Marta Minujin and "The Happenings"

A huge movement in the art world of Argentina was that of "The Happenings" in the late 1960s. Artists created entire events where the audience became a part of the art work, participating, in a sense. A famed artist that had a major part in this movement was Marta Minujin, who staged many Happenings throughout her career. Her first was entitled "La Destruccion," (1963). It consisted of her inviting many artists and friends to gather outdoors and collectively destroy her works of art, some by spraypainting them, others by simply ripping them apart. She then proceeded to light them on fire. Another Happening that she organized, entitled, "Suceso Plastico," included a stadium filled with 200 spectators, 15 motorcyclists, 15 young women who would kiss the spectators, and 500 chickens and talcum powder dropped from a helicopter into the stadium...awesome?






One of Minujin's mattress sculptures:


photos courtesy of Martaminujin.com