Jack Goldstein's Two Boxers Re-Performed at Nottingham Contemporary, Challenging Performance Art Repetition

Nottingham Contemporary has reinterpreted Jack Goldstein's 1979 piece, Two Boxers, which lasts five minutes and features two boxers delivering unscripted blows for three minutes. This 2011 revival drew inspiration from Goldstein's 2002 film displayed at the Whitney Museum, with curation by Chrissie Iles, who referred to his creations as 'score-based.' Iles contends that performances lacking written documentation should not be restaged, as they depend on the artist's involvement. Goldstein, recognized for his brief color films in the 1970s and included in the 1977 'Pictures' exhibition, often created a divide between the artist and the audience. Two Boxers employs strobe lighting and German music to manipulate time, challenging Minimalist concepts and highlighting an ongoing present devoid of narrative resolution.