Afterall Book Revisits 'an Exhibit' and 1950s Participatory Art
An essay by Lucy Steeds introduces a new Afterall publication on 'an Exhibit' (1957), a collaborative exhibition by Richard Hamilton, Victor Pasmore, and Lawrence Alloway. The project, first staged in Newcastle upon Tyne and then London, sought to transform spectators into participants through a maze-like environment of Perspex sheets. Steeds frames the work within post-war British welfare state modernism, emphasizing design and participation. The book includes contributions from Elena Crippa, Owen Hatherley, and Martin Beck, who explore its architectural and social dimensions. Crippa's analysis challenges later narratives of Conceptual art and participatory art, while Hatherley links the project to Pasmore's work on the Peterlee new town. Beck argues for the possibility of successful restagings. The essay concludes by invoking Alloway's pioneering role in exhibition histories.
Key facts
- 'an Exhibit' was created by Richard Hamilton, Victor Pasmore, and Lawrence Alloway in 1957.
- The exhibition was first shown in Newcastle upon Tyne, then in London.
- It aimed to make spectators into participants through a spatial drama.
- The project involved art students from King's College, Newcastle, and musician George Browne.
- Alloway acted as the project's 'mouthpiece' and later wrote a monograph on the Venice Biennale.
- Elena Crippa's analysis challenges Benjamin Buchloh's narrative of Conceptual art and Claire Bishop's distinction between interactive and collective art.
- Owen Hatherley connects 'an Exhibit' to Pasmore's architectural work for Peterlee new town.
- Martin Beck argues that 'an Exhibit' can be successfully restaged, embodying George Kubler's 'form problem'.
Entities
Artists
- Lucy Steeds
- Lawrence Alloway
- Richard Hamilton
- Victor Pasmore
- George Browne
- Elena Crippa
- Owen Hatherley
- Martin Beck
- Benjamin Buchloh
- Claire Bishop
- George Kubler
- Carole Pateman
- Charles Eames
- Ray Eames
- Hélio Oiticica
- Lygia Clark
- David Sylvester
- Dorothy Morland
- Lawrence Gowing
- Guy Brett
- Piero Gilardi
- Wim Beeren
- Harald Szeemann
Institutions
- Afterall
- Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA)
- King's College, Newcastle
- Hatton Gallery
- Venice Biennale
- Whitechapel Art Gallery
- Tate Britain
- Paul Mellon Centre for British Art
- Central Saint Martins
- University of the Arts London
- Mousse Publishing
- Faber & Faber
- Cambridge University Press
- MIT Press
- Verso
- Architectural Design
- The Architects' Journal
- October
- Simpson's of Piccadilly
- IX Triennale di Milano
Locations
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- London
- Brazil
- Japan
- Los Angeles
- Peterlee
- Tyne and Wear
- Venice
- Milan
- Piccadilly
Sources
- Afterall —