Robert Rauschenberg

The only in-print book exploring Rauschenberg's years-long, self-funded initiative to promote cultural and artistic exchange across the globe

The Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange, or ROCI (pronounced "Rocky," the name of the artist's pet turtle), was a tangible expression of Robert Rauschenberg's (1925-2008) long-term commitment to human rights and to the freedom of artistic expression. Funded almost entirely by the artist himself, Rauschenberg traveled to countries around the world often where artistic experimentation had been suppressed with the purpose of sparking a dialogue and achieving a mutual understanding through the creative process. Between 1985 and 1990, the project was realized in 10 countries in the following order: Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Germany and Malaysia, with a final exhibition held in 1991 at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

This catalog is the only in-print publication on Rauschenberg's ROCI initiative, making it an invaluable text for understanding this important and long-running project.