Tehching Hsieh and Linda Montano Reflect on 1983-84 Rope Performance at Dia Beacon

Performance artists Tehching Hsieh and Linda Montano publicly discussed their collaborative work 'Rope Piece' for the first time in 43 years during an event at Dia Beacon in New York. The discussion occurred as part of Hsieh's retrospective exhibition 'Lifeworks (1978–1999)', which remains on view through 2027. In 1983-84, the two artists spent an entire year connected by an eight-foot rope without touching, documenting all accidental contact and conversations. Montano described discovering anger and ego through the piece, while Hsieh explained it explored communication struggles between individuals. The performance required constant negotiation of daily activities and gradually reduced their communication to gestures and rope-tugs. Their relationship remained complex afterward, with both acknowledging difficulties in sharing credit for the work. The Dia Beacon installation includes the original rope, photographs, audio recordings, and touch logs that show diminishing interaction over time. The artists' recent reunion demonstrated how they've navigated their long-standing tensions with humor and grace, offering a model for addressing artistic collaborations that involve power dynamics and silence.