Lygia Page, Divisor, 1968. Performance at Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2020.
The upcoming exhibition Assembly Required features eight artists who engage the public as co-producers of their artworks. Visitors are invited to build, use, and shape the works of art both individually and collectively. The artists—Francis Alÿs, Rasheed Araeen, Siah Armajani, Lygia Clark, Hélio Oiticica, Yoko Ono, Lygia Pape, and Franz Erhard Walther—were selected for their shared belief that public action is vital for transforming society.
Created between the 1960s and the present, the artworks in Assembly Required respond to distinct social and political moments, from unrest in the United States during the Vietnam War to Peru’s military dictatorship in the 1990s. The artists offer unique perspectives on social change, addressing the need for optimism and hope in the face of global tensions.
Throughout this immersive exhibition, members of the public will interact with the artworks and each other while sharing new experiences. Ultimately, Assembly Required poses questions about how art enables us to imagine new ways of being in the world.
