18 Happenings in 6 Parts by Allan Kaprow

Kaprow’s seminal exhibition was the first Happenings and coined the term as art form. Happenings were avant-garde, interactive art events that paved the way for Performance Art and Fluxus. The exhibit itself consisted of a sequence of 18 loosely scripted events or “happenings” that took place in six different areas of the Reuben Gallery in New York. The happenings, designed to be experienced by a small audience, also encouraged audience interaction in the work. In one section of the exhibit, actors walked around the space holding umbrellas and chanting a series of words and phrases. In another section, performers created a large wall made of newspapers, which the audience was invited to tear down. Along with Gutai in Japan and GRAV in Paris, happenings anticipated many concepts of the contemporary digital generative art space: the work was designed to challenge traditional notions of art and spectatorship, breaking down barriers between art and everyday life. It was also a participatory and immersive experience with audience members becoming active collaborators in the creation of the art.