Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Performance Art Performed by Who?

Both what we have read and our class discussions of specific pieces of performance art have dealt predominantly with the effects of a particular piece of performance art on the audience.  It seems that, in calling a piece performance art, form takes a back seat to intent, which makes perfect sense, as performance art, like other art, is all about expression.  

If we look at the form of performance art as malleable, I think it's interesting to think about different possibilities for the identity of the performer.  In most pieces, we see either the artist carrying out an action, or we see a stand-in for the artist performing that action.  To what extent, though, could there be a piece of performance art that involves the audience performing the action?  We see this to an extent in Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece."  But where do we draw the line in terms of what can be considered performance art?  I'll try to get the conversation moving by posting a segment of the video game Silent Hill: Downpour (Vatra Games, 2012)

The 1997 film Funny Games by Michael Haneke seeks to challenge the notion that spectators enjoy watching violence by presenting them with a film is truly disturbing in its violence, without being simply disturbing because of gore.  I feel that the opening of Silent Hill: Downpour is a similar statement, to the effect of "So you think you like being violent in games?  Well here, do this."  

Warning: Extremely violent, even by my desensitized standards.  
2:25 to 5:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kNkX8OC2_o

To what extent might we consider something like this, which isn't video, to be performance art set up by the developer and performed by the player?  Is it completely different, or not so different?  

No comments:

Post a Comment