About

Known credits:
91
Birthday:
1940-01-24
Place of birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Website:
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Vito Acconci

Overview

Vito Acconci (January 24, 1940 – April 27, 2017) was an American performance, video and installation artist, whose diverse practice eventually included sculpture, architectural design, and landscape design. His performance and video art was characterized by "existential unease," exhibitionism, discomfort, transgression and provocation, as well as wit and audacity, and often involved crossing boundaries such as public–private, consensual–nonconsensual, and real world–art world. His work is considered to have influenced artists including Laurie Anderson, Karen Finley, Bruce Nauman, and Tracey Emin, among others. Acconci was initially interested in radical poetry, creating 0 to 9 Magazine, but by the late 1960s he began creating Situationist-influenced performances in the street or for small audiences that explored the body and public space. Two of his most famous pieces were Following Piece (1969), in which he selected random passersby on New York City streets and followed them for as long as he was able, and Seedbed (1972), in which he claimed that he masturbated while under a temporary floor at the Sonnabend Gallery, as visitors walked above and heard him speaking.

In the late-1970s, he turned to sculpture, architecture and design, greatly increasing the scale of his work, if not his art world profile. Over the next two decades he developed public artworks and parks, airport rest areas, artificial islands and other architectural projects that frequently embraced participation, change and playfulness. Notable works of this period include: Personal Island, designed for Zwolle, the Netherlands (1994); Walkways Through the Wall at the Wisconsin Center, in Milwaukee, WI (1998); and Murinsel, for Graz, Austria (2003). Retrospectives of Acconci's work have been organized by the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (1978) and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (1980), and his work is in numerous public collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum of American Art. He has been recognized with fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1976, 1980, 1983, 1993), John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (1979), and American Academy in Rome (1986).[6] In addition to his art and design work, Acconci taught at many higher learning institutions. Acconci died on April 27, 2017, in Manhattan at age 77.

Known for

Acting
2016 Burden Actor Self 59
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2013 Revenge of the Mekons Actor Himself 59
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2009 The Art of Time Actor Self N/A
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2008 Chelsea on the Rocks Actor Self 59
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2006 You're Going to Die! Actor Narrator N/A
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1999 Steven Holl: The Body in Space Actor Self N/A
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1991 The Golden Boat Actor Swiss assassin 59
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1981 14 Americans: Directions of the 1970s Actor Himself N/A
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1981 How to Fly Actor N/A
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1980 Journeys from Berlin/1971 Actor 59
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1977 The Red Tapes Actor Himself N/A
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1974 My Word Actor Himself N/A
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1974 Turn-On Actor Himself N/A
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1973 Willoughby Sharp Videoviews Vito Acconci Actor Himself N/A
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1972 Seedbed Actor N/A
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1972 Undertone Actor Vito Acconci N/A
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1971 Pryings Actor N/A
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1971 Conversions 1 Actor Himself N/A
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1971 Remote Control Actor Himself N/A
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1971 Centers Actor Self N/A
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1971 Association Area Actor Himself N/A
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1971 Claim Excerpts Actor Himself N/A
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1970 Three Adaptation Studies Actor Himself N/A
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1970 Flour/Breath Piece Actor Self N/A
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1970 Digging Piece Actor Self N/A
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1970 Gargle/Spit Piece Actor Self N/A
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Two Takes Actor Self N/A
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Directing
1977 The Red Tapes Directing Director N/A
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1974 Face of the Earth Directing Director N/A
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1974 Full Circle Directing Director N/A
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1974 My Word Directing Director N/A
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1974 Turn-On Directing Director N/A
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1974 Open Book Directing Director N/A
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1974 Shoot Directing Director N/A
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1973 Theme Song Directing Director N/A
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1973 Reception Room Directing Director N/A
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1973 Walk-Over Directing Director N/A
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1973 Air Time Directing Director N/A
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1973 Face-Off Directing Director N/A
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1973 Recording Studio From Air Time Directing Director N/A
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1973 Visions of a Disappearance Directing Director N/A
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1973 Command Performance Directing Director N/A
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1972 Cross-Fronts Directing Director N/A
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1972 Go Between Directing Director N/A
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1972 Anchors Directing Director N/A
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1972 Seedbed Directing Director N/A
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1972 Hand to Hand Directing Director N/A
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1972 Face to Face Directing Director N/A
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1972 Undertone Directing Director N/A
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1971 Pryings Directing Director N/A
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1971 Directions Directing Director N/A
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1971 Waterways (Burst; Storage) Directing Director N/A
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1971 Conversions 1 Directing Director N/A
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1971 Two Track Directing Director N/A
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1971 Contacts Directing Director N/A
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1971 Remote Control Directing Director N/A
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1971 Conversions 2 Directing Director N/A
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1971 Association Area Directing Director N/A
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1971 Claim Excerpts Directing Director N/A
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1971 Breath In (To) / Out (Of) Directing Director N/A
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1971 Centers Directing Director N/A
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1971 Training Ground Directing Director N/A
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1971 Watch Directing Director N/A
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1971 Conversions 3 Directing Director N/A
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1970 Seeing Red Directing Director N/A
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1970 Open-Close Directing Director N/A
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1970 Openings Directing Director N/A
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1970 See Through Directing Director N/A
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1970 Rubbings Directing Director N/A
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1970 Two Cover Studies Directing Director N/A
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1970 Lick Directing Director N/A
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1970 Flour/Breath Piece Directing Director N/A
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1970 Gargle/Spit Piece Directing Director N/A
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1970 Applications Directing Director N/A
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1970 Concentration/Contemplation Piece Directing Director N/A
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1970 Corrections Directing Director N/A
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1970 Three Relationship Studies Directing Director N/A
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1970 Break-Through Directing Director N/A
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1970 Three Adaptation Studies Directing Director N/A
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1970 Digging Piece Directing Director N/A
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1970 Run Off Directing Director N/A
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1970 Three Frame Studies Directing Director N/A
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1970 Filling Up Space Directing Director N/A
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1969 Three Attention Studies Directing Director N/A
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Clouds Directing Director N/A
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Two Takes Directing Director N/A
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Writing
2007 Seven Easy Pieces Writing Writer 59
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1974 My Word Writing Writer N/A
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1972 Seedbed Writing Writer N/A
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Crew
1971 Centers Crew Sound Recordist N/A
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1971 Centers Crew Cinematography N/A
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