Pierre Senges' 'Sort l'assassin, entre le spectre' Blurs Identity of King and Actor
Pierre Senges' latest book 'Sort l'assassin, entre le spectre' (Éditions Verticales) explores the blurred boundaries between a tyrant and an actor playing a tyrant. The narrator opens with 'I was Macbeth' but immediately casts doubt, unsure if he was the actual king or a performer. Senges draws parallels between kingship and acting, both involving representation, performative speech, and questions of legitimacy and imposture. The text oscillates between identities, refusing resolution, and engages with concepts from Ernst Kantorowicz's 'The King's Two Bodies' and Denis Diderot's 'Paradox of the Actor'. Lady Macbeth also appears in dialogue. Senges, known for 'Veuves au maquillage' (2000), 'Ruines-de-Rome' (2002), and 'La Réfutation majeure' (2004), demonstrates a controlled, sumptuous style. The review notes a strange feeling that little happens despite the linguistic pleasure.
Key facts
- Pierre Senges published 'Sort l'assassin, entre le spectre' with Éditions Verticales.
- The narrator claims to have been Macbeth but is uncertain whether as the real king or an actor.
- The book draws parallels between the roles of king and actor, both involving representation and performativity.
- Senges references Kantorowicz's 'The King's Two Bodies' and Diderot's 'Paradox of the Actor'.
- Lady Macbeth is a character in the text, engaging in dialogue with the narrator.
- Senges previously published 'Veuves au maquillage' (2000), 'Ruines-de-Rome' (2002), and 'La Réfutation majeure' (2004).
- The review describes Senges' style as sumptuous and controlled.
- The review was published in artpress in October 2006.
Entities
Artists
- Pierre Senges
- Roland Barthes
- André Beaudet
- Olivier Renault
Institutions
- Éditions Verticales
- artpress
- Les Herbes rouges
Locations
- Montreal
- Canada
Sources
- artpress —