Vito Acconci, pioneering artist and architect, is dead at 77

2017-04-28T13:35:00-04:00

Vito Acconci, pioneering conceptual artist and architect, passed away today at the age of 77. After starting his career as a poet, Acconci gained recognition for his influential performance and video works. A man of many parts, he then transitioned into working with audio/visual installations before beginning to work primarily as a landscape architect and designer.

During the early ‘80s, Acconci created works like Instant House, a sculpture that assembles into an inhabitable structure when a person sits on a swing, with each interior wall covered in an American flag, and on each exterior wall, a Soviet flag. In 1983, Acconci made his first permanent installation, Way Station I (Study Chamber) at Middleburg College, a sculpture so controversial (it likewise juxtaposed the flags of capitalist countries with communist states) that it was burned down. Later, it was reinstalled.

By the late ‘80s, Acconci had founded Acconci Studio and focused on designing furniture as well as theoretical d...

From 'Seedbed' to 'Lobby for the time being'

2016-07-23T15:30:00-04:00

As far as the art world was concerned, his leap into architecture — designs for things like public parks, airport rest areas and a man-made island — was almost as if Mr. Acconci decided to enter the witness protection program. But he disappeared right in the art world’s midst, continuing to teach generations of art students

On the occasion of Vito Acconci's first retrospective in the United States, in more than three decades, Randy Kennedy held a series of interviews over three months with the artist.

See also; in the News: (via The Architect's Newspaper, the J. Crew catalog and a Vice/VBS.TV six part interview) or Lian Chikako Chang's live-blog of a lecture he gave in Piper, back in 2011)

Archinect - News

Vito Acconci, pioneering artist and architect, is dead at 77

From 'Seedbed' to 'Lobby for the time being'