Abstract
Technology is ubiquitous in our everyday lives - we rely on it for anything and anywhere. It contributes to the work of artists in both conceiving and presenting their work. Performance art is a lesser known, but important form of artistic expression. As a contribution toward the idea of an epistemic community, I compare performance art to technological existentialism. Both can be informative, educational or disturbing, carrying messages to spectators in a scopic way. But how does each reach and connect with people? To discuss the fundamental roles of these two forms of expression, I go beyond the ephemeral and visual and look at their philosophical aspects. In focusing on the nature of technology, Bernard Stiegler brought important attention to the social and political effects that technology has on human rapport and communication within a democracy. The theory of performance art has been influenced by the ideas of key thinkers, e.g. Nietzsche who encouraged artists to break with convention and assert their own values, and Marina Abramovic who created additional space for the audience’s interaction. Relating to the special milieu of the Arts in Society, where we “make linkage across disciplines”, the scope and concerns of my paper transmit an epistemic comprehension between performance art in relation to technology, showing their roles in our society.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
New Media, Technology and the Arts
KEYWORDS
Performance Art, Technological Existentialism, Technology, Society, Communication, Expression, Audience
