Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) fue un artista estadounidense que estableció los preceptos del arte performance. Su mayor aporte fue el término "happening" luego de visualizar que el teatro, la música, la composición y la danza no tenÃan lÃmites, y de experimentar con todo un conjunto de instrucciones y piezas que creaba un momento o evento.
As Cage’s 4’ 33’’ offered a found sounsdcape, and potentially changed the listeners’ relationships to the ‘noise’ they heard after the performance, these participatory events blurred the line between what was life and what was art, what was an everyday movement and what was a performance. Kaprow said, ‘The line between art and life sould be kept as fluid, and perhaps as indistinct as possible’. No doubt some were bemused by the goings on, and what to make of them, but regardless, happenings took off.
To Kaprow, a Happening was "A game, an adventure, a number of activities engaged in by participants for the sake of playing." Furthermore, Kaprow says that the Happenings were "events that, put simply, happen." There was no structured beginning, middle, or end, and there was no distinction or hierarchy between artist and viewer. It was the viewer's reaction that decided the art piece, making each Happening a unique experience that cannot be replicated. It is participatory and interactive, with the goal of tearing down the wall a.k.a. "the fourth wall" between artist and observers, so observers are not just "reading" the piece, but also interacting with it, becoming part of the art.
Yard, 1961
Beaven, K (2021) Performance Art The Happening. Recuperado de: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/h/happening/happening
Farenheit Magazine (2020) Allan Kaprow, el precursor del arte performance. Recuperado de: https://fahrenheitmagazine.com/arte/allan-kaprow-el-precursor-del-arte-performance#view-1
Wikipedia (2021) Allan Kaprow Recuperado de: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Kaprow