In 1960, Jean Tinguely's Uncontrollable Performance Set MoMA Aflame
In 1960, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Swiss artist Jean Tinguely staged 'Homage to New York,' a performance featuring a painting machine, a moped, and explosives. The work quickly became uncontrollable, igniting a fire that required firefighters to intervene. The event is the subject of the third installment in Le Monde's series 'Autodestructions artistiques' (Artistic Self-Destructions). Tinguely's radical performance, which combined mechanical elements with pyrotechnics, remains a notable historical example of art that embraces destruction as an integral component of the work.
Key facts
- Jean Tinguely is a Swiss artist.
- The performance took place in 1960.
- The work was titled 'Homage to New York'.
- It was staged at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
- The work included a painting machine.
- The work included a moped (mobylette).
- The work included explosives.
- The performance became uncontrollable and caused a fire.
- Firefighters intervened to extinguish the fire.
- The article is the third in a series called 'Autodestructions artistiques'.
Entities
Artists
- Jean Tinguely
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Locations
- New York
- United States