K.

cantwant
(1972bisheute)

Thefamiliar,alltoofamiliarsituationof
going
toavenuewaitingforsomethingtohappen
closingthedoorbehindyouafterthe
obligatoryapplausetosignaltheendofthe
show
,oftenlimitsartisticpotentialsand
foreclosestheroleofthewitness.Performance
arthastobeawareofitsownconventionsand
mustcontinuetodevelopacultureof
(en)counteraesthetics.Morethaneverbefore
wehavetogetridoftheconventionalrole
societyhasgiventousasartists.K.refusesto
complywiththeideaoftheidentityoftheart
workanditseconomy.Insistingon
speculativemodesoftransformationisaform
ofresistancethatdemandsdoubtandvalorizes
misknowledge.

K.islookingforculturalproductionthat
embracestheelusiveanddoesnttakefor
grantedknowledgeoftheinstitutional
containerwhichframesartanditsdiscourse.
Thisculturalproductionexistswithinorin
referencetosocialformsofresistancethat
coalesceinoppositiontohegemonic
structures.Havingnointentiontoturning
flowingspaceintoafrozenplace,sucha
productionwill,however,needsomeformof
enclosure.Thismightbedifficulttodowithin
thenotionofanartspacebecausebasically
anythingcouldbeanactualartspace,making
ithardnotbeingone.

_______________

Openthedoorforthebigmeltingpotof
performanceart!Themany,thedifferent,with
asolefocusoninclusivityandtransparency.
Suchalackofenclosurewhichisoftenseenin

alternativeartspacesaroundtheworldstands
indirectcontrasttotheinherentexclusivity(to
anypotentialotherness)ofperformanceart.If
youwanttoexperimentyoucannotallow
artiststojustcomeinandactouttheirshow.
Thismeansthatitdoesntmakeanysensefor
K.torunaperformanceartspacewithan
inclusiveagenda.Suchascenarioforplaying
atbeinganartspace,actingwithleast
resistancecanonlyleadtothatwhichis
alreadydefined.Toopenyourdoorisnot
enough!

_______________

Ahouseisahouseisahouse.Aperformance
artspaceprovestobeexclusive,unfitforthe
existingeconomiesoftheaters,exhibition,
musicanddanceworldswiththeiraudience
structures,boxofficesandtimetables.Toa
certaindegree,everyframeworkhomogenises

anddefinestheresultofwhathappensinside
it.Thisalsomeansthateveryartspacecreates
andcommodifiesitsownoutcomes(justlike
that).

K.demandsformalattentiontoexclusionsand
subjectivities(poeticsoftheproduction
community).Performanceartisnotanartform
anddoesntneedtobefitforsociety,but
ratherneedstobeofpurposetoitself.Thisis
whyweconstantlyhavetoaskourselvesifthe
formwereworkinginisstilladequate.When
andhowaplacebecomesobjectified(withthe
dangerofbecomingacommodityvalueonthe
artmarket)dependsontheintimacyofits
institutionalisationprocess.Aqualitythat
mustbegroundedinanexpandednotionof
family,kinshipandothersocialforms.No,K.
willneverbemasterinherownhouse.

______________

Overthepastfewyears,performancearthas
enteredtheglobalartmarket,eitheras
experimentaltheaterorasvisualart
performance.Theseworksrelyon
marketorientedstrategiesofproducingthe
appearanceoflimitedaccessthroughclaimsof
uniquenessorauthenticity.Whateveritis
calledthatK.does,itisnotpartofthat
market.
Performanceartcanonlybe
understoodanddevelopedasashared
resource.ThisisthemainreasonwhynoOne
caneverknowwhatperformanceartisapart
fromitbeingaculturalphenomenon,awayof
doingthings.

Nobodyknowshowtowatchperformanceart
andwehavetobeveryclearaboutthefact
thatwedontknowwhatitiswearedoing.
Thereisafightforitsdefinitiongoingonin
universitiesandartinstitutionsaroundthe
globeandweshouldneverstopanalysingour
engagementwiththisnotknowing,thisdoubt.
K.isproudtobeoutsideofunderstanding,

outsideofinstitutions,outsideofthemarket.
Butwehavetotrytounderstandthisoutside
andconnecttoitsaesthetics.

______________

Howdowewanttoengagewithpeopleand
things,developespacesthatdenaturalisethe
norms,provideforwaystobuildcommunity
andartthatdoesntrepeatthelogicofthe
market?howtoproperlyrelateconstructionor
synthesis(ashumanbutnotmerelyhuman
labor)tothenotionofanoutside?K.hasno
interestinorganizingfancyeventsbu
twants
tostimulatedebatewithinadynamicspace.A
place,tomaterializeanaestheticagenda,
producingdifferenceanddisruptionsin
financialstructures.Thefactthatthereisno
societal(designated)framework(gallery,
concerthall)foraprescriptedreadingofthat
whatwedoiswhatkeepsitalive.