Untitled (study for The modern procession III)

Francis Alÿs’ works often comprise notations or sketches for performative events. ‘Untitled (study for The modern procession III)’, a series of sketches on architect’s drafting paper, is a visual plan for a procession that Alÿs staged in New York City on 23 June 2002. The procession marked the closure of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Manhattan for rebuilding and the temporary relocation of its collection to Queens. Echoing Catholic South American traditions of the parade, ‘The modern procession’ included a Peruvian band and replicas of famous artworks by Picasso, Duchamp and Giacometti held aloft like religious icons. In addition, the contemporary artist Kiki Smith was carried in a chair like a modern-day Madonna – a small recognition of the predominance of works by men in the MoMA collection.