Theory and History of Performance

Code:

THP500

Acronym:

THP

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Fine Arts

Instance: 2015/2016 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Fine Arts Department
Course/CS Responsible:	Fine Arts

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
AP	5	Official Study Plan 2011	4	-	3	34	81

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

Develop capabilities of study, analysis, taking a critical stand, defending it with arguments and to engage on a theoretical debate.

Understand the context of appearance of the performance art as well as the esthetical, creative and critical evolution of the performance art.

Acquire capacities for autonomous research.

Identify particularities of performance amongst other arts of the XX and XXI centuries.

Articulate different historical, economical, social, artistic and cultural contexts of a broad range of performative practices.

Analyse critically specific questions raised by the artistic performative practise, its presentation, documentation and relationship with its audiences.

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of the course students are expected to know the history of performance and its key debates, as well as recognizing important moments and authors of contemporary performance. Students should have a theoretical understanding of the historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts for a range of performative practices.

Students are equally expected to develop capabilities of autonomous research as well as to develop reflective and critical engagement with their own performative work and the work of others, be it historical or contemporary.

Working method

Presencial

Program

Concept(s) of Performance: Inclusions and confusions.

The origins of Performance: Alfred Jarri, Marinetti’s Futurism, Luigi Ruossolo, L’Arte dei Rumori, sound art and Noise. Manifests and actions. The Sinthetic Theatre and simultaneity.

Russian Futurism and Constructivism. Staging the body in Russian constructivist photography and film.

Cabaret Voltaire, Dada and dadaist performances. Surrealism on stage, the surrealist body in its images. Bauhaus and Oskar Schlemmer.

The Black Mountain College, John Cage, Merce Cunnigham and Robert Rauchenberg.

The Japanese Gutai Association of Art.

Three European performers of the 50’s: Yves Klein, Piero Manzoni, Joseph Beuys.

New York: “happenings” and “environments” by Allan Kaprow, Claes Oldenburgh and Lucas Samarras. The “Fluxus” and the performative work.

Dance, Anna Halprin and the Judson Church Group.

Violence, abjection and sexuality: Chris Burden, Vito Acconci, Carolee Schneemann. Feminist readings, debates and contrarieties.

Latin-American artists: Ana Mendieta’s oeuvre and her “Earth Body”, Lygia Clark, Hélio Oiticica - the concepts of “Crelazer” and “Supra-sensorial”.

Actions on the body, self mutilations and ruptures.

Collaborations and protocols. The durational performance and the endurance.

The media generation, new technologies, new supports, media and themes.

The body as matter, autobiography and agency. The extreme body and the obsolete body: challenges and strategies of visibility.

The body in space, routes, crossings, architectures, extensions.

Performativities: performance in and with other areas. Thematic extensions and stories that cross paths.

Documentation in Performance. Performance and photography, film and video. The Archives: physical and dematerialized. New audiences.

Mandatory literature

Goldberg Roselee; Performances. ISBN: 2-87811-168-0 (French translation of the original text in English published by Thames and Hudson (Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present). There is a Portuguese translation at Orfeu Negro.)

Complementary Bibliography

Stiles Kristine 340; Out of actions. ISBN: 0-500-28050-9
Bishop Claire 340; Participation. ISBN: 978-0-85488-147-5
Jones, Amelia; Body Art: Performing the Subject, University of Minnesota Press, 1998. ISBN: 0-8166-2773-8
Bishop Claire; Installation Art: a Critical History, Tate Publishing, 2005
O.Doherty Brian; No interior do cubo branco. ISBN: 85-336-1686-4 (The library also owns a book with the original english text.)
Howell Anthony; The^analysis of performance art. ISBN: 90-5755-086-5 42.00
Warr Tracey 340; The artist.s body. ISBN: 0-7148-3502-1
Heathfield, Adrian (ed.), ; Live. Art and Performance, Tate Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 978-1-85437-501-8
Phelan, Peggy; Unmarked. The politics of performance, Routledge, 1996
Vergine, Lea; Body Art and Performance: the body as language, Skira, 2000. ISBN: 978-8881186532
Schneider, Rebecca; The explicit body in performance, Routledge, , 1997
Schneemann Carolee; Imaging her erotics. ISBN: 0-262-19459-7
Mendieta Ana 040; Ana Mendieta. ISBN: 84-453-1756-3
Abramovic Marina 040; Marina Abramovic. ISBN: 88-8158-365-8 41.26
Ward Frazer; Vito Acconci. ISBN: 0-7148-4002-5 41.95
Kaprow Allan; Essays on the blurring of art and life. ISBN: 0-520-20562-6
Grande Cristina, Liliana Coutinho, et all; Revista Marte nº 3, De que falamos quando falamos de performance, Associação de Estudantes da Faculdade de Belas Artes, Universidade de Lisboa., 2008
Archer Michael; Mona Hatoum. ISBN: 0-7148-3660-5
Goldberg Roselee; Laurie Anderson. ISBN: 0-500-01993-2
Santiago Sierra 040; Santiago Sierra. ISBN: 3-88375-804-3 51.20
Di Lallo Emmanuela 340; Vanessa Beecroft. ISBN: 88-8491-572-4 81.70
Barney Matthew 040; Matthew Barney. ISBN: 0-8109-6935-1
Phelan Peggy; Pipilotti Rist. ISBN: 0-7148-3965-5 41.95

Teaching methods and learning activities

Classes are of 2 hours each, and are always both theoretical and practical. The theoretical component is expositive but always with emphasis on debate and the development of a critical stance.

Students are encouraged to bring questions and contemporary performance works to be divulged and discussed in class.

Guests will be invited to share to the class artistic, curatorial and research experiences taking place in the field of performance.

In accordance with the cultural offer of the semester - both alternative and institutional - and the partnerships developed with cultural institutions of the city (namely the São João National Theatre and the Serralves Foundation) workshops, lectures, readings, field trips, and theatrical, dance, fine art and sound performances can be attended as part of the class.

 

keywords

Humanities > Arts > Fine arts
Humanities > Arts > Visual arts

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	80,00
Participação presencial	20,00
Total:	100,00

Eligibility for exams

The “Evaluation Components” section doesn’t allow the introduction of data referring to an optional system of evaluation (presented in alternative). Find bellow the full description of the evaluation component of this course.

For the evaluation (exame day) students may choose to present a practical performative project and a theoretical essay, or alternatively just the theoretical written research.

The classes will include some allocated time to discuss the students’ practical and theoretical projects, including short presentations and group discussion.

 

Option 1: theoretical assessment only:

- Essay - 80%
- Public presentation - 20%

 

Option 2: assessment including practical project:

- Performative project - 50%
- Essay or written report - 50%

The second exame ("recurso") - which can be for aproval or grade improvement - is a written test.

Calculation formula of final grade

1. Evaluation with exame:

Class participation: 20%
Final exam: 80%

For the final exame the student may choose from two options:

Option 1: theoretical assessment only:

- Essay - 80%
- Public presentation - 20%

Option 2: assessment including practical project:

- Performative project - 50%
- Essay or written report - 50%

2. Second exame ("recurso"):

Written test: 100%

Classification improvement

Can be done in second exame ("recurso").