The large-scale retrospective, Allan Kaprow–Art as Life, presents over five decades of work by the renowned postwar American artist and teacher Allan Kaprow (1927–2006).

The exhibition traces the development of the artist’s oeuvre from works that incorporated everyday objects into collages and assemblages to all-encompassing Environments. The installation consists of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and assemblages, along with photographs, films, videos, and activity booklets. In addition, exclusive to MOCA’s presentation, the exhibition features a selection of early Environments reinterpreted by artists John Baldessari and Skylar Haskard, Allen Ruppersberg, and Barbara T. Smith; projects by artists Paul McCarthy and Suzanne Lacy with Peter Kirby and Michael Rotondi; as well as specially commissioned reinventions of over 22 Happenings by local institutions throughout Southern California. 

Organized by The Haus der Kunst München in cooperation with the Van Abbemuseum, the curatorial concept for Allan Kaprow–Art as Life was developed in close collaboration with the recently deceased artist, and curators Stephanie Rosenthal and Eva Meyer-Hermann. MOCA’s presentation is organized by MOCA Curator Philipp Kaiser and MOCA Chief Curator Paul Schimmel with Assistant Director for Contemporary Programs and Research at the Getty Research Institute Andrew Perchuk.