On 25 March, the floating installation titled ‘The Maybe’ was debuted to stunned spectators. The conceptual performance piece places a sleeping Tilda Swinton inside a glass box beside a jug of water and a pair of spectacles.

The Maybe

True to its name, The Maybe will appear unannounced throughout 2013, without pomp or ceremony. The sleeping beauty will be spotted at various areas in the museum without preceding publicity.

Uncertainty is at the core of the NYC piece, so it will be accompanied by a glaringly absent artist’s statement and schedule.

Tilda Swinton living artwork

Tilda Swinton first became a living artwork in 1995 when she performed The Maybe to a London audience at the Serpentine Gallery. Hordes of spectators crowded to the gallery, and the piece attracted a grand total of 22 000 viewers. This segment of the actress’ involvement in fine art performance is not an isolated case.

She delved into avant-garde eclecticism when she read a poem authored by herself in the 2008 performance, ‘One Woman Show.’ In another spoken word performance, she contributed four poetic pieces to Patrick Wolf’s artistic album, The Bachelor. The Maybe is the only performance that does not exploit the actress’ power over words.

Celebration of New York’s premier performance artists

The Maybe will be popping up in New York randomly as part of its continuing celebration of New York’s premier performance artists. During 2010, the museum exhibited the prominent Marina Abramovic’s ‘The Artist is Present.’ In this particular piece, the audience participated by sitting mutely in a chair facing the artist.

Swinton will be performing The Maybe for eight hour periods throughout 2013, which should provide her with some much needed respite from her chaotic acting schedule.

How to find Museum of Modern Art, New York

You can find the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York on the address below:
The Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53 Street
New York, NY 10019-5497
Phone number: (212) 708-9400