei use of eithei the institution's (The Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait
foi instance) histoiical backgiounu oi hei uiawing to its physicality oi
aichitectuie elements. The institutional context is uevelopeu by hei making
visible the invisible, uiawing the attention to the unueilying finances oi
pationage of ait institutions; fuitheieu by a comment on the iole of ait in
society anu the piouuction of cultuie. 0n this point, Anuiea Fiasei's
peifoimance ait as an utteiance of institutional ciitique is seen as
contiibuting to uuy Beboiu's iuea of a 'society of the spectacle'. In this way,
Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances not only comment on the (iole of) ait anu
cultuie, but they also ieiteiate a chaiacteiization of contempoiaiy society
as geaieu by enteitainment.

Looking at Anuiea Fiasei's peifoimances, it is thus viable to
consiuei a iefoimulation of institutional ciitique onto a thiiu wave, which
encompasses not only aitists anu theii ciitical piactices but also involves
ait institutions, ciitics anu the ait woilu as a whole. It is impoitant to view
this uevelopment as extia-uisciplinaiy, peihaps emphasizing the
ambiguities between aitistic piactice, aitistic ciiticism, the piouuction of
cultuie anu theii iole in society: "As a 'cuiient' it has meanwhile also
sufficiently ageu to pioviue welcome occasion foi vaiious histoiicizations,
self-histoiicizations oi even 'examinations of topicality', which iegulaily
become entangleu in the self-iefeientiality specific to the ait fielu insteau of
examining it - anu specifically examining it as institutionol proctice."
112

Regaiuless, institutional ciitique has now been canonizeu as pait of
ait histoiy. Iionically enough, this complies with institutional ciitique's
essential iuea that ait goes thiough an inevitable piocess of
institutionalization - by becoming a canon anu pait of ait-histoiy. Bowevei,
on an enuing note, one woulu note Stefan Nowoty's statement:

112
Nowotny, Stefan, "Anti-Canonization: The uiffeiential knowleuge of Institutional Ciitique", tians. by Aileen
Beiieg (2uu6), in Art onJ Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique, eu. by ueialu Raunig
anu Ray uene, (NayFlyBooks, Lonuon, Nay 2uu9), p. 21

48

"Wanting to canonize institutional ciitique ait piactices is a iathei
paiauoxical enueavoui. |.j canonizations aie themselves an essential pait
specifically of the institutional ciitique piactices that the piactices of
institutional ciitique iefei to - anu inueeu criticolly iefei to."
11S

11S
Ibiu

49

V0=20-;($*#W

V--9/

Aichei, Nichael, Art Since 1960 (1997), (Thames & Buuson woilu of ait,
Lonuon, New Euition, 2uu2)

Art onJ Contemporory Criticol Proctice: Reinventinq lnstitutionol Critique,
eu. by ueialu Raunig anu uene Ray, (NayFlyBooks, Lonuon, Nay 2uu9)

Bachelaiu, uaston, Tbe Poetics of Spoce: Tbe clossic look ot bow we
experience intimote ploces (19S8), Tians. fiom Fiench by Naiia }olas;
Foiewoiu by }ohn R. Stilgoe, (Beacon Piess, Boston, 1994)

Bouiiiauu, Nicolas, Relotionol Aestbetics, (Fiance, Les piesses uu iel,
2uu2)

Beboiu, uuy, Tbe Society of tbe Spectocle (1967), Tians. fiom Fiench by
Bonalu Nicholson-Smith (Zone Books, New Yoik, 199S)

Fiasei, Anuiea, Huseum Eiqbliqbts: Tbe writinqs of AnJreo Iroser, eu. by
Alexanuei Albeiio, (The NIT Piess, 2uuS)

uioys, Boiis, Art Power (The NIT Piess, Lonuon, 2uu8)

lnstitutionol Critique: An Antboloqy of Artists Writinqs, eu. by Alexanuei
Albeiio anu Blake Stimson, (The NIT Piess, Cambiiuge-Lonuon, 2uu9)

lnstitutionol Critique onJ After, eu. by Welchman, }ohn C., (SoCCAS
Symposium vol. II: }RP|Ringiei, 2uu6)

Lippaiu, Lucy, Six yeors: tbe Jemoteriolizotion of tbe ort object from 1966 to
1972, (New Yoik, Piaegei Publisheis, 197S)

0'Boheity, Biian, lnsiJe tbe Wbite Cube: Tbe lJeoloqy of tbe 6ollery Spoce
(1976), expanueu euition (0niveisity of Califoinia Piess, 1999)

Tbeories onJ Bocuments of Contemporory Art, A source book of Artists
Writinqs, eu. by Kiistine Stiles anu Petei Selz, (0niveisity of Califoinia
Piess, 1996)

Su

7(%082&/

Buchloh, Benjamin B. B., "Conceptual Ait 1962-1969: Fiom the Aesthetics
of Auministiation to the Ciitique of Institutions," in 0ctober, vol. SS
(Wintei, 199u), pp. 1uS-14S.

Biyan-Wilson, }ulia, "A Cuiiiculum of Institutional Ciitique", in New
lnstitutionolism, eu. by }onas Ekebeig, (0slo: 0CAveiksteu, 2uuS), pp. 89-
1u9.

uintz, Clauue anu Aminoff, }uuith, "Nichael Ashei anu the Tiansfoimation
of 'Situational Aesthetics", in 0ctober, vol. 66 (The NIT Piess, Autumn
199S), pp. 11S-1S1

Neyei, }ames, "What Bappeneu to the Institutional Ciitique." New Yoik:
Ameiican Fine Aits, Co. anu Paula Coopei ualleiy, eu. by Petei Weibel, eu.,
Kontext Kunst (Cologne: Bumont, 199S), pp. 2S9-2S6.

Nochlin, Linua, "Why Bave Theie Been No uieat Women Aitists." in
Women, Art onJ Power onJ 0tber Fssoys (Westview Piess, 1988),
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|Last accesseu: 1S 0ctobei 2uu9j

Peltomaki, Kiisi, "Affect anu spectatoiial agency: viewing institutional
ciitique in the 197us", in Art }ournol (2uu7)

Tiainoi, }ames, "Anuiea Fiasei", Pat Beain Ait ualleiy Fiieuiich Petzel
ualleiy, New Yoik, 0SA, in Irieze, issue 66 (Apiil 2uu2)
<http:www.fiieze.comissueieviewanuiea_fiasei>
|Last accesseu: 27 Septembei 2uu9j

Waiu, Fiazei, "The Baunteu Nuseum: Institutional Ciitique anu Publicity",
in 0ctober, vol. 7S (The NIT Piess, Summei 199S), pp. 71-89

S1

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Anuiea Fiasei in 'Walk-Thiough', Kempei Ait Nuseum, 0SA - Poucast
pioviueu by iTunes.

Anuiea Fiasei, 0fficiol Welcome (2uu1-2uuS)
Kunstveiein in Bambuig, Septembei 9
th
, 2uuS
Su minutes
Commissioneu anu fiist peifoimeu at NICA Founuation, New Yoik, 2uu1
Couitesy of the aitist anu ualeiie Chiistian Nagel, Cologne

Anuiea Fiasei, Huseum Eiqbliqbts: 6ollery Tolk (1989)
Conuucteu at The Philauelphia Nuseum of Ait, Febiuaiy 1989
Su minutes
Bevelopeu foi the Contempoiaiy viewpoint Lectuie Seiies oiganizeu by the
Tylei School of Ait of Temple 0niveisity
Funueu by The Pew Chaiitable Tiusts anu Ait Natteis, Inc.
Couitesy of the aitist anu ualeiie Chiistian Nagel, Cologne

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Bans Baacke, HoHA Poll (197u)

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Naicel Bioouthaeis, Huse J'Art HoJerne, Bportment Jes Aiqles (1968)

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Baniel Buien, verticol Stripes {qlueJ over qollery Joor tbus closinq sbow),
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Nilan, ualleiy Apollinaiie

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Nichael Ashei, Installation view at the Claiie Copley ualleiy, Los Angeles
(1974)

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Anuiea Fiasei, Huseum Eiqbliqbts: A 6ollery Tolk (1989)

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