do
it
September 28—January 6, 2002
Take 180
pounds of a local candy and drop it in the corner · Divide the
exhibition space into squares of any size and put one red thing into
each square · Make a wish and tie it to the branch of a tree
· Cast a silver ring and lose it · Make pictures using
your washing machine · Sweep dust from one room and spread it
in another · Invite a stranger into your home for breakfast ·
Run for president · Embrace a friend ·
All of
these directions are for works included in do it, an exhibition of artworks
created by community members from written instructions that will be
on view at the Addison Gallery of American Art September 28, 2001 through
January 7, 2002. Conceived and curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist and organized
and circulated by Independent Curators Incorporated, (ICI), New York,
this exhibition includes a menu of directions for 50 artworks by visual
artists, scientists, poets, and musicians from the United States, Europe,
Asia and South America.
In this
unusual art exhibition the artworks can be made by anyone and the number
of participants involved in their creation is unlimited. The instructions
simply establish a framework and site, either the museum or the home,
in which the works can be realized. The Addison Gallery of American
Art chose 15 do it instructions to be carried out by Phillips Academy
students and faculty and community members. Visitors are also offered
copies of the 20 do it instructions for the home and are encouraged
to create their own domestic versions.
The activities
and stuff of daily life are a frequent point of departure for the works
in do it, and the assembly of materials (if any) is easily accomplished.
Those charged with the execution of the artworks must exercise their
interpretive skills, for like a musical composition each version of
do it is meant to be a unique realization of the instructions. The idea
is not to recreate or copy works but instead to "interpret"
the instructions as a musician would interpret a musical score.
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Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Untitled, 1994 as installed
at the Addison Gallery of American Art 2001
Like many avant-garde exhibitions of this century, do it exemplifies the
characteristics of the art that it contains and is itself a do-it-yourself
project artwork to be realized from instructions. do it comes with rules
that must be followed by the institutions mounting the show; for example,
the requirement that the works be destroyed after the exhibition. It is
essentially open, however, allowing for a range of realizations according
to the interpretations, choices, and constraints of those who follow the
directions.
do
it artists include Christian Boltanski, Joan Brossa, Critical Art Ensemble,
Jimmie Durham, Maria Eichhorn, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Paul-Armand Gette,
Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Joseph Grigely, Ulrike Grossarth, Shere Hite, Fabrice
Hybert, Ilya Kabakov, Mike Kelley, Alison Knowles, Koo Jeong-a, Betrand
Lavier, Siobahn Liddell, Eva Marisaldi, Chris Marker, Yoko Ono, Michelangelo
Pistoletto, Emilio Prini, Jason Rhoades, Rupert Sheldrake, Andreas Slominski,
Bruce Sterling, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Lawrence Weiner, and Erwin Wurm.
Funding
do it is a traveling exhibition conceived and curated by Hans-Ulrich Obrist
and organized and circulated by Independent
Curators International (ICI), New York, a national non-profit traveling
exhibition service specializing in contemporary art. The exhibition, tour,
and catalogue are made possible in part, by ICI's International Associates
and by a grant from Étant donnés.
do
it is based on a project of the same name initiated in 1992 and financed
by AFAA, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Paris France.
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