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AT THIS PERFORMANCE THE ROLE OF ACTIVE VISITOR WILL BE PLAYED BY YOU

AT THIS PERFORMANCE THE ROLE OF ACTIVE VISITOR WILL BE PLAYED BY YOU

Cover: Ulla von Brandenburg, Curtain (detail), 2007. Courtesy of the artist, Art:

Concept, Paris and Produzentengalerie, Hamburg. Photo: John Kennard.

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THE CASTPawel Althamer, Cezary Bodzianowski, Ulla von Brandenburg, Jeremy Deller, Trisha

Donnelly, Geoffrey Farmer, Andrea Fraser, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Jeppe Hein,

Renata Lucas, Rita McBride, Roman Ondák, Marcus Schinwald, Tino Sehgal, Catherine

Sullivan, Mario Ybarra Jr., and You.

Photo: John Kennard. Drawings © Paul Ryan

TP

THE SCENEThe World as a Stage assembles a

cast of works by 16 international

artists blurring the lines between

theater, performance, visual art,

and everyday life.

Organized by Tate Modern and

inspired by the rich theater history

of London, The World as a Stage

unfolds against the dramatic

backdrop of the ICA’s architecture,

itself a carefully considered chore-

ography of spectacular views and

dynamic space.

Photo: Peter Vanderwarker

THEPLAY

ACT 1AT THE ICA’S ADMISSIONS DESK, “THIS IS YOUR CUE.”

ViVVV sisiss ting aaa museum m exxexhibibb tionnn somo etimimimesess ff feeee lsll like taking

part in a scripted performrmance, where yoyy u, the visitor, are

coccc nfinfinfi neddd to a more traditionally passive role withhhh limited

acacacaca titittiiononons ss oroo lininnnnesesesese . BuBuBBut tt whwhhwhhatataata wwwououououuldldddd hhhapapappepepen nn ifififii youo were fofff rceddddd

to reinvent yourself as one of the leaading ccharacters of the

shs owooo ? WoWWW uld you be willing to play?

ATATATTT THE ICA’S AAAAADMISSSIS ONS DESK, “THIS IS YOUR CUCUUUC E..”

As yyyouo purchase your ticket at theee a aadmdmdmissiiionooo s desk, a aa

museum staff member announces: “Key Intelligence OOf-

fi cer Target of Lebanon Bomb” or “Crime on the T Hits a

10101000-year LoLLLL w…w ThThThT isii is NeNN w, TTino Sehghh al, 202 03.” Sehgal’s

artworks consist of no actual objects; they are ephemeral

actions which directly address the visitor and often requirerr

her to react. In This is New, ICA Staff pull the headline of ww

theie r choice from that day’s news. Relyingg on “interpretee ers”

to enact theses staged situations, Sehgal’s works blur the

distinctions betwew en artist, work, anddd viewer. This is your

cue that the performance has started.

[Exeunt]

In foreground: Renata Lucas, Falha, 2003.

Left: Jeppe Hein, Rotating Labyrinth, 2007.

Right: Rita McBride, Arena, 1997.

Photo: John Kennard.

ACT 2IN THE WEST GALLERY ON THE 4TH FLOOR, “NOW IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE.”

The muuuseeumuuu , like mmana y ototoo heheh r rr publllic spaces, has its own

social dynamics. There are unspoken rules for what tto do

or what not to do in the gallery. In traddditional muuuusesss um set-t

tiiingngngngngs,ssss tttthehehee wwwwworororrk kkk isisis p pp prerereresesesentntntttedededd tttto oo us, asa iiiif ffff on stattt ge, and dddd we

passively observe for a feew secoonds until moving on to the

next one.

In The World as a SStage, the artist is no longer at the

center—the audience becomes as essential to the work

as the person who createeed it. Each worrrk in the exhibition

acts as a catalyst, posing a queu stion, stating an nnn opinion, or

highlighhhting an everyday moment. YYou, the visitor, become

the missing piece. UUntil you reaeeee ctc , respond to, or relate to

it, the art sits quiettttlylylylyly, inactive, as iif waiting to say, “I’ve been

expecting you.”

Whili e movingggg arorooounununuu d thhhe gallereee y, youu suddenlnnn y fi fifind yourself

in the middle of a sstat ge area created by Rita McBride’s

AArena (1997). Face the audience; now is your time to

shs ine. You can also oo choose to sit down and play the role

IN THEEEEE WEST T GALLERY ON THE 4TH FLOORRR, “NNNOW IS YOUR TIME EEEE TO SHINE.”

of spectator. In RoR tatinggg L L Laba yry inthththth (2007), JJJepee pepep HHHein n

highlights the interplay between the work, itst viei wers, and

the space, emphasizing the interdependence of these

thhthhrer e elements. Constructed as a rotating mirrored theater

in the round, this piece literally shakes your perceptppp ion of

the gallery’s spatial conventions. With Séance ddde Shadow

II (bleu) (1998), Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster casts the

visitor as the main actor. By enttering the spaca e, you trigger

a cic nematic theater of light and shadows, and enact a real-

time pperformance.

[Exeunt]

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster,

Séance de Shadow II (bleu),

1998. Courtesy Esther

Schipper, Berlin.

Left: Ulla von Brandenburg, Curtain, 2007.

Photo: John Kennard.

Right: Catherine Sullivan, The Chittendens:

The Resuscitation of Uplifting, 2005, video still.

Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Catherine

Bastide, Brussels.

ACT 3STANDING BY ULLA VON BRANDENBURG’S CURTAIN, “EXPOSING THE FOURTH WALL.”

ThThThThThe ee thththt eaeaeatett r cuccc rtain can bebeee pperceeeeived as a aa phphhpphyssicalaa bound-

araaaa y between fi ction and reality,yyy perfooormererers anaa d specta-

tototorsrs. Whhhenee a curtain parts and the action begins, you can

eieeee ththththerere t ttttakakake thhhe stage or take it alllll in. WhWhicch side oof Ulla von

BrBrBrBB annandedd nbnnn urg’s Curtain do you imagine yoyy urself on? The

cuccc rtrr ain defi nes the space commonly knonn wn as the “fourth

wawawawaallll,”” tttthehehe imaginary, invisible wall at the front of the stageee in

a aaa prprprp osososceeeenium theater, through which thhhe audieneneence sees the

acccctitt on of the play. The fourth wall is one of the best estab-

lilililishshshshede cconnnveeeeentions of fi ction, allowing the audience to enjoy

ththththhe ee ee shshshhs owowooo as iffff they were eeeavesdropping on real events.

WhWhWWWhat are the consequences of expxpxpxpxposing gggg the fourth wall?

ToToToToToday’s world—with its reality TV-----sassss turatet d culturu e eeee and

pepepepp rvrvvrvvasaaa ivii e surveillance devices—is addiing complexity to the

rererererelalalaaatitititt ononoonshss ip betweenenn realityyyy andddd r epresesss ntatioon,nnnn leaving us

unununununclclcleaaar asaa to o where we standndnd. InInInInIn thih s bibibib g gg pepepepeerfrfrforo mance ththtthataaaa

isisisisis e e eevevevevv rydad y lill fe, today is just the latest episode of our own

rerererealalalalitti y shshss ow.

STSTSTSTTANAAA DING BY ULLA VON BRANDENBURG’S CURTAIN, “EEEEXPPPPOSING THE FOURRRRRTH WALL.”

More thaaan nn just a peek behind tthe scenees,s CaCC thhereee ine

Sullivan’s The Chittendens: The Resuscitation of Uplifting

(2005) unapologetically exposes the ‘acting’gg that is ppppres-

ent in every kind of performance. In her attempt to reveal

acting, she creates an accumulation of unrelated gestures,

bodily actions, and vocalizations; these isolated elements

make no sense without a coherent narrative. Pawel

Althamer’s Self-Portrait as a Businessman (20002-2004),

features a typy icala businessman’s suit, wallet and briefcasssse

leftttt on the fl ooooo r, as if their owner had just undressssed and

walked away. These familiar objects have become ttthe

costume and props of thehhhh ultimate performance: life. This

piece reminds us of William Shakespeare’s words: “All the

world’s a sttage; and all the men and women merely players;

they hhavve eeee their exits and their entrances; and one man in

his time playsyy many yyy parts.” ((As YYYou Likke e Itt(( , , AcAAAA t 2,22 S SSSScecene 77777))tttt

[Exeunt]

Mario Ybarra, Jr. Sweeney Tate, 2007.

“Chop Shop” Performance at Tate Modern.

Courtesy of the artist.

ACT 4AT A FIELD IN YORKSHIRE AND AN L.A. BARBERSHOP, “LIFE TAKES CENTER STAGE.”

ThThThT e ee WoWoWoWoWorld asaaa a Stagee spopotligggghts thttt e ee renenewewewed dd apappep al of the

nonnnn tion of ‘theater’ for many aartists working today. Invok-

innng gg ththththe laanguage of theater gives these artists a certrtr ain

pepepeppermrmmrmrmisisississionononn ttto oooo plplplplayayayayay, ofofofffefefeerirrringnggng ttttthehehehem m mm ththththe ee popopopoposssssssssibibibibibililililititity y ofofffof eeexppand-dddd

inii g their practice and crossing the bounndaries of traditional

ararara titttt sttsticcc dddisii ciplines. Theater becomes a lens through which

tototo ooobsbsb errrve our world. This is where life takes cccenter stage.

JeJeJJeJereereremymmm DDeller (artist, curator, producer, social oorganizer,

ananannndd d event creator) uses role-playing for his epic re-enann ct-

mememem ntn of The Battle of Orgreave (2001). Loooking back at

rererererecececececentntntt hhhisi tory—ttthe 19899 4 4 miners’ strike against ttthehh elimina-

tittit ononon ooof 2022 ,000 jobs at the Orgreavve cokikkkk ng pppplaant near Shef-

fi fi fififieleelee d,dd UK—Deller asked former mimmmm nennn rs and policccemen who

exexexe pepepepeperienced the event fi rst-hand to take part tt in its re-stag-

innnnng.g.g.g.g IIIIn nn some cases, their roles wewwww rererer revee eree sed, aaadddddd ing evennn

mommoom rerr eeeeemotional complexity y tototot tttttheheheh pieeecececec . FoFoFoFF r rr tht e majoririrrityyy of ff

papapapap rtrtrtr icicciccipipippantsss, thhhis was a chance to rrelive history, to confront

rerererealaaa itttty,y,y, aand to achihhhhievvve eee unuuu derstanding.

ATATATATAT AAAA FIELD IN YORKRRRR SHIRIRIRE E AND AN L.A. BARBERSHOPPP, “LIFII E TAKES CENTERRRRR STAGEEE.”

Mario YbYY arra, Jr. explores the places anaaa d dd sppaccceseee that reveeealaa

the e inner workings of human relationships and highlight thhe

theatricality of everyday life. Sweeney Tate (2007), a full-

scallllle reproddddductititititiono of ffff a fffoff rmer bbbbarbbebb rshhoh p inii LLLL A.AA.’’’s ChCCChini a-

town, suggests the cultural signifi cance of such a space to

its particular community, and the social dynamics created

by language, background, and economics. A barbershop is

a public stage for lively discussion or confi denntiality, politicccal

action or personal refl ection; it’s up to you.

[Exeunt]

Jeremy Deller, The Battle of

Orgreave, fi lm still, 2004. Film,

Commissioned and produced by

Artangel, Tate.

ACT 5BY THE FOUNDERS’ GALLERY ON THE NORTH SIDE, “THE SHOW MUST GO ON.”

SoSS memm onnne ono ce sssaiaiaid dddd ththhatttt “good arttt is not what it tt looks like,

but tt what it does to us.”

Beyoyyyy nd the exppppplorationo of ideaeaeas reelateteteted dd to ttheeheatataterereree a aaandndndndnd

performance, the artists ffeatured in The World as a Stage

remind us s that art operates within many areas of human

inquiry,y helping in the eternal search for an undersr tanding

of our place in the world.

BY TTHEHE FOUNDERS’ GALLERY ON THTHHT E NORTH SIDE, “THEEEEE SHOW MUST GO ON.”

In a somo etimesee incncncomprppp ehensible ee unnnivvverrrse aany approoacaa h hhh

is adequate, even the most irrational one. In Luna (2005),

Cezary BBBodzianowski appears riding the insidde of a rotating gg

drdddd um. WWeWWW arini g a pair of ff rollerblb addes—one on hih s foff ot, the

other on his hand—he awkwardly slides, falls, and tumbbles

while attempting to remain upright. BBBBodzianowski’s artistic

practice is strongly infl uenced by theh theater of the absurd,

where characters oftene appear caaaught in hopeless situa-

tions, forced to do repetitive or meaningless actions. Here,

the unstoppable ee rotatinggg force of the drumumum has no mercy,

and the artist can’t keep upuu ; he doesn’t give up though,

because the show must go on.

[Exeunt]

Cezary Bodzianowski, Luna, 2005, video still.

Foksal Gallery Foundation, Warsaw.

CREDITS

TALKS AND TOURS

ART MEETS PERFORMANCE

Thursday, January 31, 6:30 PM

Carole Anne Meehan, coordinating curator for The

World as a Stage discusses the show's ideas with ex-

hibiting artist Mario Ybarra, Jr. and Arthur Nauzyciel,

artistic director of the Centre Dramatique National,

Orléans, France, and director of the American Reper-

tory Theatre production of Julius Caesar.rr

Tickets: $5 general admission; free tickets for

members, students and seniors

WHAT NEW IS: DAVID ROCKWELL

AND CHEE PEARLMAN

Wednesday, March 26, 6:30 PM

Founder and CEO of Rockwell Group and co-author

of Spectacle (2006) with Bruce Mau, architect David

Rockwell talks with editor and curator Chee Pearl-

man about the phenomenon of public performance.

What role can performance have in the development

of cities and urban living today?

Tickets: $25 general admission; $20 members,

students and seniors.

REFLECTING SPECTACLE:

LIFE AND ART

Tuesday, March 4, 6:30 PM

Breaking down barriers between art and life was an

underlying motif throughout most of the 20th century,

and today, with reality TV and the internet, this edge

is more blurred than ever. As part of The World as a

Stage which focuses on the ‘theatricality of everyday

life’ and the ways in which live performance and instal-

lation draw the viewer into the equation, renowned

art historian RoseLee Goldberg, curator and director

of the recently launched PERFORMA, the visual art

performance biennial in New York City, will provide

context and background, and also a glimpse into

PERFORMA 07. Joining Goldberg are Mark Tribe, art-

ist and curator; Ann Carlson, choreographer, performer

and conceptual artist; and Tim Jackson, director of

Radical Jesters, a documentary about pranksters,

performers, and provocateurs. The panel will respond

to Goldberg's ideas and explore the themes that

motivate them to produce their own work.

Tickets: $12 general admission; $8 members,

students and seniors

Text adapted by

Emma Fernandez, ICA Education &

Interpretation Specialist

Design by

José Nieto, ICA Senior Designer

This gallery guide is made possible by signifi cant

support from the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family

Foundation. Additional support is provided by

the Nathaniel Saltonstall Arts Fund.

The World as a Stage has been organized by

Tate Modern’s Jessica Morgan, Curator of

Contemporary Art, and Catherine Wood, Curator

of Contemporary Art and Performance. ICA’s

Coordinating Curator is Carole Anne Meehan.

HOW MANY HAVE YOU SEEN?

FREE PUBLIC TOURS

The ICA offers public tours of The World as a Stage on

Target Free Thursday Nights at 6 pm and each Satur-

day and Sunday at 1 pm. Tours are free with museum

admission and leave from the lobby.

PUBLIC PERFORMANCESIN THE GALLERIES

"The Working is the Work" by The Institute for

Infi nitely Small Things

Thursday, Feb 28, 6:30–8:30 PM

Thursday, Mar 27, 6:30–8:30 PM

Thursday, Apr 24, 6:30–8:30 PM

For this performance, Institute members assume the

role of ICA laborers in various ways. Using perfor-

mance and conversation, the Institute conducts cre-

ative, participatory research that aims to temporarily

transform public spaces while investigating social

and political “tiny things.”

Free with museum admission.

“LIFE/THEATER PROJECT: ICA”

Sunday, March 16, 2 PM

Experiential artist Lee Walton orchestrates a series

of intimate “happenings” to take place in the muse-

um’s galleries and public spaces. Collaborating with

teens from the ICA Teen Arts Council, scripts are

poetically mapped on individual postcards with image

and text indicating the time, action and identity of

each performance.

Free with museum admission.

BLIND DATES

Site-specifi c performances that engage the dynamic

between spectator and spectacle within the context

of Rita McBride's Arena.

Free with museum admission.

“Minimally Tough” by Ellen Band

Sundays, March 2 and 9, 1 PM

Leather jackets purvey minimalist composition

throughout the museum. Keep your eyes peeled and

ears open!

“We All Need a Pygmalion” by Pablo Helguera

Saturday, March 22, 2 PM

A musical social etiquette lecture for the art world,

introducing The Pablo Helguera Manual of Contem-

porary Art Style.

Pablo Helguera is an artist who uses satire to

explore the complicated social structure of the con-

temporary art scene. His performance, “We All Need

a Pygmalion,” takes the form of a “self-improvement”

workshop with a musical component—Helguera

sings songs about the art world to melodies from “My

Fair Lady.” The performance is an introduction to his

book, The Pablo Helguera Manual of Contemporary

Art Style. Written in the style of an old-school eti-

quette handbook, Helguera’s wry advice is practical

for any artist. New York Magazine exclaims: "Finally,

Broadway meets Bourriaud!"

“Surrogate Performing” by Lewis Gesner

Sunday, March 30, 2 PM

In “Surrogate Performing,” Lewis Gesner performs as

another. This does not mean he merely acts, but that

he is as the other, becoming her or him. At the ICA,

Gesner performs as German artist Boris Nieslony,

founder of Black Market International, and Bulgarian

artist Vassya Vassileva.

FAMILIES

PLAY DATES

Join us on the last Saturday of every month, when

the ICA comes alive with activities especially for

families—fi lms, performances, art-making, gallery

tours, and more! All activities are designed for chil-

dren and adults to do together, and no prior registra-

tion is necessary. Due to space restrictions, tickets

may be required for selected events. Tickets will be

available fi rst-come, fi rst-served in the lobby on the

day of the event only. For more information, e-mail

families@icaboston.org or call Kathleen Lomatoski at

617-478-3134.

THERE/NOT THERE

Saturday, February 23, 10 AM to 4 PM

Dance Performance by Boston Arts Academy

students at 12 and 1 PM

The exhibition The World as a Stage and the cho-

reography of Robert Battle set the stage for a day

exploring the boundaries between body and mind.

Families will learn more about the physical nature of

art through activities focused on gesture and move-

ment, presence and absence.

GOOD THEATER CHEAP

Saturday, April 26, 10 AM to 4 PM

Performance by Rough and Tumble

Theater at 12 PM

Guerrilla performances throughout the day.

Be the star and the audience! Make your own theater

props and join the Rough and Tumble theater group

on stage and throughout the building.

ICA Family Programs and Play Dates are made pos-

sible by support from the JPMorgan Chase Founda-

tion.

HOT TICKETS

In the ICA Store: The World as a Stage Catalogue

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated

catalogue with essays from exhibition curators Jes-

sica Morgan and Catherine Wood.

MUSEUM, STORE & CAFE HOURS

Tuesday and Wednesday 10 AM – 5 PM

Thursday and Friday 10 AM – 9 PM

Saturday and Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM

Closed Monday, except on the following national

holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day,

Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day.

ADMISSION

$12 general admission

$10 students and seniors

FREE members and children 17 and under

FREE after 5 pm on Target Free Thursday Nights

FREE families (up to 2 adults per family with a child

12 or under) on the last Saturday of each month

Target Free Thursday Nights are sponsored by

ACCESSIBILITY

The ICA is fully wheelchair and stroller accessible.

Offi cial Hotel Sponsor Offi cial Media Sponsors

ICA INFORMATION

DIRECTIONS

The ICA is located at 100 Northern Avenue in

Boston. It is walking distance from downtown and

easily accessible by public transportation. There is af-

fordable parking in the area, but fewer spots may be

available in lots immediately adjacent to the ICA after

5 pm. There is some on-street parking.

Take the Red Line to South Station and transfer to

the Silver Line Waterfront. The ICA is short walk from

either Courthouse or World Trade Center station.

From Courthouse Station: Exit the station onto

Seaport Boulevard and follow it, walking away from

downtown. Just before the fi rst traffi c light, there will

be a pedestrian opening in the fence on your left-

walk through it to the walkway that runs alongside

the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Voyage. This will

lead you to Northern Avenue. The ICA is across the

street to the right at 100 Northern Avenue.

From World Trade Center Station: Exit left onto

Congress Street. Walk one block to the corner of B

Street and turn right, crossing Congress Street. Fol-

low B Street for one block. At the corner of B Street

and Seaport Boulevard cross the street and turn left.

At the next corner, turn right onto Northern Avenue.

The ICA is on the right. You will pass the entrance to

Anthony’s Pier 4 and two parking lots before coming

to the driveway leading to the ICA entrance.

By car: The ICA is easily accessible from both I-90

and I-93. Please visit www.icaboston.org for detailed

driving directions.

SUMMER STREET

CON

GRESS STREET

NORTHERN AVENUE

SEAPORT BOULEVARD

THE INSTITUTE OF

CONTEMPORARY ART/ BOSTON

100 Northern Avenue

Court House

World Trade Center

South Station

B St

reet

Anth

ony’s

Pie

r 4

CONTACT

General Information 617-478-3100

Membership 617-478-3102

Box Offi ce 617-478-3103

Web www.icaboston.org

E-mail info@icaboston.org

THE INSTITUTE OF

CONTEMPORARY ART/BOSTON

100 Northern Avenue

Boston, MA 02210

www.icaboston.org