ARTS 204
Introduction to Performance Art: Bodies, Borders and Resistance Fall 2024
Division I

In this introductory tutorial class, we will explore time, space and politics through the presence of the artist’s body as well as the relation between the artist and the audience. We will study the history of Performance Art, beginning with its origins in the early 20th century and leading us to contemporary Performance Art work presented in art contexts and in everyday life. We will read and discuss texts, watch films and videos, attend live events and analyze the role of photography as documentary witness, all via themes of liveness and ephemerality. Using this information as inspiration, we will create our own performances, which will include designing, writing and performing, as well as watching and documenting the performances through photography and video, accumulating in intimate conversations, feedback and critique. Specifically, we will think about and create Performance Art through our own body’s lived experiences–exploring the borders of the body through race, gender and ability as well as relationships to place and land–to create, rebel and resist.