Vito Acconci on His Shift from Performance to Architecture

In a 2009 interview at Acconci Studio in Brooklyn, critic Audrey Illouz used nine keywords to explore Vito Acconci's transition from 1960s performance and video art to architecture in the 1980s. Acconci discussed the concept of 'parasite' (para-site), referencing early works like Proximity Piece (1970) and later architectural projects such as House Up A Building and Park Up A Building (1996) in Santiago de Compostela. He described his shift as a move away from what he saw as artistic imposture toward functional architecture, founding Acconci Studio in 1988. Other keywords included 'refuge' (Bad Dream House, 1984; House for Two Brothers, 2003, in Kalamata, Greece), 'utopia' and 'counter-utopia' (Project For A New World Trade Center, 2001), 'playground,' 'machine,' 'voice' (Theme Song, 1973), 'monument' (Face of the Earth, 1984), 'close-up,' and 'danger.' Acconci cited influences from Erving Goffman and Edward T. Hall, and noted the film Last Year at Marienbad (1961) as shaping his spatial perception. He added 'self-management' and 'swoon' to the lexicon.