Perform Space, Situated Body

Abstract

Although performance art achieved a major peak as a means of artistic expression in the 1960s and 1970s, the basic notion of art in the larger field of understanding remained unchanged and continued to be founded upon objectness. More recently, however, a change of paradigm has finally begun to take place whereby art is considered less in terms of its aspects as an object and rather more according to its so-called performative qualities. The result is a new emphasis upon the processes of creating and experiencing art on many levels.

In the project Perform Space the current discourse surrounding this new development was investigated and a theoretical, methodical, and terminological foundation was established for addressing the performative in art. Considering concrete elements of artworks through case studies, the main interest was to explore their qualities and effects as an on-going interaction of the setting and human participation. This dynamic concept of art was then focused and extended through an existing phenomenological notion known as experienced or lived space.

The follow-up project Situated Body used this dynamic understanding to set up a platform for Performance Studies in Switzerland from the multi-perspective of three different academic fields. Exploring both art production and art reception in terms of atmosphere or affectedness, action or articulation, and perception or understanding, the main result was the generation of tools for critical praxis in the fields of curating, mediation and teaching art.