Audience disruption literally entered and redirected performance art works

Evidence

By the time Moorman arrived, taking her place behind the long table that separated the symposium participants from their audience, the crowd was restive and quarrelsome. Moorman gripped her violin by its neck, holding out the instrument waist-high and slowly raised it above her head. Even those unfamiliar with the piece understood that once she lifted the instrument to its apogee, she would smash it down on the table. A man in the back began heckling and approached Moorman. She shoved him aside. By now, Gottlieb had left his seat to join in the protest. Although taken aback by the unwarranted audience participation, Moorman resumed her performance. Gottlieb persisted, even clambering up to stage a lie-in on the table. As he twisted around to address the audience and explain his position (breaking a violin was the equivalent of murder, the instrument should be given to a needy ghetto child), Moorman completed the piece by cracking the violin on his head. — J. Hoberman, Everything Is Now, 1202

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to ‘A Midwife’s Tale’ and the broader reader theme of contested public performance space; also the Fillmore/Living Theatre turf battle framing of the chapter.