Information : Summer 1970

Information : Summer 1970

“In the summer of 1970, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held the now-legendary exhibitionInformation, one of the first surveys of conceptual art. Conceived by renowned MoMA curator Kynaston McShine as an “international report” on contemporary trends, the exhibition and accompanying catalog brought together works by more than 150 artists from 15 countries to explore the parameters and possibilities of the emerging art practices of the day. Noting that the participating artists were attuned to “the mobility and change that permeates their time,” McShine emphasized their interest in “ways to exchange ideas quickly, rather than embalming the idea in an ‘object.
Indeed, much of the work in the exhibition made use of mass communication systems, such as television and the postal service, and spoke directly to viewers, often encouraging them to participate in return. The catalog, rather than simply documenting the exhibition, functioned as a stand-alone: it included a list of recommended readings, a chance-based index compiled by critic Lucy Lippard, as well as individual artist contributions in the form of photographic documentation, textual description, drawings, and diagrams-some relating to works in the exhibition and others to works not yet made. This facsimile edition of the original, long-out-of-print information catalog invites a reconnection with MoMA’s landmark exhibition while illuminating the history of conceptual art.”