About the artworkThe painting was created on the evening of the opening party for the exhibition Movement in Art, at Moderna Museet in 1961. Niki de Saint Phalle had found an enormous, beige canvas which was spread out on the floor of the Arena Theatre in Stockholm where the opening party was held. On the reverse side of the canvas, she had attached hundreds of small plastic bags filled with paint. A plastic sheet and a carpet were spread over the canvas, so as the guests danced the paint was smeared out. The painting is akin to Niki de Saint Phalle's shoot paintings but is also a playful commentary on the theme of the exhibition: movement in art. When the party was over, Billy Klüver and Robert Rauschenberg spread the painting across the road to Djurgården so tracks were left on it by the cars.
Signatures, inscriptions and marks Signerat och daterat på konstverkets framsida i nedre höger hörn: "Rauschenberg 61" Selected exhibition history Pontus Hulténs samling (2004) Moderna Museet, Stockholm Explosion (den 2 juni 2012 - den 9 september 2012) Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona Sju rum och en trädgård. Rashid Johnson och Moderna Museets samling (den 28 september 2023 - den 22 september 2024) Moderna Museet, Stockholm The Moderna Museet exhibition catalogues Explosion! Måleri som handling / Painting as Action : [Moderna Museet 2/6-9/9 2012]Pontus Hulténs samling

Works by the artist