Maker/Artist
Acconci, Vito
American performance artist, architect, 1940-2017
After receiving an MFA from the University of Iowa, Acconci began his career as a poet. He began producing visual work in 1969, with photography, video, and performance. He is considered a founder of the practice of performance and video art. In the mid-1970s he began practicing as an architect and designer, working on projects for public spaces including public parks, rest areas, and buildings . A retrospective exhibit and catalog was produced by the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art in 1980. He also taught and lectured in art schools during his career. In 1992, with the architect Steven Holl, Acconci created a facade for the Storefront for Art and Architecture; a series of panels that open onto the sidewalk in lower Manhattan.
