Archivio Conz

Alison Knowles (b. 1933 in New York City, New York, USA, lives and works in New York City) was among the founders and original protagonists of Fluxus. Her graphic and pictorial works are distinguished by a textured, consistent, and tactile quality. Her performances are characterized by the indeterminacy of the scores, repetition, and everyday life. Knowles married Dick Higgins in 1960 and became one of the key supporters of the activities of Something Else Press. In 1962, Proposition #2: Make a Salad premiered at the ICA – Institute for Contemporary Arts in London, proposing the simple act of making a salad with the audience. The seemingly mundane task of food preparation was made theatrical, drawing attention to everyday simplicity, and subverting the submissiveness of the stereotype of female domesticity. Make a Salad has since been performed at the Tate Modern in London (2008), on the High Line in New York (2008), and most recently at Art Basel (2016). Knowles’s profound contributions to contemporary art have been honored by, among others, a Guggenheim Grant (1967), two National Endowment for the Arts Grants (1981 and 1985), and a College Art Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2003). In addition to her participation in numerous international exhibitions, a more recent retrospective was held at the BAMPFA – Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, California (2022).