🎭Performance Art Unit 6 – Space and site–specificity

What's This Unit All About?

• Explores the relationship between performance art and the spaces in which it takes place
• Examines how artists utilize and engage with various types of spaces to create unique experiences for their audience
• Investigates the concept of site-specificity, where performances are created in response to a particular location or environment
• Delves into the historical context of space and site-specificity in performance art, tracing its roots and evolution over time
• Introduces key concepts and definitions essential for understanding the role of space in performance art
• Highlights famous artists and their groundbreaking works that exemplify the use of space and site-specificity
• Provides techniques and approaches for creating site-specific performances and engaging with different types of spaces

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Space: The physical or conceptual area in which a performance takes place, encompassing both the performer and the audience
• Site-specificity: The practice of creating performances that are directly inspired by, and responsive to, a particular location or environment
• Installation: An artistic genre that involves the creation of three-dimensional works designed to transform the perception of a space
• Immersive experience: A performance that surrounds and engages the audience, often blurring the boundaries between the performer and the viewer
• Psychogeography: The study of the psychological effects of geographical environments on individuals and communities
  • Derives from the work of the Situationist International, a group of artists and theorists active in the 1950s and 1960s
• Happenings: A term coined by artist Allan Kaprow in the late 1950s to describe spontaneous, interactive performances that blurred the line between art and life
• Intervention: A type of performance that disrupts or alters the normal functioning of a public space or institution

Historical Context

• The use of space and site-specificity in performance art can be traced back to the early 20th century avant-garde movements (Dada, Surrealism)
• In the 1960s and 1970s, artists began to challenge traditional notions of art and the gallery space, leading to the emergence of site-specific works
  • Artists such as Allan Kaprow, Vito Acconci, and Trisha Brown created performances that engaged directly with public spaces and everyday environments
• The Judson Dance Theater, founded in 1962, played a significant role in the development of site-specific performance, with artists like Yvonne Rainer and Simone Forti exploring the relationship between movement and space
• The 1970s saw the rise of land art and environmental art, with artists like Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt creating large-scale, site-specific installations in natural settings
• In the 1980s and 1990s, artists continued to push the boundaries of site-specificity, with works that engaged with urban spaces, institutional critique, and social and political issues
  • Artists such as Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Suzanne Lacy, and Guillermo Gómez-Peña created performances that addressed issues of labor, gender, and cultural identity

Types of Space in Performance Art

• Public spaces: Performances that take place in streets, parks, plazas, and other areas accessible to the general public
  • Often aim to engage with, or disrupt, the everyday routines and interactions of passersby
• Private spaces: Performances that occur in intimate, enclosed settings, such as homes, apartments, or studios
  • May explore themes of domesticity, privacy, and personal identity
• Institutional spaces: Performances that engage with, or critique, the spaces of museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions
  • Can challenge the power dynamics and cultural assumptions embedded in these spaces
• Virtual spaces: Performances that take place online or in digital environments, such as social media platforms, video games, or virtual reality
  • Explore the possibilities and limitations of technology in shaping our experience of space and interaction
• Liminal spaces: Performances that occur in transitional or in-between spaces, such as hallways, stairwells, or elevators
  • Often evoke a sense of uncertainty, ambiguity, or transformation
• Natural spaces: Performances that engage with outdoor environments, such as landscapes, bodies of water, or wilderness areas
  • May explore themes of ecology, sustainability, and the relationship between humans and nature

Site-Specific Performance: The Basics

• Site-specific performances are created in response to a particular location or environment, taking into account its physical, historical, and cultural context
• Artists often engage in extensive research and exploration of the site before creating the work, drawing inspiration from its unique characteristics and histories
• Site-specific performances can be one-time events or ongoing projects that evolve over time in relation to the changing nature of the site
• Audience participation and interaction are often key components of site-specific works, with viewers becoming active collaborators in the creation of meaning
• Site-specific performances can range in scale from intimate, one-on-one encounters to large-scale, community-based projects
• The documentation of site-specific performances can take various forms (photographs, videos, written accounts) and becomes an integral part of the work itself
• Site-specific performances often challenge traditional notions of authorship and ownership, as the work is inextricably linked to the site and the contributions of multiple participants

Famous Artists and Their Works

• Allan Kaprow: "18 Happenings in 6 Parts" (1959), a series of interactive performances that took place in different rooms of a gallery space
• Vito Acconci: "Following Piece" (1969), in which the artist followed random passersby through the streets of New York until they entered a private space
• Trisha Brown: "Roof Piece" (1971), a choreographed dance performed on the rooftops of buildings in New York's SoHo neighborhood
• Mierle Laderman Ukeles: "Touch Sanitation" (1979-1980), a performance in which the artist shook hands with and thanked over 8,500 sanitation workers in New York City
• Suzanne Lacy: "The Crystal Quilt" (1987), a large-scale performance involving 430 older women in Minneapolis, exploring themes of aging, femininity, and collective action
• Guillermo Gómez-Peña: "The Couple in the Cage" (1992-1993), a performance in which the artist and his collaborator posed as "undiscovered Amerindians" in a museum exhibit, critiquing the history of colonial displays of indigenous peoples

Techniques and Approaches

• Research and site analysis: Investigating the physical, historical, and cultural context of the site to inform the creation of the work
• Collaboration and community engagement: Working with local communities, organizations, and individuals to develop site-specific performances that reflect their experiences and concerns
• Durational performance: Creating works that unfold over an extended period of time, allowing for a deeper engagement with the site and its changing conditions
• Sensory exploration: Utilizing sound, smell, touch, and other sensory elements to create immersive and multi-sensory experiences for the audience
• Mapping and documentation: Using various methods (sketches, photographs, videos, written accounts) to record and represent the site and the performance, both as a creative process and as a means of preserving the work
• Interdisciplinary approaches: Incorporating elements from different artistic disciplines (dance, music, visual art, theater) to create hybrid and experimental forms of site-specific performance

Impact on Contemporary Art

• The use of space and site-specificity has become a central concern in contemporary performance art, with artists continuing to push the boundaries of where and how performances can take place
• Site-specific performances have helped to democratize art by bringing it out of traditional gallery and museum spaces and into the public realm, making it more accessible and engaging for diverse audiences
• The emphasis on collaboration and community engagement in site-specific performance has influenced the development of participatory and socially-engaged art practices
• The documentation and dissemination of site-specific performances through various media has challenged traditional notions of the art object and the role of the audience in the creation and interpretation of meaning
• Site-specific performance has contributed to the growing interest in the relationship between art and the environment, with artists using their work to address issues of sustainability, climate change, and ecological justice
• The influence of site-specific performance can be seen in the work of contemporary artists across various disciplines, from installation art to public art to experimental theater

Try It Yourself: Exercises and Projects

• Conduct a sensory mapping of a familiar space (your home, school, or neighborhood), documenting the sights, sounds, smells, and textures that you encounter. Use this mapping to inspire a short performance or intervention in the space.
• Choose a public space that you pass through regularly (a bus stop, a park bench, a street corner) and spend an extended period of time observing and interacting with the people and activities that occur there. Create a performance or installation that responds to your observations and experiences.
• Collaborate with a group of friends or classmates to create a site-specific performance in a liminal or transitional space (a hallway, a stairwell, an elevator). Explore themes of movement, transition, and transformation through your actions and interactions.
• Research the history of a specific site in your community (a building, a monument, a natural feature) and create a performance that engages with its past and present meanings. Consider how your work can reveal hidden stories or challenge dominant narratives about the site.
• Develop a durational performance that unfolds over the course of a day or a week in a specific location. Document your actions and interactions with the site and its inhabitants through various media (photographs, videos, written accounts) and reflect on how the performance evolves over time.
• Create a virtual site-specific performance using online platforms or digital tools. Consider how the unique characteristics of virtual spaces (interactivity, anonymity, global reach) can be used to create new forms of performance and audience engagement.