Byung-Chul Han's Performance Society and Its Impact on Literature

In an essay published by La Tempestad, the author reflects on Byung-Chul Han's concept of the "performance society" from his 2010 book "The Burnout Society" and its effects on literature. Han argues that contemporary individuals self-exploit without external pressure, having internalized discipline. The essay connects this to the literary world, where writers are compelled to produce constantly, promote themselves, and accumulate attention. It cites José Carlos Mariátegui's 1925 essay "The Artist and the Epoch," noting that fame is manufactured through publicity. The author also references Han's "The Transparency Society" (2012) on the "production of attention," Vivian Abenshushan's "Writings for the Unemployed" (2019), and Josefina Vicens' "The Empty Book" (1958). The piece questions whether other ways of existing are possible beyond work and competition.