Defining Performance Art: Act, Body, and Literality

This theoretical text, published in art press in 2007, explores the definition of performance art. It argues that performance is not a genre or medium but a singular regime of artistic production centered on the execution of an act that is self-sufficient. The body is central as agent of action and support of the idea, with a literal knot between act and idea established through protocols. The text distinguishes between two ideologies: one valuing the unique sublime event, the other embracing repetition and pragmatism. It also contrasts interventionist actions that interrupt existing events (e.g., Nam June Paik cutting a tie, Gianni Motti disrupting a tennis match) with autonomous actions that create their own self-contained space. The discussion draws on historical avant-gardes (Futurism, Dada) and references RoseLee Goldberg's book "Performance: From Futurism to the Present" (2001). The text is part of a forthcoming issue of art press 2 dedicated to performance, scheduled for November 2007.