“Following Piece” by Vito Acconci, created in 1969, is a significant example of Conceptual Art and belongs to the figurative genre. The artwork consists of a series of typed notes and photographs depicting the artist’s act of following random individuals in public spaces until they entered a private place, capturing both the process and its outcome.
The artwork is structured with typewritten sheet notes surrounded by a border with the text “FOLLOW DIFFERENT PERSON EVERY DAY UNTIL PERSON ENTERS PRIVATE PLACE” in uppercase lettering. Interspersed among the text blocks are two black-and-white photographs – one showing a scene from a street where two people are being followed by the artist, and the other depicting the culmination of the act as the individual presumably enters a private space. This structure reflects Acconci’s interest in blurring the lines between public and private, engaging in a performative exploration of societal norms and personal boundaries through the medium of Conceptual Art. The documentation presented in “Following Piece” serves both as a record of the performed action and a critique of the observer-observed relationship.
