UP First Day of Performativity

UP# FIRST DAY OF PERFORMATIVITY

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18/11/2014

FIRST DAY OF PERFORMATIVITY

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18/11/2014

FIRST DAY OF PERFORMATIVITY

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Two years ago the research group Unpacking Performativity started its research journey. This voyage resulted in a practical-theoretical approach in enquiring the relation between the idea of performativity, urban dance and academic dance. An important issue became the circle (form) in which all kinds of transmissions of ideas and actions were tested. Bystanders (students, researchers, professionals, nameless) were also invited to infuse and add to the research processes with new ideas and new embodiments. This active and performative approach of theory and practice was underpinned by the idea of the FEST, a term that the philosopher Gadamer had made famous within aesthetics for understanding art forms that could be no more reduced to an object that only insists to be viewed.

The term FEST suited very well the analysis and praxis of the circle, and our research at large.

We invite artists, professionals and students from a variety fields to come and ‘jam’ with us, which also is a special form of doing. The first ‘Day of Performativity’ will be a testimonial celebration dedicated to the power of the illocutionary force and to the possibilities of the performative for dance, the arts in general and, perhaps, life.

This FEST is a great opportunity to make ideas act, in shared ways.

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All of the performers meet at ‘the club’. It is a crowded afternoon and the dance floor is filled right from the start. People are loosing up their hips and some of them get funky right away.

A few of the performers are a bit chatty, others are more quiet and find themselves standing against the wall. After a couple of minutes the entire group comes to life and everbody follows the performers.

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People gathered toge and shared their perso

ether in small groups onal items and stories.

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The dec of perfor

claration rmativity

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Dear guests,

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It is an honour for me to be able to give the first speech of this Fest. All speeches today may not last longer than 3 minutes so I should be very economic in my text. This principle of telling as much as possible in the shortest time possible was also the quintessence of the aesthetics of the Dutch Enlightenment and Romantic philosopher Hemsterhuis, about whose ideas I wrote a book some time ago. His goal with this definition was to show that man does not like to stay in seeing or hearing words or in images too long. Man wants to get into the world of words and images as quick as possible, that is, he wants to unite himself with the object he desires. The distance between material things which words and images are, and that what really matters should be zero.

This procedure is exactly the opposite of what I experienced in our fascinating research group (Gaby Allard, Bart van Rosmalen, Kim Lokers and

Niels Storm). In our group we have been searching for methods or ways to diminish the world of theory i.e. the world of concepts in order to make them appear in a lived world. Theory should enter actual space and wander through our bodies. This idea is also fundamental to this gathering today. We brought our bodies and our ideas here in a setting that is inspired by the idea of Fest which plays a crucial role in Gadamers analysis of the experience of the works of art that do not anymore restrict themselves to being an object to be observed.

Because Gadamer is using anthropological concepts like Fest, Symbol and Play, we should not be surprised that everything we do here today is not only something aesthetical but also social. This means that everyone in this room is playing his role to make our Fest take place. A Fest that implies following its rules that we all are performing here. The best way of making my words vanish and having effect in the real is to ask you now to sit down, to eat and to speak. That is a performative act.

Peter Sonderen

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The Club transformed into a delicious smells and There is nothing better than t and performances while After all, the most primary a

an establishment filled with perfectly set tables. to share stories, experiences enjoying a lovely dinner. art of performance is eating.

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TESTIMONIES

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I have to unpack m performa

my ativity.

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During all great journeys, there is a time for action and there is a time for dialogue. The group splits up into small groups of five or six people in order to discuss several texts and to share their personal favorite passages.

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Het citaat nod direct een antw

digt mij uit om woord te geven.

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COLOFON ArtEZ Research group Unpacking Perfomativity Gaby Allard Peter Sonderen Bart van Rosmalen Niels ‘Storm’ Robitzky Kim Lokers www.up.artez.nl

CASTLIST Libertad Pozo Rodriguez Nita Liem Janny Donker Gemma Jelier Ruth Collier Margreet Luitwieler Jur Bouterse

Tyrone van de Meer Andre Grekhov Mario Walden Ruben Chi Jochem Naafs Marlies van Hak Laura van Grinsven Falk Hubner

Ronald Ulrich Marloeke van der Vlugt Rina Bernabela Sophie Mayeux Fransien van der Putt Katia Mauro Correa

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PRODUCTION AND CATERING Stella by Starlight team Mirjam, Steven, Ruben, Koos, Floor, Max, Vien en Sjertsje.

MAGAZINE Diederik Vrijhoef — Editor & Teamcaptain Dana Dijkgraaf en Hilmer Thijs (Studio Hands) — Magazine Design Marijke Timmerman — Illustrator Michele Giebing — Photographer Sierk Keuning — Copywriter www.visuelenotulen.nl +31 (0) 6 30 07 76 75 info@visuelenotulen.nl

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