Brooklyn, N.Y. designer and alternative performance artist, Vito Acconci, founder of Acconci Studio, died in New York on Thursday following a short illness. He was 77 years old.
Best known for his provocative, avant-garde installations and performances—most notably his “Seedbed” piece during which he hid beneath a false floor and audio recorded himself masturbating—Acconci began his work in the late 1960s and ultimately transitioned to architectural and furniture design. He founded Acconci Studio in the late 1980s. In 2012, Acconci was named Design Miami’s designer of the year and in 2016 his work was featured in a retrospective at MoMA PS1 entitled, “Vito Acconci: Where We Are Now (Who Are We Anyway?), 1976.”
Some of the designer’s architectural work includes the redesign of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Center Visitor Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Murinsel, a floating steel platform amphitheater in Graz, Austria; and “Sliding Walls” for the 161st subway station in New York.
The art and design world has already taken to social media to mourn the artist’s loss.
Today, we are saddened by the loss of a legend. This account will soon be turned over to the folks at @acconcistudio. Thanks for following.
— Vito Acconci (@VitoAcconci) April 28, 2017
The Jewish Museum remembers performance artist #VitoAcconci, 1940-2017. Part of our collection, “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery” 1987 💔 pic.twitter.com/SFh9e9rRUn
— The Jewish Museum (@TheJewishMuseum) April 28, 2017
The art world lost legendary performance artist + architect #VitoAcconci today. He will be greatly missed. https://t.co/OC5jPKEDow
— SFMOMA (@SFMOMA) April 28, 2017
“Architecture is not about space but about time”– Farewell, Vito Acconci, who sadly has died at the age of 77 https://t.co/VEAM6pWVba pic.twitter.com/E9Ru1PPEDm
— Domus (@DomusWeb) April 28, 2017
“Architecture is not about space but about time.” —#VitoAcconci. His Peoplemobile poster in our collection: https://t.co/CijvxIKG5l pic.twitter.com/wfPZD1Ph9L
— Cooper Hewitt (@cooperhewitt) April 28, 2017
