Tonight We Escape from New York, 1977
Collage, 151 x 118 x 5 cm.
©image: A4Avzw.
Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. S0071).
"Ladder hanging from top to bottom of the Whitney Museum (rope ladder with metal rungs). The ladder forms a whole with the walls and landings - as if he has always been there - this is an escape route that we have forgotten, now it is here in front of our eyes. " - Vito Acconci
This two-dimensional work, framed behind glass, shows the concept of the installation at the Whitney Museum in New York with the same title. A drawing of a staircase in the cross section is made on black paper with white crayon. The right drawing shows the stairs of the four floors, the left drawing shows a rope ladder and four loudspeakers. We see on the black paper, also in white crayon, hand-written texts that describe the system as mentioned above. Furthermore, we see two pictures of a staircase with a rope ladder and a close-up of the rope ladder. Acconci creates an exhibition-context where there is 'officially' none. Not in the exhibition halls, but in the stairwell of the Whitney Museum in New York, he gives the audience a physical experience while one is moving up or down. During the stair climb, a voice, through the loudspeakers, says: YOU MADE IT: YOU'RE A NIGGER: HIGHER, HIGHER. Descending a voice says: WE MADE YOU: YOU'RE A BITCH, GET DOWN. The stairwell is "out of the way" but is simultaneously an in and exit. The political and social tension of the work remains an issue and raises many questions. The rope ladder highlights the fact that the staircase can be an escape route. Where would we escape from? Of a disaster such as a fire, a terrorist attack, the oppressive exhibition-context or the insulting words fired at the audience?
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Artist
> Vito Acconci.
Exhibitions & Ensembles
> Exhibition: The collection XXXII – Personality Test + The Book Lovers. M HKA, Antwerpen, 07 December 2012 - 21 April 2013.
> Exhibition: The collection I – Fall 2002. M HKA, Antwerpen, 31 August 2002 - 10 November 2002.
> Exhibition: Collectiepresentatie X: Aan de hand van Gagarin. MuHKA, Antwerp, 27 November 2004 - 24 April 2005.
> Exhibition: The collection I – Fall 2002. M HKA, Antwerpen, 31 August 2002 - 10 November 2002.
> Exhibition: The Collection – Luc Deleu. MuHKA, Antwerpen, 31 May 2003 - 17 August 2003.
> Exhibition: The collection XX: Jubilee. Who's got the Big Picture?. MuHKA, Antwerpen, 29 June 2007 - 18 November 2007.
> Exhibition: The collection XXXIII – The Collection as a Character. M HKA, Antwerpen, 07 June 2013 - 22 September 2013.
> Exhibition: EXTRA MUROS: DE INTERNATIONALE - Museum of Affects. Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana, 26 November 2011 - 29 January 2012.
> Exhibition: The Collection II and a Choice of Donations and Loans. MUHKA, Antwerpen, 30 June 1990 - 04 November 1990.
> Exhibition: The Collection XIII – LUZ (Intervention and Composition by Carla Arocha) – Winter 2005-06. MuHKA, Antwerpen, 25 November 2005 - 12 November 2006.
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> Exhibition: The Collection XII – PHOTO BASED – Autumn 2005. MuHKA, Antwerpen, 27 August 2005 - 13 November 2005.
> Exhibition: A NON-U-MENTAL HISTORY OF M HKA – Part 1: Foundation Gordon Matta-Clark. M HKA, Antwerp, 02 May 2021 - 29 August 2021.
> Exhibition: EXTRA MUROS: Despuès del arte / After Art. Centro de Arte Contemporaneo Wifredo Lam, La Habana, 02 October 2009 - 15 November 2009.
> Ensemble: Stichting Gordon Matta-Clark.
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> Ensemble: M HKA_DEFAULT_WORKS.
> Ensemble: NUCLEUS.
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> Ensemble: Explode, Escape, Expose.