44 pages Text(s) by Thierry Dufrêne and Alain Kirili 21 x 15 cm Language: French Paperback Publisher: Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art 2009
Performing the City: Actions et performances artistiques dans l’espace public 1960–1980, published by the INHA in 2009, accompanied the exhibition of the same name held in Paris. Directed by Thierry Dufrêne, this concise 44-page publication offers a vivid snapshot of the artistic actions—performances, happenings, and urban interventions—that reshaped public space between 1960 and 1980.
Focusing on eleven cities across the globe, from New York and São Paulo to Tokyo, Naples, and Paris, the booklet highlights how artists used the city as a site for experimentation and political expression. Combining short essays, archival materials, and artist testimonies, it sheds light on the ephemeral nature of these practices while underlining their lasting impact on the relationship between art and the everyday.
Designed as both a curatorial companion and a compact critical resource, Performing the City captures the energy of a period when art stepped outside the gallery to engage directly with the urban landscape.
