Reflecting on May 1968: Art, Experimentation, and Political Engagement

An editorial by Christophe Kihm in artpress examines the legacy of May 1968, arguing that while media commemorations are fleeting, the period's experimental spirit in art and politics deserves rigorous historical analysis. Kihm highlights three examples from 1968: Marcel Duchamp playing chess against John Cage at Ryerson University in Toronto on March 5, 1968, where moves triggered electronic music in the collaborative work "Reunion" with David Tudor, Gordon Mumma, and David Behrman; Richard Schechner's "environmental theatre" piece "Commune" about the Vietnam War, which involved audience participation to explore egalitarian speech; and Robert F. Kennedy's "Poverty Tour" through Kentucky on February 13-14, 1968, later reenacted by artist John Malpede in 2004. Kihm suggests that these experiments expanded aesthetic and social frameworks, and poses the question of how experimentation occurs today. The editorial promises further exploration in the next issue.