Performance 10: Alison Knowles

Knowles conceived of The Identical Lunch in the late 1960s, when her friend and fellow Fluxus artist Philip Corner noticed that she ate the same lunch every day: “a tuna fish sandwich on wheat toast with butter and lettuce, no mayo, and a cup of soup or glass of buttermilk.” Turning this habit into a performance, she asked friends to try the same lunch, often at a local diner, and to write about their experiences. The project has evolved to include communal meals served by Knowles and artist’s books gathering photographs and participants’ descriptions of the events. In conjunction with the exhibition Contemporary Art from the Collection, Knowles is inviting Museum visitors to have an Identical Lunch with her on Thursdays and Fridays in MoMA’s Cafe 2.

Visitors will be able to sign up for the event online, beginning January 3. Space is limited. Lunch will be free with Museum admission.

Organized by Kathy Halbreich, MoMA Associate Director, and Christophe Cherix, Curator, Department of Prints and Illustrated Books.

The Performance Exhibition Series is made possible by MoMA’s Wallis Annenberg Fund for Innovation in Contemporary Art through the Annenberg Foundation.

Performance 10: Alison Knowles
Kuratoren: Kathy Halbreich, Christophe Cherix