[Reader-list] on images and performance art

[Inder Salim]

By helge meyer

LECTURE Boston
With the following lecture, I am going to introduce and establish a
definition for images and imaginaries, that are specific for the
appearance of pictures in the field and context of the here portrayed
art form Performance Art. First, I am going to research and explain
the particular vocabulary of imagery in a very detailed form, to then
secondly compile and develop, a custom-made, specific "Bildbegriff",
the definition of image, being applicable to all "living tableaux"
within the field of Performance Art.
An additional research aspect will be dedicated to the
circumstanstional analysis of a likewise specific form of the
Performance Art: The impicturing of pain in any performative actions.
Therefore it is indispensable, to state and clear some general issues
about "pain" in advance: a short excurse and introduction of the
definition of pain: What is pain? What are its physiologic and
psychological aspects?
In the last part of my lecture, I am going to portrait and introduce
various artist, that work in a very extraordinary and singular,
personal way in the special context of what I would like to define as:
"Pain - the Image".
(FOLIE 1 BILDER= ZWEIFEL )
Images are everywhere. The origin of all images can be found in
magical practices; they served since the beginning of mankind and
still serve a special form of communication. They are an incredibly
important tool for all "Weltaneignung" which means to "acculturate the
world": By creating images, something is cultured, handled and (in the
best case) mastered.
During the last centuries, images have multiplied and have been vastly
multiplicated: TV transformed it into a producer of a sheer
uncontrollable flood of images, the big screens and billboards to
spread images and imaginaries are integrated into any metropolitan big
city-scape. Mobile phones send photos and short-videos in real-time
everywhere.
All fields and areas of any (daily) life are feed with (life) picture
streams and are represented in uncountable images. The force and power
of this thousands of illusions created by those pictures is hardly
questioned anymore by the perceptionist, neither is the topic
thematized. But altogether, one can state, that all the images produce
way more the doubt of any existence of what they seem to show.
(BILD: JURASSIC PARK)
There seem to be no limits of any means of presentability at all in
Hollywood's "Cinematopique Factories" left. The most successful film
productions of the last years consist to a major degree of computer
generated scenes or even virtual protagonists:(for example "Jurassic
Park" by Steven Spielberg, the "Matrix-Series" - films by the
Warchowski Brothers or the "Lord of the Rings" - Trilogy by Peter
Jackson, starring the virtual character "Gollum").        (BILD:
GOLLUM)
Doubts concerning the "realness", truth and authenticity of pictures
of the news are a major topic in the meantime and are top-media-issue
(for example referring to the capture of Sadam Hussein in post-war
Iraq.)
After the "incidents" of 9/11 in the year 2001 countless theories were
published (special on internet platforms) that deal with the potential
option and idea, that the parts of the terroristic assaults were
consciously enacted and staged. Nearly in real-time (see Paul
Virillio's essayistic work about "War in Real-time"<) wars (like the
current conflict in Gaza) are broadcasted, trials and catastrophes
alike. But they seem to loose any of their impact, we got used to
their constant "company", hardly perceive them consciously and are
just minor interested in any of their referenciality. The new media,
specially the internet, may convey a feeling of social existence to
any society or public, when it comes to any virtual meetings in
cyberspace. This encounters seem to more and more disappear from any
normal allay reality. Hans Belting is referring to this space of
encounter as a "shared nowhere" where an imaginary existence is found
to be possible that is no longer bound or limited to any physical
places.
For the time being, simulations have reached a limit, where any
maximum of image competence is requested, to at all be perceived.
Simulation is illusion and subordinates the perceptionist/spectator to
deception, often enough the lusticiously performed self-deception.
The consequences of these developments are hardly reviewable or
evaluatable at the moment. Dietmar Kamper is stating clearly the
massive distortion and the return of the platonic "cave of images":
(FOLIE PLATON)
"Nowadays humans do not live within the world any longer. They do not
even live in any language. They live within their imagery, the images,
they created from and for themselves and from other humans. And live
more poorly then any better within this imaginary immanence. They are
(starving and) dying from that.  Massive distortion can be found at
the "high-tide" of image-production. [...] Thus, it would the very
time to break out of the self produced and at the same time
self-enclosing "cave of images". [...] Therefore the oppositive path
would be the one of the over exaggerated ecstasy. One is looking for
the escape by trying to brake throughout the images (see "Alice behind
the Mirrors") One is looking for any further beyond and netherworld of
the images within the images themselves. „

How could any escape "throughout the images" look like?
I am going to try to show, that a return to the original valiancy and
value of images as a reference for cultural and social identity can be
an option and chance for the sharpening of all "image-perception and -
consciousness". The Performance Art constitutes and combines the most
adequate tool for the recirculation of this "´Bildbegriff" means, the
notion of images.
(BILD: NIESLONY)
One could state about the image in the field of Performance Art, that
all actions and operations reduce the (re-)presentation and any
staging to a minimum: they are identical with what they show (and
therefore are).
Inspite, this does not mean, referring to any (artistically) content,
that the shown exhausts itself in "being picture" and not to transport
any emotional, social and political signums. Especially via the means
of immediacy of human actions and the often ritualized use of symbols,
possibilities of coherent supercharging of content, being able to more
than transcend with its presence the efficiency of any other art form.
Photography, painting and film are agitating on other levels. That,
what is visible in the pictures, is absent and can only be present and
at all exist within the picture.
(FOLIE BILD: =TOD)
Aquscient a very interesting analogy between the image and death: the
theory that the creation of pictures is always a permanent insurgency
against the inevitably of the own death seems to be a more than
adequate statement and thought here. The horrifying aspect of death is
that it is capable of transforming the living body into an inanimate
picture. The body is thus forced into an unbearable absence. As the
last option appears now the representation in present images and
depicting. But they can only always again refer to the above described
total absence of the dead subject.
The representation in images seems to be the only ephemeral into the
eternal. Thus the image can be seen as the only escape of the "fear of
death", as the try to transform something ephemeral into the eternal
and infinite. Thus, the image appears as the illusion of immortality.
The image, in a way to be perceived as the "double" of the body, gives
the lost body a medium back.
The Performance Art embodies here in my opinion a special standing
within this subject matter: it is quasi formulating the consciousness
about death, while at the same time engaging in the process like, and
the sanctified nemesis of the ephemeral image.
Therefore I would love to define the image within the field of
Performance Art as the option and possibility, to altercate with the
inevitability of absence, whereas being at the same time the very
medium of presence. This seemingly paradox is to my opinion the
indispensable outstanding characteristics of this art form that
specially constitutes its outraging power and fascination.
(BILD: LATERNA MAGICA)
II would like to state and define the beginning of a body-adversial
image perception caused by technical media, referring to the
"Phantasmagoria" exhibition, where the Laterna Magica was used for the
first time. By the means of using a "back-projection" an image was
"thrown" and projected to a wall, without the spectators being able to
see and perceive the source of the projection, the lanterns. Adorno
later characterized the Phantasmagoria as the "occlusion of the
production by the appearance of the product" - the illusionistic
character of the projection claims the absolute truthfulness, without
abdicating from any portraiture. The "deus ex machine" was consciously
veiled, to achieve the mystical impression, but still claiming the
existence of an objective truth. Already here, the images are no
longer trustworthy. Using an inference concerning the "production" of
an image within any performance, I would like to allege, that the
performance works in an intentional modality consciously
anti-phantasmagoric.
(FOLIE ANTI)
During any performative work, the image is being produced right in
front of the eye of the audience, changed and last, but not least
shown as the action/operation. At this juncture, the productionary
image creating processes are in most cases visible in front of the
audience. The material (always at least the body of the performer) is
being treated in front of the audience and it is acted "with it". A
happening is performed, without at all hiding the "historical" process
of it taking place in space and time and therefore no illusionary
character of the action can be traced at all.  Explicitly within the
field of what I would like to call "pain-performance" this
intentiously making visible of every single step  of the action (the
cut, the beat, the scream, the wound) can and does lead to a way more
intense impact than any other illusionary means of appearance.
But before about "the pain": (FOLIE SCHMERZ)
„"Pain (...) Is an uncomfortable sensual and feel wise experience,
that is connected to an actual or optional deterioration of the tissue
or is being described terms referring to a damage a."
Pain is the central sensation of a human being. Being a warning
signal, it shows in its acute appearance injuries and disturbances of
the body and is therefore expedient. It distinctively refers to the
necessity of a gentle treatment for the whole organism. Friedrich
Strian characterizes pain in his book "Pain: Causes
-Symptoms-Therapies" as "special perception of a threat to the
integrity of the whole organism".
The option to perceive pain is important for us as human beings. It is
an essential emotion. Even the smallest pain can be helpful, to
correct our behavior and to send a warning signal. Without this
signals, we would not realize when our body is injured. Therefore, the
smallest wound caused by any inflammation - if not noticed - could
transform into a major threat to our physical health. People,
suffering from the inability to perceive pain, live in constant
danger. During their childhood, no innocent playing is possible,
because of the constantly present option of unnoticed series harm for
their health, without being able to calculate the consequences. No
fear of injuries exists, no feeling for any situations that could end
painfully.  Pain can be therefore characterized as unnecessary and
helpful and without doubt a definition of being human (I) n.
(BILD: Bahnen des Schmerzes)
Pain is the result of biochemical processes. The sensation starts
within the cells, called "nozizeptors“that react to injuries, by
sending electronically messages to a region within the spinal cord.
Here, in this "inlet" of pain, neurotransmitters and other chemicals
send a signal to the brain - the immediate perception and sensation of
a painful situation. The brain interprets the message and reacts with
the sending out an army of painkillers such as endorphins and other
chemicals, to bring down the pain. How these players interact, depends
on a variety of factors: among others, how series the pain is defined
and whether it is an acute threat. Even the personal state of being
and feeling is an important factor. When someone finds himself in a
current dangerous situation or during any professional sportive
competition, the brain will emit higher doses of painkillers, to
tranquilize down the discomforts, so that one can rescue oneself out
of the danger zone or to achieve enough benefits, to win.
Pain is not only an irritation, that is send out on various ways
within the body on a neurological transmitted basis, but a complex
emotion, whose character is beaded on the intensity of the irritation,
but as well a situation, in which pain is perceived. Most important is
the affective and emotional situation of any individual. Pain as a
physical irritation is the same as beauty as a visual stimulus: both
are individual experiences.
(BILD: SCHMERZ 1)
I am sure, that this way of perceiving pain, plays an as important
role in the context of the use of any painful imagery in the
performance.
The following quote by Albert Einstein seems to me worth of
consideration "Everything, that is thought out and performed by human
beings, can be regarded as the effort, to please sensed needs,
likewise the soothing of any pain." Painkilling actions are described
here as a basic concern of any human action. But so why do artists
expose themselves to this encumbrance on a freewill basis?
Next to the even illustrated physiological component of pain, a way
more complex aspect of the emotional and cognitive meaning of the
perception of pain and suffering from pain defines the foreground of
my personal work and analysis.
(SCHMERZ 2)
Elaine Scarry defines pain in her book" The body in pain" as a paradox
between certitude and doubt: "For a human being in pain, the pain is
unquestionable so unquestionable and doubtless present, that one can
only state "to have pains" is the most plausible evidence for what I
means "to have certitude". For any other, this experience is so hardly
at all comprehensible, that to "hear about pain" can be defined as the
parade example for any doubts. Thus the pain presents itself as
something non-communicable that is not to be doubted on the one hand,
but not to be proven on the other."
On the one hand this being a declaration, even from any medical
perspective, a accretion to be thought over, on the other hand I would
like to claim, that it is possible, to communicate the consequences of
pain to a certain degree, respectively the emotional consequences of
pain altogether. Scarry does see one, even if not adequate option of
translating pain into language. For example in the dossiers of Amnesty
International, that deal with the experiences and the suffering of
victims of torture and in some texts by writers like Marguerite Duras.
But according to her conception, all this is still inadequate: the
physical pain downright destroys any language.
"It transports us back into a condition, where sounds and screams are
predominant, that we were using, before we learned to speak."„
I insofar agree with Scarry: language seems to be inadequate, to
describe the experience and the physical sensation that pain may
trigger in a human being. The chain reaction of emotional threats and
physically experienced torture seems way too complex for any lingual
equivalent at all. The lingual process of any objective evaluation
cannot succeed according to Scarrys’ notions, because pain does not
have any object:
(BILD: SCHMERZ OBJEKTIVIERUNG)
"The modern philosophy got us used to the thought, that our states of
consciousness are connected to objects of the outer world, that we do
not simply "have emotions" but emotions for someone or something:
(...)Unlike all other inner states of being, the physical pain has no
referee. And is not of or for something. And especially cause of not
having any object, it resists more than any other phenomenon any
lingual process of objective evaluation. "
But performance art agitates on a high level of expression, which uses
a sign/imagery language, but nevertheless, its roots can be found
rather in the pre-lingual context.
The artists are defiantly by no means on any quest for an objective
evaluation. They work with their bodies and create an original and
reality of their own, an original world of images, which maybe quotes
in a mimetic style, but is not being played. This means, that the
artists find a way to use the body as the (ir) means of expression.
The same physical body, that suffers and bears pain that assimilates
the painful experiences psychological. The body becomes the referee of
the made visible attributes of the perception of pain. I would
therefore like to claim, that pain used and found as a conscious tool
in the field of "Aktionskunst" (the art of action) can be communicated
by the means of incorporation. Via this act (-ion) pain achieves the
salvation out of the body into the social world!
During all art history, of course we can find many examples of painful
images long before the existence of any so defined performance art,
that incorporate a metaphorical (and metaphysical)level of
consciousness:
(BILD: JESUS)
The execution of the dying Jesus at the cross refers in Christian
culture to a culture of remorse. The bearing of pain as a test and
proof for believe or as a punishment for the original sin of human
mankind does play a role, too. With that, a certain consecration of
the wound itself begins. The wound manifests and stands for something,
what transcendent the body, the won self. Influenced by the cicatrices
of Christ, the allegory image of the martyring bearing of pain that
one can find in many pictures and tableaux the visibly "worn" injury
and wound was perceived as a proof for the conquering of any worldly
pain. Seen as just one step while transcending into another world,
suffering could be finally accepted as a sacrifice, purification and
in the widest sense, being expedient.
(BILD: JESUS 2)
The "com-miseration" according to the example of Jesus, promised the
outmost possible closeness to God. Thomas von Aquin defined the truth
"the magnitude of God“as an optional soothing effect for all suffering
and the perception of pain: of course the pain is not extinguished,
but is transformed by the spiritual attitude. Engelhardt characterized
this with the interesting term of "spiritual anesthesia", a definition
that should maybe apply as well for the spiritual attitude of some
performers...
Within the character of the Holy Sebastian" in Christian tradition
(BILD: SEBASTIAN)
Iconographic references can be found, that illustrates and show pain
as bearable, in so far, when being transformed by religious ecstasy.
In many depictions, the figure, pierced and tortured by countless
arrows, is glancing heavenwards with an ecstatic or even redeemed
facial expression.
(BILD: ATHEY)
The performer Ron Athey is using the figure as a pre-image and ideal,
in some of his happenings. As a kid, he was raised extremely
religious, including fanatics, apocalyptic prophesies and ecstatic
rituals playing an important and formative role in his family. The
homosexual artist is strongly formed by the religious experiences
during his early childhood, a fact he always emphasizes and quotes in
his interviews and texts about his artistic oeuvre.  Later Athey
drowned in his heroin addiction and got infected with the HIV virus.
His performances, following a storytelling structure, are pervaded by
extremely painful rituals, coupled with the theatralic staging of
religious clichés that collide with his experiences of being
stigmatized by society, as the homosexual, HIV positive artist. The
figure of the holy Sebastian embodies for Athey one image of
„destroyed beauty" and there-d be "many ways to say Hallelujah!"
(BILD: ATHEY 2)
(BILD: RITUAL)
The Aztecs brought an outmost amount of pain to their enraged gods in
their practice of human sacrifices, and tried to soothe their rage by
their intensity. The pain left any personal level and became a public
act. We find here the motive of the delegate, which we can for example
find in the figure of the flagellant that castigated themselves during
the middle ages, to avert the pestilence as an alleged curse and
punishment by God from society. A motive that may play a role in the
eyes of the artist concerning certain performances, too. I would like
to introduce now some examples in the field of "pain-performances" and
to link and relate them to the previously mentioned facts.
(ERSTES BILD: PANE)
Gina Pane tried to protest against a self experienced stupefaction of
the "I" in common society via her body-performances, where she often
used the means of self-cutting. Her feministic connoted performances
did revolt against all powers that was enforced by the industry and
operates by the means of subordination under existent rules of
masquerading the female body. That way, she completely withdrew from
any existing role-playing and premoulded cliché of womanhood, defined
as any (sex) object by society. Pane does expose this form of auto
aggression as an artistic act, but as well refers to all current
issues and problems like anorexia or other conscious and
self-inflicted injuries like the self-cutting of arms and legs or the
decaling of skin. The artist adopted the function of a delegate, to
represent with her own body the functions and techniques of a
personally perceived oppression in her female hood and being.
Thus she is not seeing or using her body as any means of
self-depiction, but as the object that is consciously transcended and
changed. Her body serves as the picture and expresses the idea of a
"picture-product", without the indirection of any symbols. Therefore,
Pane's work is proven an important example for all semiotic questions
of this work. Pane does not want to see or have her body perceived as
any "bearer of signs" but as the indexical sign itself.

(BILD: ESCALADE)

In her first pain-work "L´escalade non anesthesia" (performed in her
studio in Paris in the year 1970) the artist escalates a ladder that
steps are wired with upright steel-thorns - with her bare feet. This
performance is in no way staged as any spectacular style. The painful
action is performed in a nearly over simple scantiness of composition.
Already in her early work, wounds originate, that embody for Pane a
very specific psychosocial supercharging and a more then over visible
socio-political symbol character:

"It involved injury because it was an iron step ladder with spikes,
which I climbed with my bare hands and feet. I was injured immediately
and in a way which was radically mediatised in relation to the other
bodies [...]. L´escalade non anaesthesia referred to politics and the
Vietnam War."

Anne Tronche interprets Pane's dealing with the wound as the wish, to
question the materiality of the body by the means of deliberately
wounding it. Via these injuries, the artists seem to open up her body
donation-like to the audience and to offer it as a means of solidarity
and sharing.

(BILD: PANE)

The artist is prepared to hurt her body in a painful way in front of
the audience to achieve a quality of communications that transcends
far out over any representation of ideas. Pane obviously understands
it as here duty, to go in her work way beyond any simple depiction. I
perceive and interpret this work as a fundamentally humane and social
responsibility that Pane is inclined to embody in an extreme manner.
"Injury is a sign of the extremely fragile state of the body, a sign
of pain, a sign that brings out the exterior situation of aggression,
of violence to which we are incessantly exposed. Therefore the moment
of injury, I would say, is a radical moment; the moment which is the
most charged with tension and distances least one body from another
[...]"
She is using all injuries as signs, to pinpoint and to refer to the
violence that individuals are exposed to. In the quote above, it is
once more clearly and obvious to understand, that Pane is ready to get
in charges for a delegator position of the (collective) "we".
(BILD: BODY SIGN 1)
The artist from Vienna, Valie Export found her own form at the end of
the 60ies, to formulate socio-critical concerns with her own body as
the means of expression. Central issue of Valie Exports’ performances
was all the body as the interface of private and public images of
identity. In an ever transforming and changing media-scape - the
imputation of the body changes along: no longer body, but sign in the
first place. The body within the framework of the new media does no
longer present any identity, but stood for something else. Referring
to the female body structures of enforced powers was represented
insofar, as to cement the social and gender specific hierarchies. As
described by Laura Mulvey, the representational functions were
inscribed and enforced in and onto the female body. Valie Export for
example achieved to personification this affiliation with her work
"Body Sign Action".
(BILD: BODY SIGN 2)
"The artists of the feministic actionist have transported the
"ecriture corporelle" far beyond the canvas, they inscribed it onto
their own bodies, have up fronted their own individuality against
their surrounding (oppressive) culture [...] That way the fear of
damaging the female integrity by means of the verbal male language is
expended to an analyses of damage as well in the body language of
women, more than visible on countless tableaux, painted by men. “
Her work was always meant to be irritations of the common view. The
body as carrier for interpersonal communication served Export
therefore always at the same time as stage and arena.
(BILD: HYPERBULIE)
In some of her performances, for example in "Hyperbulie" (1973), she
went as far as inflicting incredibly strong pain onto her body, to
clarify its inscriptions.
„A corridor of wires, set under electricity. The human being enters
and moves through that corridor, whereas constantly encountering the
electrified wire and thus slowly sinks down to the floor."
Hyperbulie defines the "pathologic" need for activity to be found in
various so called categories of mental diseases. At the end of the
performance, that was realized with modest means and materials, to
specially depict the social pressure on the (female) body, Valie
Export, tired out from all electric seizures, collapses, to just once
more press here face a last time against the electrified metal.
Another usage of pain or "endurance" means "longtime-performances", is
the goal to attain any "peak-experience" "to arrive in the land of all
ecstatic being out-of-yourself", The loss of identity in this
emotional no man's land, counters the feeling of alienation, where the
individual is facing a totalitarian society, completely normed and
norm-controlled or find itself within an ever-growing virtual one.
It is much more thematizeing and performing the "being completely with
yourself“, where the borderline experience of this individual feeling
is happening on a sheer physical level, and therefore, the body again
can be perceived as the first and last basis of evidence of all
experiences. Via fear-, risk- or pain situations - emotions of that
kind are escalated. Marina Abramovic is using this concept in various
works, for example in "Freeing the Body" - a piece, where the artist
is dancing for 8 hours to the drumming of a musician.
(BILD: ABRAMOVIC)
Due to the extreme duration, not only a painful actionism is made
visible, but something originates, that could be described and
referred to as the physicality of time.
(BILD: McKereghan)
Dan McKereghan is showing in his work "Some truth" (performed on the
2nd and 3rd of April 2004 in Boston, USA, duration 28 hours) a similar
consequence in front of a political background. Here as well, the body
is a "time-sculpture" but in spite transponding in relative
motionlessness an image full of associations. The festival "Corporeal
Heat", where the American was showing his work, was taking place in an
unheated, former police station in Boston inner-city. At this time,
the temperatures were about 0-3°C. Dan McKereghan chose an empty
prison cell for his work. Dressed in an orange whole body-suit, the
artist sat with glued eyes during the whole festival more or less
motionless at his chosen location of performance. The artist had a
plate with a piece of meat positioned outside his cell, which was
nothing but unreachable for him.
(BILD: 2 DAN)
The image: McKereghans reminds in an intensive manner to the still
ever-present images of the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. During a talk
with the artist, the performer was referring to the shame that he
feels, facing the inhumane behavior of his country mates concerning
the political prisoners encaged in this military basis. McKereghan
stayed for the whole duration of the festival, in his cell. When the
audience entered the location on the first day, the performer was
already imprisoned and was only released and freed, when the festival
was already officially ended. During this night, the performer was
alone in the vacant complex of buildings and continued his
performance. For McKereghan, this aspect of fragility and
vulnerability, that he exposes himself to, is a main component of his
performative oeuvre and in all sense of its meaning, body of work.
(BILD: YOYO)
A way more direct acquaintance with the thought of being and to
experience the feeling of total surrendered can be found in the work
of the Yoyo Yogasmana from Indonesia. In his performance series
"Crisis"   (a.o. performed in Taiwan 2002 and in Jakarta 2002).  The
performer has him bound and tied into a complicated network of
strings. They are knotted all over the whole body of the artist, so
that he is located in a situation of total dependency and surrender to
the audience.  The participating members of the audience are now able,
to control any of the artist's ability to move by towing or loosening
the strings. It is nearly impossible due to that means of sheer
applied force, administrated onto the artist, to avoid causing him
serious and painful bruises or to even nearly throttle him.
Depending on the intensity of actions of the participating audiences
during the performances, the injuries of the artist occur. The
performer exposes himself here to an out power, namely the disposition
of violence by the spectator that cannot escape their role as
participants here at all. By this mean, Yogasmana is able to enforce a
responsibility onto his audience that is not exhausting itself in
passivity, but is to be handled actively. That way the Indonesian
artist is creating a highly complex mirror of an image of a society,
in which all interdependencies with all their "painful" consequences
are assimilated into an esthetically forceful depiction. Interesting
is here. That Yogasmana is creating the critical situation, under
which he will be suffering. By using this tactics, he is aiming for a
pedagogic effect concerning his audience, not to die from the
consequences of his performance. The danger of getting strangulated by
the audience is ever-present. Therefore the performer has to be over
clear about the configuration and syncrisis of the participants, to
keep the risk to a minimum. For Yogasmana the choice of his title
mirrors, by using the term of "crisis", the whole situation in the
postmodern society, while especially referring to the social life
circumstances in Indonesia.
(BILD: YOYO)
"I have one big title in my performance, Crisis. It is a
representation about my life, my family life, my neighbors’’ life, my
city’s life, also my country’s life. I can say, now we are in Crisis,
crisis is an emergency. We have social crisis, economical crisis, and
political crisis. That is all like a circle. […] It looks like they
are bound to each other, they are tide to each other and I think if we
don’t have to find how to solve this problem we will die. It’s about
my country. […] Now, my performances are to be trial performances, to
find out how deep the human heart is. The result from my performance
is to be an experience for me and everybody."
I am convinced that the participation in any performance of Yogasmanas
has an immense impact on every attendee, as its actions are directly
related to each opponent without any means of abstraction. The
devolution of the intellectual message that Yogasmana formulates in
his statements maybe not be consciously perceived by every
participant, but according to him, the emotional sharing of compassion
is always granted. This can lead in some cases, the artist admits, to
sadistic actions. This risk is basically always present in his work,
as he completely surrenders himself to the control of the audience.
In his work "Traversee"(Transverse) from the year 2004, Yann Marussich
is converging the image of death in a similar way. As soon as the
audience enters the room, where the performance takes place, they see
the artist located naked on a construction of tables that is
approximately 14 meters long.
(BILD: YANN 1)
The construction is covered with a green carpet, on which the artist
lies. Around his neck, a metal sling, that is connected to a machine
at the headboard of the table with a long metal string. This string
can be shortened via a various number of gear wheels, activated per
hand, with the consequence of the artist's motionless body being drawn
closer to the end of the table. Marussich indicates a timeframe
between 2 and 6 hours, depending on the audience's involvement. Only,
when the motionless body is drawn all over to the end of the 14 meters
long table construction, the end of the performance is reached. In
""Traverses" two aspects are of special interest: on one hand it has
to be understood as an undoubtly metaphor for torture, as Marussich
confirms in an interview with the author. The image: of the throttled
performer seems again to embody a delegate attitude for all those that
do not have the privilege of having any public voice. Associations to
the torture incidents in Abu Ghraib are as present as the memories of
the bodies of killed soldiers that were carried through the streets of
Mogadishu or Falludscha. Especially with that associative image in the
background, the immense impact of this performance is more then made
visible. The artist completely surrenders to its audience. No hint can
be found, how any spectator is supposed to react. They enter the room
and perceive the picture. Only by their (inter-) actions, they are
able to fill this still life with any actual activity.  In a
statement, that the artist allocated, it is getting clear, that the
spectators of the work are to be defined as the actual "picture
producers" and therefore the responsible co-activists:
"From the moment on, that the spectator enters the room, he becomes
active. […] No role is suggested or enforced on him, apart from the
responsibility for his own person, his attitudes and his own
activities and even for his passivism. The spectator has all liberty
on all optional levels. There is no hint for a sequence of events, to
be followed. There is no censorship. There are only options."
(ABRAMOVIC RHYTHM)
Therefore, the work is showing similarities to the work of Abramovics
"Rhythm 0“ that gives the audience the opportunity to apply various
objects onto the artist. Abramovic is taking all responsibility, as
Yogasmana, for the sequence of events and the event itself, and trusts
the humanity of her audience. Here as well, the artist was corned and
entangled in deep affliction, as spectators among other things, caused
her injuries by knives and even put a loaded gun into her hand, to
then direct it towards her head.
(ABRAMOVIC)
Works like "Traverses", the "Crisis-Performances" by Yoyo Yogasmana
and the work of Abramovic are able, not only to communicate the pain,
but to make clear statements about the consistence of the
participating audience. Therefore they comprise a clear social and
political annotation.
Especially in this performances dealing with the issue of self
inflicted injuries, the question is arises, how the spectator is
supposed to react to this new performative situation, he or she finds
himself in suddenly. All relevant norms, that were valid before and
all options for potentional behavior loose immediately any
availability. Erika Fischer-Lichte is opposing in her book "Esthetic
of the Performative" the behavior of the spectator in a theater to
that in common life and draws the logical conclusion, that apparently
the same actions (the murder of Desdemona on stage or the atrocity in
public) lead to completely opposite reaction in the spectator. On one
hand, the theatrical action is perceived as such and in spite of it
potential of violence not perceived as any impulse for any action at
all. But in the field of Performance Art, the observation of actual
injuries does lead to a variety of completely different reactions by
the audience.
(BILD: LIPS OF THOMAS)
By the means of the performance "Lips of Thomas", where Marina
Abramovic is exposing herself to various self-flagellations,
Fischer-Lichte is drawing the conclusion, that this kind of
performances is transferring the spectator into a zone "between art
and common daily life, between esthetic and ethic postulates. In any
all day situation, the ethic axiom of interference would be the basis
to inhibit any form of violence against oneself or others. But for
example in any performative situation on any theater stage, it is
granted, that all forms of violence are not "real" - but being the
sign of a play-acted form of violence. The consequences of this stage
activism go far into the daily life.  Fischer-Lichte claims now, that
the attending of any performance by Marina Abramovic is leading to a
transformation of the spectator, drawing real consequences for the
show and the therefore participating audience. The spectators are
transformed from their status of being simply recipients into an
actively acting element of the whole event. It was the case, when the
audience started to interfere in Abramovic's performance, after she
was lying for a long time on an ice block and her belly wound started
to bleed heavily. Already during the performance, the spectators
expressed their strong inner concern by various body reactions (stop
to breath, mourning etc.).
(LIPS 2)
It seemed to be impossible for the audience to establish any distance
to the event. Even more, their involvement rose to a degree, which
leads to their own activism: The audience did no longer behave like
any passive spectator, but transformed into active participants and
carried the artist away from the ice block. Thus ending the
performance. Performative esthetic does change observers. Performative
esthetic can cause these transformations within the artist and the
audience. Referring to that context, Dieter Mersch talks about the
„Passover of art into the social and public space". He understands the
performance as an "intervenes or an >ethic of the practice<, that
transforms the spectator by trend into a participant, a collaborator,
that cannot swerve but is forced to take a firm stand."
I make out another, additional neurological aspect in the encounter
with the field of pain performance: due to the ephemeral setting of
the pictorial events, the consciousness of the perishables of the own
existence is mirrored. The pain, that a performer inflicts on him- or
herself, is leading to an immediate touch down of experienced or
remembered pain in the body of the spectator and is therefore
immediately recognized as it-s own vulnerability and transitoriness.
The biopsychologist Christian Keysers found out, that so called
mirror-cells or mirror neurons are able to make a sheer observer feel
as if acting themselves, in spite of simply watching. In various test
situation with apes, he stated, that the animals reacted to any
activity they watched, as if they would enact them themselves. Mirror
neutrons do not only become active, when we hug somebody, but as well,
when we only watch others hug each other.
(FOLIE SPIEGELZELLEN)
Time ago, researcher thought that mirror neurons would only respond to
movements. But Christian Keysers did prove, that „the "copycat" cells
do fire as well, when touches or emotions like disgust are being
observed." But a main difference between the actual feeling and the
sheer outlook is defined by their quantity. While watching any event
only some few mirrorcells message their information to the brain,
thousands of sensitive cells do fire during any actual action (for
example painful skin contacts) and that way change the intensity of
emotion. In spite we all know the "twitching" foot, being co-driver in
any car confronted with any unforeseen brake or the goose pimples
while watching any disgusting TV scene. Keysers is sure, that the
brain is able to suggest any aspects of human emotion due to the
existence of this mirror cells. Furthermore an interesting point
concerning the mirror cells is that they affect our actions. In these
cells optional actions are executed in a kind of style sheet or
scheme, so that our actions can be executed absolutely
target-orientated.
Mirror cells are thus able to code the actions of other persons for
our perception, respectively encode, so that we are able to estimate
actions and are able to draw consequences for any reactions to
perceived events. This is especially concerning my argumentation
concerning the efficiency of the pain performances a central thesis.
Confronted with the suffering of artists, we are involved in a way as
such that is forcing us to our own reactions downright neurologically.
Facing, what humans are able to self-inflict on them, the signal
character of pain is obvious, and the one who is amiably
contemplating, will maybe be able to understand its appealing
character.
Our body is reacting with pains, to protect us against any further
dangers, or to protect the organism in general. I would go as far as
to claim, that a part of the pain performances does apply a similar
principle, to warn the "social body" or so send out pleas to it. Here,
too, I do see the wish to spare it of upcoming dangers or at least to
point out any optional ones, to achieve an intense attentiveness for
various aspects of life circumstances and surroundings. This appeal by
the performer, directed to us, is multiply layered: it is about
documents of personal despair due to personal injuries, or about
political statements, that effectively want to influence social
processes and events by the means of using performance art and
performative actions. Alike, questions concerning any gender roles,
subordination issues or responsibilities are placed in pain
performances. All this pleas can be impictured by the means of
self-inflicted injuries and while suffering in front of other and be
brought to the attention of the spectator. These actions can lead and
add to an uncomfortable clear-sightedness and therefore be painful
themselves. This often leads to a very hostile attitude of rejection
on the part of the audience concerning this works of performative art.
But on the other hand, something soothing and connecting can be found
in the confrontation with these painful images.
Quote: "Pain" does not only inaugurate our own impotence and
vulnerability, but makes it possible for us to recognize a soothing
possibility of existence - the option of a fraternity in pain". With
this closing sentence, Siegfried Lenz is adumbrating one of my central
theses: Performance is capable of triggering a quality of
interpersonal relationships, especially in pain, that is indispensable
for everyone.
In a work by Boris Nieslony, that I would like to describe at last,
many aspects of the lecture will elucidated again: authenticity,
co-presence and the spectator's involvement and a personal and common
ethically depiction of pain. Here, his more than consequent "self
exposing" lead nearly to the complete disembodiment of the artist. In
„A Letter of Humanism dedicated to C.C.C.B." (Shown in Barcelona in
the year 2000), the artist is nearly dying as a consequence of his
performance. I will now extensively quote the wording of Nieslonys
from an interview that I was experiencing with him:
(BILD: 1)
"Everything possible went wrong. I had a personal breakdown and a
serious disease was detected. I was attending a congress in Barcelona
and had a complete breakdown concerning the handling of the
performance, theoretically and practically alike. There was no
respect, no discussion with the organization, only orders, rebukes and
the decisions were left to the hands of the security, who gave me
orders, where I would be maybe graciously allowed to perform. I
perceived the whole situation as the outmost human disgrace that was
utterly painful. I then chose an outdoor location for my performance,
backyard, that told me, how my performance would look like, It was a
cellar, that was covered with a lattice, apart from that open and
downright full of plain stones and scrappy bricklayer materials, it
was a kind of storage place for the stone setter of the yard. You
could only watch from above through the lattice.
(BILD: 2)
For me, this was a symbolic room, adequate for the performance, for me
as the performer and for all the ones that participated in the
performance, being spectators. For me, the animal, being the utter
scum, and being treated like that there, according to my personal
feelings. A situation was found like the old "Bread and Games" public
spectacles in the arenas in old Rome. I had installed a little table
in the cellar and had bought a strong string and I took a heavy
flagstone from the many ones, having being stored there. I knotted the
one end of the string around the heavy stone, and adjusted it at the
lattice above, there was no other way, and the other end I put as a
sling around my neck, I arranged the death photos and many coins on
that table. Then I was alternately holding the stone, putting coins on
the stone and showed the death photos. Some when I did not hold the
stone any longer just let it loose and swing off. I did NOT care.
(BILD: 3)
I was fainting then. For me, it was a wonderful picture: the money and
the word "dead“. Someone then took the responsibility and elevated the
string and thus loosened it, but I was not able to thank that person
for that."
On the one hand, we can state here the utterly humane approach of the
performer that categorically repudiates any irretrievably intervention
in the life of any other. Additionally Nieslony displays himself being
always disappointed, and even disgusted by the lack of respect and
"inner squalidness". This countenance is reaching that far, that he is
ready to produce his own pictures and imagery while endangering his
own life, when it is thus possible for him, to come any bit closer to
the phenomenon that he is researching.
I would now like to close with a quotation by the philosopher
Byung-Chul Han, which more than perfectly circumscribes the approach
of Nieslony and a multitude of other performers:
"The mimesis - to death, a self-displaying nuzzling of being - to
death, would in contrast consist of letting all the tears become
language, letting all the wounds speak like silver-tongued mouths, as
if their elegies would be a ferment of truth, that is redeeming
consciousness from its fatal hardening."
THANK YOU!


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