re.act.feminism #2

re.act.feminism #2 - a performing archive. A performing archive is part of the long-term project re.act.feminism. Since 2008 re.act.feminism explores feminist and gendercritical performance art from the 1960s to the early 1980s as well as the ‘return’ of this artistic practice in the form of re-enactments, re-formulations and archival projects.

For the full programme of „re.act.feminism # 1: performance art of the 1960’s and 70’s today“ please click here

Performance art developed into an independent art form in the 1960’s & 70’s, firmly establishing the body and actions of the artists and audiences involved as a medium of art. It has been in great demand for a number of years. This is partially motivated by the historisation of this ephemeral art form as well as the active appropriation of its history by a younger generation exploring the relevance of a potentially resistant, subversive artistic practice today.

In the context of the current trend of historicising and institutionalising performance art, our goals are: – To investigate feminist, gendercritical and queer strategies within performance art, which set the tone for this medium from the beginning. – To go beyond current strategies of canonization and stress the diversity of performative practices and correcting blind spots. – To create a critical and thematic cartography to promote a transcultural and cross-generational dialogue. – To highlight the complex relationship between live performances, their traces and documents, and their reception.

The works in the archive have been chosen based on their potential and relevance for today’s feminist and queer debates and artistic strategies. They allow us to see the power relations inscribed in the body as well as its potential for resistance and for pleasure, and to discover singular subjectivities and connections between life and art.

The project is based on the idea of a living archive, emphasizing the use, appropriation, and re-interpretation of documents: What effect does the performance document have in the moment of its reception, what does it do? What kind of relationship does it create between the past and the future, between its author and recipient? What types of references, new relations and future potentials does the archive offer?

re.act.feminism takes us therefore on a time travel, inviting us to engage in a lively dialogue beyond the limits of time and space. Our focus is not on historical reconstruction, but rather on ‘infecting’ gestures and productive translations.

The completion of the project is set for the summer of 2013 in Berlin, where the results of the preceding trajectory and the research by partner institutions will be presented. Furthermore, a bilingual exhibition catalogue, documenting the entire project, will be published.

The participating artists as presented at the Museet for Samtidskunst are:

USA, Oreet Ashery IL/UK, Arahmaiani ID, Malin Arnell, SE/DE, Augusta Atla DK, Antonia Baehr DE, Maja Bajević BA/FR/DE, Anne Bean UK, Anat Ben-David IL/UK, Renate Bertlmann AT, Pauline Boudry & Renate Lorenz DE, Nisrine Boukhari SY, Marijs Boulogne BE, Tania Bruguera CU/USA, Nancy Buchanan USA, Maris Bustamante MX, Cabello/Carceller ES, Graciela Carnevale AR,Theresa Hak Kyung Cha KR/USA, Helen Chadwick UK, Chicks on Speed DE, Lygia Clark BR, Mary Coble DK, Colette USA, Nieves Correa ES, Laura Cottingham USA, Lilibeth Cuenca Rasmussen DK, Katrina Daschner DE/AT, Teresa María Díaz Nerio, DO/NL, Disband USA, Ines Doujak AT, Orshi Drozdik HU, Yingmei Duan CN/DE, Kirsten Dufour DK, Diamela Eltit CL, VALIE EXPORT AT, Factory of Found Clothes RU, Esther Ferrer ES, Rose Finn-Kelcey UK, Angelika Fojtuch PL, Simone Forti IT/USA, (e.) Twin Gabriel DE, Regina José Galindo GT, Rimma Gerlovina & Valeriy Gerlovin RU, Patrycja German PL, Ghazel IR/FR, Kate Gilmore USA, Trine Mee Sook Gleerup DK, Mona Hatoum LB/UK/DE, High Heel Sisters SE, María Teresa Hincapié CO, Nan Hoover USA/DE, Icelandic Love Corporation IS, IngridMwangiRobertHutter KE/DE, Sanja Iveković HR, Elżbieta Jabłońska PL, Françoise Janicot FR, Joan Jonas USA, Anne Jud CH/DE/USA, Kirsten Justesen DK, Kanonklubben/Damebilleder DK, Line Skywalker Karlström SE, Tina Keane UK, Jakob Lena Knebl A, Verica Kovacevska MK, Elena Kovylina RU, Katarzyna Kozyra PL, Christina Kubisch DE, Verena Kyselka DE, Nicola L FR/USA, Latifa Laâbissi FR, Leslie Labowitz USA, Suzanne Lacy USA, Katalin Ladik SR/HU, Sigalit Landau IL, Klara Lidén SE, Kalup Linzy USA, Natalia LL PL, Léa Lublin AR, Manon CH, Jumana Manna USA, María Evelia Marmolejo CO, Muda Mathis CH, Dóra Maurer HU, Mónica Mayer MX, Ana Mendieta CU/USA, Marta Minujín AR, Fina Miralles ES, Molly and Me (Molly Haslund DK + Catherine Hoffmann UK), Linda Montano USA, Charlotte Moorman USA, Teresa Murak PL, Sands Murray-Wassink NL, Rabbya Naseer & Hurmat Ul Ain PK, Senga Nengudi USA, Lorraine O'Grady USA, Hannah O’Shea UK, Itziar Okariz ES, Paulina Ołowska PL/Lucy McKenzie UK, Yoko Ono JP/USA, ORLAN FR, Tanja Ostojić RS/DE, Gina Pane IT/FR, Letícia Parente BR, Ewa Partum PL/ DE, Jillian Peña USA, Performance Saga (Andrea Saemann CH & Katrin Grögel DE), Howardena Pindell USA, Polvo de Gallina Negra MX, Yvonne Rainer USA, Egle Rakauskaite LT, Jytte Rex DK, Ulrike Rosenbach DE, Martha Rosler USA, Boryana Rossa BU, María Ruido ES, Raeda Saadeh PS, Estíbaliz Sábada ES, Andrea Saemann CH, Zorka Ságlová CZ, Christine Schlegel DE, Cornelia Schleime DE, Carolee Schneemann USA, Stefanie Seibold DE/AT, Miriam Sharon IL/ FR, Bonnie Ora Sherk USA, Barbara T. Smith USA, Cornelia Sollfrank DE, Spiderwoman Theater USA, Annie Sprinkle & Elizabeth M. Stevens USA, Sandra Sterle HR, Gabriele Stötzer DE, Annika Ström SE/UK, Melati Suryodarmo ID/DE, Anna Szwajgier & Zorka Wollny PL, Jinoos Taghizadeh IR, Milica Tomić RS, Teresa Tyszkiewicz PL/FR, Mierle Laderman Ukeles USA, Valie Export Society EE, Cecilia Vicuña, CL, The Waitresses USA, Faith Wilding USA, Hannah Wilke USA, Martha Wilson USA, Julita Wójcik PL, Nil Yalter EG/FR, Yeni & Nan VE