artć + societate / arts + society #38, 2011 20 lei / 11 €, 14 USD - idea

Scriitura performance-ului
Tim Etchells, Cally Spooner øi Melanie Wilson
Elena Crippa
În prima parte a lui 2011, genul performance a dominat programul galeriilor de artæ
din Londra. Printre numeroasele evenimente programate în diverse locuri, din februarie
pînæ la sfîrøitul primæverii lui 2011, se numæræ o serie de noi lucræri scrise,
comanditate øi prezentate la Camden Art Centre, ca parte din seria Public Disinformation
[Dezinformare publicæ]; evenimentul de douæ zile intitulat Push and Pull
[Împinge øi trage], pus în scenæ la Tate Modern; seria de performance øi lecturi publice
parte din Dirty Literature [Literaturæ murdaræ], organizatæ de Electra pentru National
Portrait Gallery; øi o nouæ reprezentaflie, o conferinflæ øi o proiecflie concepute
de Ruth Beale pentru Cubitt Gallery. Ceea ce face ca evenimentele sus-menflionate
sæ se diferenflieze de multe altele organizate la Londra în aceeaøi perioadæ e
concentrarea pe performance ca modalitate a vorbirii. Artiøtii implicafli au un interes
aparte pentru relaflia complexæ dintre scriere øi expunerea publicæ øi tind sæ
împrumute ori sæ se joace cu normele savante, literare øi teatrale. Dintre numeroasele
opere elaborate în acest registru particular, articolul de faflæ are în vedere trei lucræri
ale lui Tim Etchells, Cally Spooner øi Melanie Wilson. Acestea se remarcæ deoarece,
deøi se pliazæ pe scrisul literar øi savant, evitæ replierea înæuntrul formelor mimetice
tradiflionale ale teatrului øi îøi antreneazæ publicul prin moduri captivante de expunere.
Pentru seria ce face parte din Theatre Scratch Night [Noaptea frînturilor de teatru],
Camden Arts Centre a dat ocazia artiøtilor øi scriitorilor sæ prezinte dialoguri de 20
de minute avînd ca temæ Dezinformarea publicæ. Cu toate cæ aceste performance
au fost prezentate ca fiind lucræri în curs de desfæøurare, urmînd a fi testate øi dezvoltate
ulterior, douæ dintre piesele realizate drept ræspuns invitafliei au fost lucræri isprævite
øi însufleflitoare. În picioare, lîngæ un mic pupitru, în timp ce realiza proiecflia unei
scurte selecflii de imagini alb-negru pe un ecran, Melanie Wilson a interpretat o lucrare
intitulatæ The Movement of Public Edification 1930–1932 [Miøcarea de edificare publicæ,
1930–1932]. Cu o dicflie impecabilæ øi o intonaflie normalæ, datorate probabil
formafliei dobîndite la Central School of Speech and Drama, Wilson øi-a cucerit publicul
printr-un discurs captivant avînd ca subiect un episod mai puflin cunoscut din trecutul
mobilizærii civice. Miøcarea constase într-o stratagemæ politicæ avînd scopul de
a ajuta cetæflenii sæ se implice în mod activ øi sæ facæ faflæ Marii Crize care a afectat
numeroase flæri din întreaga lume între anii 1929 øi 1940. În Marea Britanie, criza
a provocat o cædere uluitoare a exporturilor, declinul øi închiderea unor ramuri ale
industriei grele øi o creøtere dramaticæ a øomajului. Într-o asemenea stare de crizæ,
unii politicieni luminafli nu s-au preocupat de tæieri bugetare, de diminuæri salariale
sau de modificæri ale nivelului de impozitare, ci au impulsionat o miøcare care, prin
intermediul conversafliilor spontane øi al oferirii de sfaturi prieteneøti, ar fi dat naøtere
unui avînt de implicare socialæ øi edificare publicæ. Îndemnuri, recomandæri øi
încurajæri au început sæ se ræspîndeascæ prin vocea floræreselor øi a altor oameni de
ELENA CRIPPA este curatoare øi cercetætoare stabilitæ la Londra. În prezent, urmeazæ studiile doctorale la London
Consortium, cu un proiect de cercetare de trei ani, parte din echipa de la Tate „Art School Educated“.
Membræ a colectivului curatorial RUN, a scris despre film øi video, performance øi subiecte curatoriale.
74
THE WRITING OF THE PERFORMANCE
TIM ETCHELLS, CALLY SPOONER AND MELANIE WILSON
Elena Crippa
In the first part of 2011, performance has dominated the programme
of London art galleries. Among the numerous events scheduled in
various venues between February and the end of Spring 2011 are
a string of new pieces of writing commissioned and performed at
Camden Art Centre as part of the series Public Disinformation; the
two-day event titled Push and Pull staged at Tate Modern; the series
of performances and public readings part of Dirty Literature, organised
by Electra for the National Portrait Gallery; and a new performance,
a lecture and a screening conceived by Ruth Beale for the
Cubitt Gallery. What distinguishes the aforementioned events from
many others staged in London over the same period is the focus on
performance as a mode of speaking. The artists involved have a particular
interest in the complex relationship between writing and public
delivery and tend to borrow from or play with academic, literary
and theatrical conventions. Of the numerous works developed in this
particular vein, this article focuses on three pieces by Tim Etchells,
Cally Spooner and Melanie Wilson. These works stand out because,
while engaging with literary and academic writing, they avoid folding
back into traditionally mimetic forms of theatre and engage their
audience in captivating forms of delivery.
For the series part of Theatre Scratch Night, Camden Arts Centre
offered to artists and writers the opportunity to present 20-minute
dialogues on the theme of Public Disinformation. Despite the performances
were presented as works in progress, to be tested and
further developed, two of the pieces realised in response to the invitation
were accomplished and inspiring works. Standing near a small
desk while projecting a concise selection of black and white images
on a screen, Melanie Wilson performed a piece titled The Movement
of Public Edification 1930–1932. With an impeccable diction and
regular tone, which she probably owes to the training received at
the Central School of Speech and Drama, Wilson took her audience
through a captivating lecture on the history of a little-known episode
of civic mobilisation. The movement was a political conceit aimed at
helping citizens to cope and actively deal with the Great Depression
that affected numerous countries around the world between 1929
and the 1940s. In Britain, the crisis caused an astounding fall of
exports, a decline and closure of heavy industries and a dramatic
rise of unemployment. In such a state of crisis, enlightened politicians
did not concern themselves with budget cuts, salary reductions
or changes in levels of taxation, but kicked off a movement that,
through unsolicited conversations and the deliverance of cordial
pieces of advice, would generate a momentum of social engagement
and public edification. Exhortation, recommendations and encouragements
started circulating through the words of flower ladies
and other modest individuals working in the streets of London.
The movement expanded and contracted, while maintaining a low
ELENA CRIPPA is a curator and researcher based in London. She is a
doctoral candidate at the London Consortium, conducting a 3-year
research project as part of the Tate Research team “Art School
Educated“. A member of the curatorial collective RUN, she has written
on film and video work, performance and curatorial subjects.