Biting the Hand? Taming the Unruly? The Contested Relationship between Living Art and Museums

The chapter explores the historical relationship between the modern avant-gardes’ attempts to integrate art and life and their often-critical engagement with art museums. Through an analysis of early museum performances by Yayoi Kusama, the Guerrilla Art Action Group (GAAG), and Mierle Laderman Ukeles, the chapter highlights the ambivalence of performance art’s relationship with the museum. Rather than adopting an entirely oppositional stance, these artists incorporated critique into their work, fostering a dialogue with the institution instead of rejecting it outright. Museum responses from around 1970 reveal a growing openness to such critical practices, setting the stage for a more collaborative dynamic in the following decade that saw performance and museums increasingly meet through negotiation rather than confrontation.