On the Eventization of the Museum

Chapter 4 examines a performance festival at the Whitney Museum in 1976, highlighting the differing perspectives and expectations of the participating artists, museum staff, and the administration. By situating the festival within the museum’s broader program, the chapter highlights the ambivalent status of performance in museum programming—present but not central. Together with the semi-commercial bodybuilding symposium “Articulate Muscle,” which took place in the Whitney at the same time, the festival marks a key moment in the growing eventization of the museum. The chapter demonstrates how the museum’s openness to more dynamic programming reflected a broader effort to foster inclusivity, embracing both avant-garde art and elements of popular culture.