When Contemporary Art Takes the Stage: Performance and Theatre Converge
The line separating contemporary art from live performance is increasingly indistinct, as artists create theatrical works. Tadeusz Kantor, drawing inspiration from Russian Constructivism among others, combined visual arts with theatre. Presently, Tino Sehgal, who received the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale, along with Marina Abramović, famed for 'Rhythm 0' (1973) and 'The Life and Death of Marina Abramović' (2011), embody this artistic fusion. Additional instances include fashion shows by Olivier Saillard and Tilda Swinton, Pierrick Sorin's Cabaret New Burlesque, and Daniel Buren's circus. Opera houses are commissioning directors like William Kentridge and Gary Hill. Yan Duyvendak and Roger Bernat's 'Please, Continue (Hamlet)' (2011) transforms theatre into a courtroom, while Kentridge's 'Refuse the Hour' (2012) merges diverse art forms.
Key facts
- Tadeusz Kantor is a key historical figure merging plastic arts and theatre.
- Tino Sehgal won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale for his immaterial 'situations'.
- Marina Abramović and Robert Wilson created 'The Life and Death of Marina Abramović' in 2011.
- Abramović's 'Rhythm 0' (1973) involved 72 objects and was stopped when a loaded gun was put in her mouth.
- Yan Duyvendak and Roger Bernat's 'Please, Continue (Hamlet)' (2011) uses real judges and lawyers.
- Xavier Veihlan's 'Systema Occam' premiered on the roof of the Cité Radieuse in Marseille.
- William Kentridge's 'Refuse the Hour' was presented at the Festival d'Avignon in 2012.
- Hiroshi Sugimoto now works with bunraku masters, considering performance the supreme art form.
Entities
Artists
- Tadeusz Kantor
- Tino Sehgal
- Marina Abramović
- Robert Wilson
- Olivier Saillard
- Tilda Swinton
- Pierrick Sorin
- Valérie Mréjen
- Daniel Buren
- Hans Ulrich Obrist
- Philippe Parreno
- William Kentridge
- Gary Hill
- Anselm Kiefer
- Oleg Kulik
- Yan Duyvendak
- Roger Bernat
- Xavier Veihlan
- Éliane Radigue
- Rhodri Davies
- Hiroshi Sugimoto
- Lady Gaga
- Willem Dafoe
- Antony Hegarty
- Kitty Hartl
- Philippe Ramette
- Fanny de Chaillé
- Guy de Cointet
- Christoph Schlingensief
- Jan Fabre
- Stéphane Malfettes
Institutions
- Biennale di Venezia
- Performa
- MoMA
- Festival d'Automne
- MTV Video Music Awards
- Opéra de Manchester
- Théâtre de la Cité internationale
- Festival d'Avignon
- Paris Quartier d'été
- Théâtre de la Ville
- Madame Tussauds
- Cité Radieuse
- Musée du Louvre
- The Guardian
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- New York
- United States
- Manchester
- United Kingdom
- Marseille
- France
- Paris
- Avignon
- Belgrade
- Serbia
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- London
- Foix
- St-Gaudens
- Tarbes
- Besançon
- Douai
- Quimper
- Le Mans
- St-Ouen
- Switzerland
- Gennevilliers
- Orléans
Sources
- artpress —