Punk Preservationists Present: Save the Art Barn!

The Exhibit Runs From Oct 21st to Nov 9th.

The Ant Farm Antioch Art Building aka “AFAAB”, “The Art Barn”, the “Toaster”, and the “Old Art Building” is one of just two buildings ever to be built that was designed by Ant Farm, one of the 1970s most important art groups.

This building, which was designed in 1971 and opened in 1972, is emblematic of a moment of radical risk taking and experimentation in art, media, architecture and pedagogy. Ant Farm were deeply interdisciplinary and collaborative key players in the counter-cultural landscape, experimenting with and integrating video, public sculpture, and the built environment. Antioch College was likewise a crucial locus for left organizing and experiments in re-envisioning higher education for greater freedom and inclusivity. The AFAAB building stands as a testament to a moment when Antioch and Ant Farm met, and built something lasting together.

Punk Preservationists Present: Save the Art Barn opens up the archives while also taking a look at how contemporary students, faculty, and artists have been inspired by the building. Visitors can delve into Ant Farm’s design process, and see the building’s construction and early days. The building was a testing ground for wild ideas and new processes and has been a classroom, studio, practice space, and shooting location for generations of students and faculty, from filmmakers like Tony Conrad and Lola Betz to musicians like Mia Zapata and painters like Karsten Creightney.

By presenting this information to our community, we hope to inspire interest in preserving this unique asset and crucial piece of Antiochian and contemporary architectural history.