Merce Cunningham�s Events: Key Concepts – ARTBOOK|D.A.P.

Performance art theorist Claire Bishop delineates the history and significance of Merce Cunningham's public, participatory EventsFrom 1964 until his death, choreographer Merce Cunningham (1919�2009) produced over 800 Events. Each Event comprised a different sequence of excerpts from his repertory, parts of works in progress and new material; all lasted about 90 minutes. They were performed in museums, galleries, gymnasiums, theaters, public squares and on television.A dance history written from the perspective of art history, this book provides a new approach to understanding Cunningham�s innovative format. Claire Bishop, professor at the CUNY Graduate Center, argues that the Events anticipate a contemporary culture of curating and remixing, while providing an ideal lens for tracing the Merce Cunningham Dance Company�s history. In closing, she returns to the question of dance in museums, and what the Events open up in terms of spectatorship and contemporary developments in choreography.