Rippin' for Gordon - #017 - The World's Worst Disasters of the Twentieth Century

The World's Worst Disasters
of the Twentieth Century

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First published in hardback in 1983
by Octopus Books Limited
59 Grosvenor Street
London W1

Paperback edition first published in 1984

© Octopus Books Limited

ISBN 0 7064 2146 9

Second impression, reprinted 1984

Made and printed in Great Britain by
Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Limited
Bungay, Suffolk

14,4 x 21,0 cm, 194p, softcover

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On 8 October 2017 I ripped the 194 pages from The World's Worst Disasters of the Twentieth Century, tore them in half and threw them in the Hole I've been Diggin' for Gordon in a basement at an undisclosed location in Antwerpen since 20 February 2006.
The title refers to Gordon Matta-Clark whose last and major work ‘Office Baroque’ in Antwerpen I illegally visited at the start of my career as an artist. The performance/installation evolved into a ‘mash-up’ with ingredients from the works of various avantgarde artists from the 70’s. For instance a slant row of florescent lights inspired by Dan Flavin takes care of lightning and an endless ladder as imagined by Vito Acconci makes it possible to get in and out of the hole. The work was made visible through a number of side actions and performances where I used some of the dirt I had been digging up. Most of the dirt was used to fill up James Lee Byars' tomb.
As of 9 September 2017 the Hole is filled with precious books from my private library.

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