“Performance art is like life. You don’t get a second chance.”

(Marta Jovanovic)

Every couple of months, a bunch of strangers enter each other’s living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and offices. They have never met before; they know nothing about each other. They meet on-screen, through one of our performance art courses. They come from a variety of backgrounds - geographical, cultural, professional, personal - some have been performing for years, for others it is the first time. What they have in common is a pronounced interest in performance art, the desire to be creative, and to learn and grow. They are asked to share their artistic motivations, their ideas, and their inspirations, which often are very intimate, personal. They have the courage to do so. Despite remaining physically separated, they forge a sense of community through discussions and feedback, through sharing experiences, and - most importantly - through performing for each other, making the differentiation between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’, between ‘physical’ and ‘on-screen’ fade into the background.

Throughout the courses, they create numerous performances, some as assignments, some as exercises, some as live ad-hoc productions without preparation time. They respond to various prompts, tasks, and instructions given to them by the lecturers or each other. The works created show the true multi-layeredness of the discipline, the manifold expressions, the authenticity, immediacy, and rawness that makes the discipline so unique.

Works shown were selected from the following practice-based courses:

Performance Art: From Idea to Execution: Drawing from a variety of theories, exercises, and interdisciplinary practice, this course guides students through the creative process of developing a live performance art piece.

Performing the Memory: This practice-based course focuses on memory as immediate inspiration and tool for creating performance art. Through discussion of historic and contemporary examples, selected readings, and performance experiments, participants are guided to employ concepts of personal, group, and collective memory and embedded discourses to expand their artistic practice.

Rules of the Game: An Introduction to Task-based Performance Art: Through a variety of practical experiments, discussions of case studies, and selected readings, this class examines the practice of using task-led activities as a means to conceive and compose performance art.

Identity, Ritual, Resistance: Performing the Body in Southeast Asia: This course focuses on the 'body' in performance art from South and Southeast Asia. Selected readings, the discussion of case studies, as well as practical exercises introduce participants to the various meanings of the body as a political tool, a site for the (re-)construction of identity, and a place of devotion in performative practices from regions such as Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Iran, India, Pakistan, China, and Sri Lanka.

On Camera: Performing Identity in the Digital Age: This course investigates the intersections between performance art and the camera. Through the study of key works, selected readings, as well as physical exercises and writing activities, the course tackles questions such as “how are artists pushing the boundaries and expanding the definition of performance art and media? How does performative video and performance on network technologies communicate and participate in social and political discourses, meanings, and values?"

Enter below or click here to head back into the VR exhibition.