14 November 2003 - 25 January 2004

The Unconscious Performance   

We are constantly on show when in public, and the sense of being on display, performing, or even being watched – particularly in light of the increasing use of CCTV – has provided artists with a rich source of inspiration. Many have used unwitting members of the public in the development of their work and this section of the exhibition explores those practices.

In Anthropometries 1960 Yves Klein directs his female models to make body prints. At the end of the film the camera swings round to show a small and very formal audience. At that moment the audience becomes as much part of the performance as the models. Vito Acconci also changes the assumed role of the audience by photographing the people who were under the impression they had been invited to see the artist perform.

The viewer becoming the subject is central to Bill Shannon's work, where the 'double take' reactions of passers-by are captured on film, totally unconscious that their role in the event has been altered. Diane Arbus's models know they are having their photograph taken, though may or may not be aware of how they are being represented, whilst Philip-Lorca diCorcia's subjects, lost in private thought, are captured using a hidden camera on the streets of New York.

In this section of the exhibition you may well be involved in a performance yourself – Dan Graham’s large installation records images of people entering the space, replaying the footage a few seconds later on a TV screen for others to see.