Christian Marclay–Footsteps

Produced in 1989 following the use of the 12" records in an exhibition at Zurich's Shedhalle. Tap dancing by Keiko Uenishi in New York's Clocktower and Harmonic Ranch. from Marclay's commentary: From June 4th through July 16th 1989 the floor of one of the Shedhalle Galleries, Zurich, was covered with 3500 copies of a record titled Footsteps. During the six weeks of the installation, people were invited to walk on the records—willingly or not, they had to step on them to reach the adjacent galleries where other sculptures were exhibited. The one-sided recording, containing the sounds of footsteps, was recorded in December 1988 in the deserted hallways of the Clocktower (N.Y.) and in the studios of Harmonic Ranch (N.Y.), where Keiko Uenishi’s tap dancing was mixed in. During the gallery installation the work could be looked at, stepped on and walked through, but the recording was never heard, its content merely suggested by its title. Over the course of the six weeks, more than 1500 visitors walked over the fragile floor, contributing to the final composition by altering the records' surface with dirt and scratches. At the end of the exhibition, the records, which were attached to the floor with double-sided tape, were removed. The record enclosed in this package is one of them. When played, the footmark scratches and recorded footsteps blend in a final aleatory composition of rhythmic patterns, with as many variations as there are records. One thousand of these records have been made available, apart from a special edition of one hundred copies signed and numbered. Dedicated to the memory of Fred Astaire.