A People’s History of Performance Art

What’s the difference between theatre and performance art? When do objects “act” better than actors? Why is Kendall Jenner imitating Yoko Ono? Join us for a new collaboration between the Theatre Department and Williams College Museum of Art that aims to investigate the history (and histrionics) of performance art. Accompanied by the gallery exhibition Active Ingredients: Prompts, Props, Performance—featuring art objects that “perform”—A People’s History of Performance Art conjures a series of tableaux-vivants (living pictures) based on iconic photographs of archival performance art works by artists such as Yves Klein, Carolee Schneemann, Chris Burden, Yoko Ono, Adrian Piper, Tehching Hsieh, and Marina Abramovic. Reversing the dichotomy of performance as “live” and objects as “dead,” A People’s History of Performance Art flips the script to reveal how art can sometimes seem more alive than people.