Politics of Rehearsal

This book accompanies the first large-scale museum exhibition in the United States devoted to the work of Francis Alÿs, one of the most acclaimed artists working today. The central focus is Alÿs’s Rehearsal (Ensayo) series, but a significant number of important related works from throughout Alÿs’s career are also included. Alÿs’s video installation Ensayo 1, 1999–2000, shows a red Volkswagen bug attempting to ascend a steep hill in Tijuana. The car’s attempts are synchronized with the soundtrack of a group of Mexican danzon musicians rehearsing. Ensayo 2, 2005, is a video that shows the rehearsal of a dancer practicing a strip-tease. Ensayo 3 will be a new work made by Alÿs specifically for the exhibition and further extending the series. Other works include When Faith Moves Mountains and Song for Lupita; along with paintings, photographs, and numerous drawings.nThe book, written by Russell Ferguson, organizer of the exhibition, will provide an in depth exploration of Alÿs’s oeuvre, and in particular the theme of rehearsal that has run throughout his work, as well as related issues such as repetition, storytelling, and the conditions of performance.