One of Vito Acconci's best known pieces in the Body Art tradition was staged in 1971 and calledSeedbed. For this installation, Acconci laid beneath a ramp in a gallery and masturbated while patrons walked overhead. He announced his fantasies about the visitors over a loudspeaker as they passed.
« I wish we could make buildings that could constantly explode and come back in different ways. The idea of a changing environment suggests that if your environment changes all the time, then maybe your ideas will change all the time. »
Vito Acconci
The purpose of Vito Acconci's work was to directly involve the public in the exhibition by creating a situation of reciprocal exchange between the visitors and artist. In the 1980s, Vito Acconci began to focus on works of public art in the forms of permanent sculptures and experimental architecture and building design.
Vito Acconci's work has always been known for its subversive social commentary. In his work, he is interested in expressing the blurred lines between private and public space and the social interactions of people. His experimental work is characterized by its radical nature and rumination on the subjects of masochism, voyeurism and sexuality. (Artist website)
