Art Term

Black box

Relating to performance art, the black box is the name for a square room painted black in which artists performed experimental work

Aldo Tambellini Black Zero

Aldo Tambellini Black Zero

The black box became popular in the late 1960s, when artists began using abandoned warehouses as their studios. The appeal of the black box was that it was cheap to maintain and had few technical requirements apart from some simple lighting. The absence of colour on the walls, together with the lack of a set or backdrop, focused attention directly onto the performer.

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