Matthew Bakkom
New York City, Museum of Complaint
Municipal Collection 1751-1969
304 pages
24.5 cm x 32 cm Portrait
132 colour plates
Hardcover
Steidl / Miles
The New York City Museum of Complaint is a collection of 132 letters written to the Mayor of New York
between 1751 and 1969. Selected from the municipal archives and presented chronologically, the letters
address a range of issues from dead animals in the street to swindles, capitalism, and corruption.
From civil rights, adventuresses, bad luck, and broken hearts to noise and other people. These are the
communiqués of dissatisfaction over the course of a city’s evolution.
The strength of this collection lies in its striking ability to capture the spirit of the city
as defined by its critics and crusaders. New York City has long been perceived as a place where personal
expression flourishes. These civic documents are historical embodiments of the language, wit and energy
that helped forge the City’s reputation. From the passionate defense of street musicians to dedicated battles
with drycleaners, police officers, pushcart peddlers and hooligans, a chorus emerges that articulates the
challenges and inherent absurdity of metropolitan life.
Matthew Bakkom was born in Minneapolis in 1968. Starting in the early 1990’s, working as a visual artist
in North America and Europe, he has participated in exhibitions at the Walker Art Center, the Institute
of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia and the Queens Museum of Art. Bakkom has received awards of support
from the Jerome Foundation, The Rema Hort Mann Foundation the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and the
Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Paris. The investigation of civic archives often serves
as the basis for his work.
