Pimpette‘s Performing Business
conceptual background The initial basis for the performance is the common love concept of the novel Spiel im Morgengrauen (play at the crack of dawn) by Arthur Schnitzler. Two core themes are the fascination of play and a common ideal of love that breaks down with the vengeance of the girl that ruins the main character.
The location of the novel, Baden bei Wien, is the place where Leopold zu Sacher-Masoch signed his first submission contract. The characteristics of the analyis of masochism by Gilles Deleuze is translated into a performative format. It manifests in four characters, the “curated prostitutes.“
Each character offers an own set of performance services. They include “Job Specials“, artistic citations, as well as love and pain services specifically deleloped for the context, historical and cultural background of the place.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
Pimpette‘s www.performing-business.com
Pimpette
P
MS turns human capital into cash. Pimpette‘s Monetary System follows an incomprehensible exchange rate and this is why Pimpette can make profit with the artificial currency. For each performance, a new design of PMS is created.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
curated love menu
D
ukebox is a masochist. He tries to seduce everbody and everything to show his dearest love. His special offers are serenades with holding hands, life councelling, chocolate and lies, and glow jobs.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
curated love menu
M
iss Stress might confuse gender roles. Her feminine appearance could delude one or the other. She exchanges oh-jobs for PMS, as well as Jackson Pollock manicures, lip dancing, and flattering compliments.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
curated pain menu
S
everine Sansphalle does not particularily care about her customers. She is especially good in telling them off. Moreover, she is master of no-jobs, private sessions, and demands her customers to do uncomfortable things for her.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
curated pain menu
L
ady Bad Vibe is only pleased when she can make her clients suffer. A “shared cigarette“ is delightfully cut into pieces; when giving a throw-job one can not exactly know what her accessoires are made of; her tarot is pure terror.
Pimpette‘s Performing Business comments “The famous economist, Adam Smith, talks about the invisible hand of the market that claims to become the prevalent order. Everybody is operating on selfish motives because it is almost impossible to act in a larger context. Still, this behaviour leads to welfare for everybody, as Joseph Vogl describes in his book Das Gespenst des Kapitals (the Spectre of Capital): the harmony of interests is becoming the main driving force. In terms of this kind of harmony, Barbis Ruder is offering her audience and clients a ‘path of the heart‘ and a ‘path of pain‘. Her pimp character Pimpette, rent boys, and curated prostitutes are roaming through the park. The staff are offering love services of every kind: not only classical Eros- or pain services, but also artistic entr‘actes such as citations or poems. Barbis Ruder is not only questioning the purchasability and salability of the body, she also subjects the economy of social relationships for negotiation.“
Künstler müssen sich wie Prostituierte präsentieren (Artists often must behave like prostitues just to showcase themselves)
Source: Arthur! exhibition catalogue Transmediale Kunst, Universität für angewandte Kunst ISBN: 978-3-9503141-6-8
Source: Süddeutsche Zeitung, 24.08.2012, „Isarsprudel Festival, Künstler müssen sich wie Prostituierte präsentieren
Pimpette‘s Performing Business
production info A performative intervention by Barbis Ruder The characters and services have been created in co-operation with the performers Bernd Eischeid, Elinor Mora, Ewa Stern, Joshua Korn, and Vanja Fuchs.
shows A durational performance of two to six hours starting at dusk. In English and/or German language Mini-Cast: 3 Performers (love or pain special) Midi-Cast: 5 Performers Ideal Cast: 6 Performers + 4 extras four video portraits & relicts as exhibition installation. Contact: Barbara.Ruder@gmail.com www.performing-business.com
Premiere at group exhibiton ARTHUR! of the department of transmedia art, die Angewandte in Arthur Schnitzler Park, Baden (bei Wien), Austria, May 2012. Adaption the Love Special, ISARSPRUDEL Festival, coop/I-camp, MĂźnchen, Germany September 2012
Fotos: Tobias Pilz