A single work on view in which the artist invites to interact actively
The Macro Museum offers, until February 16th, 2025, the exhibition “Yard” by Allan Kaprow (Atlantic City, 1927), focusing the entire exhibition on a single work, precisely Yard. Created in 1961, the installation represents a milestone in the evolution of 20th-century visual arts. Conceived as a dynamic and interactive environment, it invites the viewer to participate actively in the aesthetic experience, disrupting the traditional hierarchies between artist, artwork, and public.
Originally presented in the courtyard of the Martha Jackson Gallery, Yard consisted of a messy pile of used tires, from which piles of tar paper emerged that concealed pre-existing sculptures. This chaotic installation was not a mere assembly of materials but a real playground where visitors were encouraged to walk, jump, and move the elements as they pleased. Kaprow, aware of the transformative potential of art, conceived his works as “conceptual scores,” that is, general indications to be adapted and reinterpreted according to the specific context. Yard, in fact, has been rearranged on several occasions, always with different results, testifying to its procedural and open nature.
The Roman installation, which recalled the original New York exhibition, has highlighted the topicality of a work that continues to arouse interest and debate today, since it questions the very nature of art. Kaprow, through Yard, has questioned the idea of an artwork as a finished and autonomous object, proposing instead a more inclusive and participatory model.
The Roman installation evokes the original New York layout of 1961
We are facing a clear example of how art can go beyond the traditional boundaries of the museum and the artist’s studio, invading the spaces of everyday life and directly involving the viewer. In this sense, Kaprow fits into the current of conceptual art and performance, which in the 60s and 70s revolutionized the way of conceiving and making art.
The use of poor materials and common objects, such as tires, underlines Kaprow’s intention to break down barriers between high art and low culture. The artist does not simply represent reality but transforms and reworks it, inviting the viewer to reflect on their role in society and on the meaning of aesthetic experience.
Allan Kaprow’s work has had a profound influence on successive generations of artists, helping to define the distinctive features of contemporary art. His ability to combine formal experimentation and social commitment continues to inspire new projects and stimulate reflections on the role of art in the contemporary world.
