The Artists That Tied Themselves Together for a Whole Year

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In 1983, two artists joined forces in an unexpected way. For an entire year, Tehching Hsieh and Linda Montano were bound together by an 8-foot rope tied around their waists. But, despite their constant proximity, Hsieh and Montano followed a strict, self-imposed rule: they were not allowed to touch one another except accidentally. From July 4, 1983, to July 4, 1984, the artists slept in separate beds only a few feet apart; one showered while the other waited outside the door; Hsieh accompanied Montano on her teaching job; and, throughout the entire process, they photographed one another each and every day.

The piece, titled Art/Life: One Year Performance 1983–1984 (Rope Piece), tested the limits of endurance, privacy, freedom, control, and commitment. Even the most mundane of tasks, whether it be cooking or commuting, became sites of negotiation, forcing both Hsieh and Montano to contend with their own personalities while accommodating that of another person. Taken in its entirety, the performance stood as one of the most intense embodiments of artistic collaboration, demanding vulnerability and attentiveness at each moment.

“We had a lot of fights and I don’t feel that is negative,” Hsieh mused in an 1984 interview. “Anybody who was tied this way, even if they were a nice couple, I’m sure they would fight, too. This piece is about being like an animal, naked. We cannot hide our negative sides. We cannot be shy. It’s more than just honesty—we show our weakness.”

That sentiment was echoed by Montano, who estimated that she and Hsieh argued 80% of the time. Not only did both artists conceive of the project differently, but they often fought about moment-to-moment needs and impulses, according to a 1984 article in Artforum. At times, the pair would get physical and yank at their ends of the rope. Other times, they would refuse to speak to one another, further complicating their constant collaboration. Most challenging of all, though, was that each could veto actions suggested by the other, with the negative vote prevailing over the positive one. Immobilization eventually defined the piece, proving just how difficult of an undertaking the performance was.

“We were becoming more animal-like,” Montano said of Art/Life. “Somewhat like monkeys, we began pointing with sounds and groans and moans. We stopped talking almost completely.”

That said, Art/Life isn’t the first time Hsieh and Montano pursued intense performance-based projects. From 1981 to 1982, Hsieh lived on the streets of New York, vowing not to enter any form of shelter for an entire year, even during the winter months. A year before that, from 1980 to 1981, he punched an office timecard every hour, destroying any semblance of a regular schedule. His Cage Piece, from 1978 to 1979, saw the artist living in confinement inside a cell-like room, forgoing any contact with the outside world.

Montano has produced similar projects, including Handcuff from 1973. As its title suggests, the performance revolved around Montano being handcuffed together with fellow artist Tom Marioni for three days. For 10 minutes each day, the duo would create a video documenting their process. In Three Day Blindfold from 1974, Montano donned a blindfold for three days, feeling her way through the world.

In many ways, Art/Life felt like a natural progression for Hsieh and Montano. The artwork dramatically expanded upon each of their respective practices, ultimately offering an exquisite portrait of human connection under extreme circumstances.

“I wanted to do one piece about human beings and their struggle with one another,” Hsieh said of the performance. “We cannot go into life alone, without people. But we are together so we become each other’s cage.”