Events or occurrences; in art, spontaneous performance pieces that blur the line between art and life.
From happen (Middle English happenen meaning 'to occur by chance') plus -ing suffix. The art movement sense emerged in the 1950s-60s when artists like Allan Kaprow created unrehearsed, participatory performances.
Art 'Happenings' revolutionized performance by breaking the fourth wall completely - audiences became participants, and the unpredictable interactions became the actual artwork, making each performance unique and unrepeatable.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.