This work focuses on performance art networks. The foundation and development of these virulent, globally active structures was not conditional on the Internet. It is a field that, despite its international presence and continuity lasting more than 20 years, has been documented in relatively few research projects.
It will investigate three 'projects' that stand exemplarily for these networks within the scope of this work:
The Artists Village (TAV) in Singapore, PAErsche in Germany and Black Market International (BMI), which has no national localisation.
A major part of this work will deal with the actions of these three networks, of which TAV and BMI were founded back in the 1980ies, when the notion of networking had a very different linguistic connotation. However, the visions and ideas of networking were already inherent in TAV and BMI.
This work does not aim to carry out any basic research into the topic of networks, though it will investigate the factors that bring about and define the special performance art networks.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Network theories and definitions
1.1 Georg Simmel
1.2 Gilles Deleuze & Felix Guattari 'rhizome'
1.3 Bruno Latour 'actor-network theory' (ANT)
1.4 Own definition of the network theory on which this work is based
2. Historical outline of artists' structures
2.1 The first art groups and networks
2.2 Other currents (approx. 1830-1945)
2.3 The second big wave (after 1945)
2.4 Gutai
2.5 Fluxus
2.5.1 Ultimate Akademie:
3. Prerequisite for the emergence of performance art networks
3.1 Social and political prerequisites
3.2 Individual prerequisites
4. Performance-Art networks
4.1 The Artists Village (TAV)
4.2 Black Market International (BMI)
4.3 PAErsche Aktionslabor
5. Collaborations and structures in performance art networks
5.1 Historical development
5.2 Contents and goals of performance art events
5.3 Hosts and organisers
5.4 Financing
5.5 Venues
5.6. Censorship, taboos, rules:
6. Summary and prospects for performance art networks
Objectives and Research Themes
This dissertation examines the organizational and collaborative dynamics of performance art networks, specifically focusing on The Artists Village (TAV), Black Market International (BMI), and PAErsche Aktionslabor. The primary research goal is to investigate how these globally active, artist-led networks function, finance themselves, maintain inter-institutional communication, and negotiate their autonomy within the constraints of broader cultural and political landscapes.
- The historical evolution of artist-led collectives and their shift toward network-based models.
- Theoretical foundations of networking (Simmel, Deleuze/Guattari, and Latour) applied to performance art.
- The role of self-organization, "gift" economies, and nomadic structures in performance art networks.
- Social and political factors driving the emergence of performance art as an underground and critical art form.
- Strategies for navigating censorship and censorship-avoidance in diverse political climates.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Black Market International (BMI)
The name Black Market International does not refer to a 'group' in the classical meaning but an association. BMI is an artistic idea that Boris Nieslony defines as an 'artistic Utopia', whereas Norbert Klassen, on the other hand, was more interested in the anarchic aspect. The great diversity of the performers, who came from Italy, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore and other countries, called for an un-dogmatic view of the concept of a performance. "There's an unbelievable amount of tolerance in the performances. One can't judge and make one's own artistic horizon obligatory for others," explained Norbert Klassen in talks with the 'Kulturagenda' Bern.
The participants come together– as needs be – several times a year for international 'appearances' (these are more precisely encounters) or go on tour. Any contacts beyond this are very reduced; even though the artists know each other and their families personally, they lead completely different lives. The performers appear simultaneously in a room, a hall or on a property. The agreements about such a 'group performance' are marginal; there may be some agreement about who is to start, but the flow develops from the interaction. Nor do all of the artists in BMI have to be present. After an appearance they go their separate ways again and meet up for the next encounter.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the research framework, justifying the selection of the three specific networks (TAV, BMI, PAErsche) and detailing the methodology, which includes field accompaniment and primary source material from the "Die Schwarze Lade" archive.
1. Network theories and definitions: Explores the evolution of the term 'network' and applies foundational theories from sociology and philosophy, such as Simmel's interactionism, Deleuze and Guattari's rhizome, and Latour's actor-network theory, to the performance art context.
2. Historical outline of artists' structures: Traces the history of collective artistic structures from the Nazarenes and 19th-century artist colonies to the Fluxus movement and the subsequent emergence of performance art.
3. Prerequisite for the emergence of performance art networks: Examines the socio-political and individual factors that necessitated the formation of these networks, noting how they often served as reactions to political oppression or lack of institutional support.
4. Performance-Art networks: Details the individual case studies of TAV in Singapore, BMI, and PAErsche in Cologne, analyzing their formation, nomadic nature, and methods of self-governance.
5. Collaborations and structures in performance art networks: Describes the practical operations of these networks, covering event organization, financing, venue selection, and the unwritten social codes regarding censorship and ethics.
6. Summary and prospects for performance art networks: Synthesizes findings, emphasizing the unique continuity of these networks as oases of autonomous artistic practice and exploring future challenges posed by commercialization and shifting generational approaches to networking.
Keywords
Performance Art, Artist Networks, Self-Organization, Fluxus, The Artists Village, Black Market International, PAErsche, Actor-Network Theory, Rhizome, Artistic Autonomy, Cultural Exchange, Censorship, Nomadic Art, Solidarity, Intermediality
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The work investigates the internal mechanics, collaborative structures, and social behaviors of performance art networks, specifically looking at how they manage to function globally without centralized institutional control.
Which specific artist networks are analyzed?
The study focuses on three networks: The Artists Village (TAV) based in Singapore, the international association Black Market International (BMI), and the Cologne-based PAErsche Aktionslabor.
What is the core research question?
The research seeks to understand how performance art networks function and act, under what premises they sustain themselves, and how they handle self-organization, communication, and financing in the absence of traditional gallery or institutional support.
Which research methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a qualitative approach, characterized by a long-term "accompaniment" of the performance scene, personal interviews with artists, and an extensive analysis of primary documents, particularly from Boris Nieslony's 'Die Schwarze Lade' archive.
What role do censorship and taboos play in these networks?
The author discusses how these networks use subtle strategies to circumvent censorship, particularly in politically restrictive environments, and highlights that while no written rules exist, there is a strong unwritten consensus regarding mutual respect, tolerance, and personal responsibility.
How is the "rhizome" concept applied?
The concept, drawn from Deleuze and Guattari, is used to describe the non-hierarchical, acentered, and self-organizing nature of these performance art networks, where nodes can form and dissolve without a singular governing structure.
How does the PAErsche Aktionslabor maintain its stability?
PAErsche utilizes a "monthly meeting" structure to handle organizational tasks and uses an open, volunteer-based model that prioritizes the "terms of the gift" and transparency to ensure stability without formal, restrictive hierarchies.
What significance do the "15 Principles of Black Market International" hold?
These principles serve as an informal, artistic framework for the network, emphasizing openness, encounter, and the parallelism of events, illustrating how the network operates as an "artistic Utopia" rather than a rigid institution.
- Citation du texte
- BA Liane Ditzer (Auteur), 2013, Networks in Performance Art. Network Theory Applied to Artists' Structures, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/314610
