do it

do it began as a conversation between artists Christian Boltanski and Bertrand Lavier and Curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, who was interested in the idea of an open-ended exhibition format that was flexible enough to transform with each location and enactment. To test the concept, Obrist invited 12 artists to submit instructions which were translated into 9 languages and circulated internationally as a book.

With more than 50 stops worldwide, do it has become the largest collection of DIY, instructional works to date, including newly commissioned pieces from artists selected by Obrist and ICI.

do it’s presentation is less concerned with notions of reproduction or materiality of the artworks. Rather, this exhibition is about revealing the nuances of human interpretation in its various iterations. Based on written instructions by renowned artists as a point of departure, UMOCA’s reenactment of do it is uniquely site-specific to Utah through the engagement with the community and use of resources available locally.

Many of the selected works draw on the cultural specificity of Utah as a way to ground the exhibition in themes, iconography, and places that relate to the history and geography of the Beehive State,” explains Associate Curator Rebecca Maksym. “In this way, UMOCA is able to play with the generative and accumulative aspects of this ongoing exhibition through its own notion of interpretation.”