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The!lecture!performance:!!
contexts!of!lecturing!and!performing!
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Daniel!Ladnar!
Department!of!Theatre,!Film!and!Television!Studies!
Aberystwyth!University!
November!2013!
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Thesis!Summary!
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The!lecture!performance:!contexts!of!lecturing!and!performing!
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In!recent!years,!the!lecture!performance!has!emerged!as!an!important!format!in!
contemporary!performance!practice.!Lecture!performances!incorporate!elements!of!both!
the!academic!lecture!and!of!artistic!performance.!They!function!simultaneously!as!metaF
lectures!and!as!metaFperformances,!and!as!such!challenge!established!ideas!about!the!
production!of!knowledge!and!meaning!in!each!of!the!forms!to!which!they!refer.!The!
thesis!includes!detailed!case!studies!of!works!by!Chris!Burden,!WagnerFFeiglFForschung,!
Jérôme!Bel,!Rabih!Mroué,!Andrea!Fraser,!Xavier!Le!Roy,!geheimagentur,!Joseph!Beuys,!
Hannah!Hurtzig!and!Joshua!Sofaer.!
As!a!hybrid!format,!the!lecture!performance!always!participates!in!more!than!one!
context.!The!thesis!approaches!the!lecture!performance!by!analysing!its!participation!in!
these!different!contexts:!contexts!of!lecturing!–!both!in!the!university!and!outside!of!
established!sites!of!knowledge!production!–!and!contexts!of!performing!–!which!include!
the!contexts!of!both!contemporary!artistic!performance!and!of!performance!history.!The!
scope!is!then!extended!to!include!an!analysis!of!further!contexts!that!the!lecture!
performance!both!establishes!and!participates!in:!contexts!of!making!and!watching!
performance!–!here,!the!thesis!investigates!the!relation!between!artists!and!spectators!
established!in!lecture!performances!and!the!processes!of!recontextualisation!that!occur!
between!live!performance,!documentation,!and!the!rearticulation!of!documentation!in!a!
live!event;!contexts!of!addressing!and!instituting!–!here,!the!thesis!explores!how!lecture!
performances!negotiate!their!situation!towards!different!institutional!contexts,!and!how!
they!aim!to!establish!different!kinds!of!publics!through!various!ways!of!addressing!their!
audiences;!and!finally,!contexts!of!assembling!and!disseminating!–!here,!the!thesis!
examines!how!lecture!performances!and!related!forms!engage!with!a!discursive!context!
that!transcends!the!frame!of!the!singular!event.!Finally,!all!of!these!contexts!are!revisited!
in!relation!to!the!lecture!performance!Would&Joseph&Beuys&have&used&PowerPoint?,!which!
is!included!on!a!DVD.!!
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Acknowledgements!!
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This!research!has!been!made!possible!through!an!Aberystwyth!Postgraduate!Research!
Studentship.!I!would!also!like!to!thank!the!Department!of!Theatre,!Film!and!Television!
Studies!at!Aberystwyth!University!for!supporting!the!project,!especially!Ceris!MedhurstF
Jones,!and!the!Center!for!Media!and!Interactivity!(ZMI)!at!Justus!Liebig!University!Giessen!
for!allowing!me!to!include!their!video!recording!of!my!lecture!performance!Would&Joseph&
Beuys&have&used&PowerPoint?&in!this!thesis.!

I!am!grateful!to!all!the!artists!I!have!made!lecture!performances!with!these!last!few!years!
for!reminding!me!why!I!am!doing!this,!especially!Matthias!Anton,!Gareth!Llŷr!Evans,!
Sibylle!Peters,!Esther!Pilkington,!Lars!Schmid!and!Jörg!Thums.!And!special!thanks!to!
Sibylle!for!talking!and!listening.!

Thanks!also!to!my!parents!for!their!encouragement.!!

I!furthermore!wish!to!express!my!deepest!gratitude!to!my!supervisors,!Adrian!Kear!and!
especially!Heike!Roms,!for!her!continued!and!generous!support,!for!extensive!notes!and!
patience!and!for!making!this!fun.!!!

And!finally!in!the!IFhaveFnoFwordsFsection,!thank!you!to!Esther!Pilkington!for!being!with!
me!throughout!all!of!this,!and!thank!you!to!Jo!who!has!only!just!arrived.!!

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Contents!
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1.!Introduction!
WHAT!IS!A!LECTURE!PERFORMANCE?! ! ! ! ! ! 1! !
Examples! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 1!
Further!examples! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2!
What!is!a!lecture!performance?! ! ! ! ! ! ! 6!
Definitions! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 10! !
Definition!#1:!Lecture!or!performance?!!
‘Lecture!performance’!or!‘performance!lecture’?! ! ! ! ! 10!
Definition!#2:!The!temporality!of!the!lecture!performance:!!
process!vs.!product! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13!
Definition!#3:!Conceptual!openness!vs.!formal!limitations! ! ! ! 15!
Definition!#4:!the!discourse!about!the!lecture!performance! ! ! 16!
Conclusion!and!outline:!the!lecture!performance!in!context! ! ! 17!
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Chapter!2!
CONTEXTS!OF!LECTURING!AND!PERFORMING! ! ! ! ! 22!
Where!and!when!to!begin?! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 22!
Contexts!of!lecturing! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Presentation,!lecture,!performance! ! ! ! ! ! ! 24!
Titles!and!entitlement! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 30!
Knowledge!and!knowFhow! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 33!
The!cake!and!the!box!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 37!
Evidence! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 43!
The!world!out!there! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 47!
Contexts!of!performing!
Lineages! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 50!
Performance!histories! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 56!
Experience!and!thought! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 60!
The!world!out!there!again! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 67!
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Chapter!3!
CONTEXTS!OF!MAKING!AND!WATCHING!PERFORMANCE! ! ! ! 70!
Shooting!Shoot! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 70!
“You’re!not!seeing!the!actual!experience...”!! ! ! ! ! 74!
A!recycling!system! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 80!
The&Encyclopaedia&of&Performance&Art! ! ! ! ! ! 83!
A&Spectator! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 90!
The&Last&Performance&(A&Lecture)! ! ! ! ! ! ! 96!
Make&Me&Stop&Smoking! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 106!
Conclusion! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 116!
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Chapter!4!
CONTEXTS!OF!ADDRESSING!AND!INSTITUTING! ! ! ! ! 121!
Museum&Highlights! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
“Good!afternoon,!uh,!everyone?”! ! ! ! ! ! ! 121!
Unsuspecting!Publics!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 125!
Distinctions! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 129!
Institutional!Critique! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 133! !
Outside! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 137!
Product&of&Circumstances!!
“if!you!have!questions!afterwards!I!will!be!glad!to!answer!them”! ! ! 139!
In!and!out!of!context! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 142!
Circumstances!and!contaminations! ! ! ! ! ! ! 145!
Outside!ourselves! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 148!
Schwarzbank!
On!the!verge!of!participation!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 150!
Opening!a!bank! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 156!
Money,!publics!and!the!theatre! ! ! ! ! ! ! 161!
Branching!out!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 165!
Conclusion! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 171!
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Chapter!5!
CONTEXTS!OF!ASSEMBLING!AND!DISSEMINATING! ! ! ! ! 176!
How&to&Explain&Pictures&to&a&Dead&Hare&&
From!a!distance! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 176!
The!discursive!context! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 181!
Blackmarket&for&Useful&Knowledge&and&NonKKnowledge&
Expertise!and!authority! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 186!
How!is!the!Blackmarket!a!black!market?!What!is!nonFknowledge?!!
And!when!is!it!useful?!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 189!
Storytelling,!etc.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 191!
The!art!of!not!knowing! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 195!
Public!thinking! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 199!
Dissemination/circulation! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 202!
The&ManyKheaded&Monster!and!Life&Lecture!! ! ! ! ! 204!
Participating!public! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 207!
Participating!public!II!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 211!
Conclusion! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 216!
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6.!To!conclude...!
WOULD&JOSEPH&BEUYS&HAVE&USED&POWERPOINT?!! ! ! ! 223!
In!context!I!–!a!textbook!lecture!performance?!! ! ! ! ! 224!
In!context!II!–!other!lineages!! ! ! ! ! ! ! 226!
In!context!III!–!the!contexts!of!showing! ! ! ! ! ! 230!
In!context!IV!–!the!“incessant!movement!of!recontextualization”! ! ! 234!
“Thank!you.!Are!there!any!questions?”! ! ! ! ! ! 242!
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Bibliography! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 244!
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1.#Introduction#
WHAT#IS#A#LECTURE#PERFORMANCE?#
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Examples#
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Museum! Highlights:! A! Gallery! Talk" (1989):" Andrea" Fraser" takes" on" the" persona" of"
the" fictional" museum" guide" Jane" Castleton" and" leads" an" audience" through" the"
Philadelphia" Museum" of" Art," focusing" on" the" museum’s" architecture" and" institutional"
framework"rather"than"on"its"exhibits.""
#
A!Spectator"(2009):"Alone"on"an"otherwise"empty"stage"and"equipped"only"with"a"
small"notebook,"Jérôme"Bel"recounts"a"series"of"spectatorial"experiences."He"remembers"
a" number" of" dance" performances" and" theatre" productions" he" has" seen" and" reflects" on"
what"he"has"learnt"from"them"about"spectatorship.""
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Blackmarket!for!Useful!Knowledge!and!NonAKnowledge"(2005"–"ongoing):"Organised"
and" curated" by" Hannah" Hurtzig," Blackmarket" events" have" been" held" in" numerous" cities"
across" Europe." In" these" events," audience" members" are" invited" to" book" oneUtoUone"
conversations"on"a"given"theme"with"a"number"of"experts"(often,"there"are"one"hundred"
or"more"experts"to"choose"from).""
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Of" these" three" performances," none" was" originally" advertised" as" a" ‘lecture"
performance’." Fraser’s" Museum! Highlights" was" performed" long" before" ‘lecture"
performance’" had" become" an" established" term" around" the" turn" of" the" millennium." But"
even"if"the"term"had"been"established"then,"it"is"doubtful"that"it"would"have"been"used"to"
advertise" the" event" because" Fraser’s" performance" addressed" an" audience" that" was"
potentially"unaware"of"its"status"as"an"artistic"event;"many"participants"instead"expected"
to"participate"in"a"regular"gallery"tour.""
A!Spectator!was"originally"advertised"under"a"different"title,"27!performances,"and"
described"as"an"“intimate"hourUlong"talk”"(Sadler’s"Wells"2009)"on"the"website"of"Sadler’s"
Wells," the" UK" venue" where" the" piece" premiered." It" seems" to" have" failed" to" acquire" a"
prominent" position" within" Bel’s" oeuvre," and" –" other" than" Bel’s" explicitly" termed" lecture"

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performance," The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)" –" this" piece" is" not" listed" among" the"
performances"on"Bel’s"website"(Jérôme"Bel"2013).""
The" final" example" here,"Blackmarket!for! Useful!Knowledge! and!NonAKnowledge," is"
described"by"Hurtzig"as"an"installation,"and"Lyn"Gardner,"on"her"Guardian"blog,"has"read"it"
as"an"indication"that"the"lecture"performance"form"is"already"outmoded:"“The"fascination"
with"performance"lectures"of"a"few"years"ago"appears"to"be"being"replaced"by"forums"and"
performances" that" are" more" about" knowledge" sharing" rather" than" straightforward"
expertise.”"(Gardner"2008)""
At"this"stage,"I"do"not"want"to"discuss"the"validity"of"Gardner’s"assessment,"or"her"
characterisation" of" “performance" lectures”1"as" being" about" “straightforward" expertise”,"
but" rather" read" this" statement" as" an" indication" for" the" status" that" the" lecture"
performance" had" achieved" as" an" artistic" form" in" the" decade" prior" to" Gardner’s" article:"
what" better" sign" is" there" for" the" prominence" of" an" artistic" form" than" that" it" is" declared"
already"outdated"in"the"more"progressive"fractions"of"mainstream"media?""
So," why" have" I" chosen" to" begin" this" thesis" on" the" lecture" performance" by"
introducing"examples"of"works"that"are"only"retrospectively"labelled"as"such,"or"that"are"
already" characterised" as" a" progression" away" from" the" lecture" performance" form?" My"
intention" is" to" illustrate" that," despite" the" continuing" ubiquity" of" the" label" ‘lecture"
performance’,"or"possibly"because"of"it,"the"question"what"actually"constitutes"a"lecture"
performance"is"still"contested."Or,"in"other"words:"even"if"the"label"is"applied,"it"is"seldom"
considered"what"it"stands"for."
Moreover," what" these" examples" in" their" diversity" are" meant" to" show" is" that" the"
lecture" performance" cannot" be" considered" as" an" isolated" phenomenon" –" instead" it" is"
important"to"reflect"on"the"wider"context"in"which"the"form"has"emerged"and"address"its"
relation"to"other,"similar"formats"that"have"emerged"alongside"it.""
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Further#examples#
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The"prominence"of"the"lecture"performance"form"can"of"course"also"be"assessed"in"
other" ways," most" obviously" by" naming" some" of" the" artists" that" have" made" lecture"
performances" as" part" of" their" practice" in" recent" years:" these" include" Lone" Twin" (GB),"

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"The" term" ‘performance" lecture’" is" largely" used" synonymously" with" the" term" ‘lecture" performance’" that" I"
am"using"here,"but"I"will"get"back"to"possible"distinctions"between"them."
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Forced" Entertainment" (GB)," and" here" especially" the" company’s" artistic" director" Tim"
Etchells" (GB)," Rimini" Protokoll" (G)," Jérôme" Bel" (FR)," Xavier" Le" Roy" (FR/G)," Mårten"
Spångberg" (S)," Walid" Raad" /" Atlas" Group" (LB)," and" Rabih" Mroué" (LB)." The" list" could" of"
course"go"on,"and"I"will"name"many"more"protagonists"and"examples"in"the"course"of"this"
thesis." But" in" its" brevity" I" think" the" list" illustrates" two" aspects:" firstly," that" practitioners"
who"have"made"lecture"performances"come"from"a"variety"of"backgrounds"and"disciplines"
(dance,"performance,"theatre"and"fine"art);"and"secondly,"that"they"are"among"the"most"
prominent"artists"working"in"their"respective"fields."Conversely,"another"way"to"assess"the"
importance" of" the" form," and" one" that" probably" does" more" justice" to" the" diversity" of"
different"approaches"in"the"field,"is"to"point"to"the"multitude"of"lesserUknown"examples"of"
works" and" of" artists" working" with" the" form," which" helps" to" demonstrate" its" ubiquity." In"
this" thesis" I" will" discuss" in" detail" some" of" these" lesserUknown" examples" alongside" more"
prominent"ones.""
Here"in"the"introduction"I"would"like"to"mention"instead"as"further"evidence"of"the"
prominence" of" the" lecture" performance" some" events" that" were" dedicated" to" the" form,"
especially"as"it"is"around"these"events,"in"the"discussions,"onUline"forums"and"publications"
that"arose"from"them,"that"a"lot"of"the"discourse"surrounding"the"lecture"performance"has"
so"far"taken"place."It"is"striking"that"despite"the"importance"of"the"format,"there"are"no"
extensive" studies" of" the" lecture" performance," only" a" small" number" of" essays" (and" even"
fewer" that" have" been" published" in" English)," which" are" often" very" disparate" and"
heterogeneous" with" regard" to" their" contexts," their" themes," and" the" performances" they"
discuss." The" only" notable" exception" is" Sibylle" Peters’s" Der! Vortrag! als! Performance! (The"
Lecture" as" Performance) 2 ," published" in" 2011," which" –" alongside" Peters’s" other"
publications"on"the"performativity"of"the"lecture"and"the"lecture"performance"itself"–"will"
provide" an" important" reference" throughout" this" thesis." Although" Peters" considers" the"
lecture"performance"in"some"detail"and"names"it"as"a"point"of"origin"for"her"interest"in"the"
performativity"of"the"academic"lecture,"it"is"this"latter"aspect"that"the"book"focuses"on."
What" will" furthermore" be" evident" from" an" overview" of" events" engaging" with" the"
form" of" the" lecture" performance" is" that," as" the" label" ‘lecture" performance’" already"
suggests," the" contexts" in" which" the" lecture" performance" has" emerged" and" in" which" it"
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2
"In"this"thesis,"I"am"quoting"extensively"from"sources"originally"written"or"published"in"German."In"addition,"
some"of"the"works"I"discuss"have"originally"been"performed"in"German."To"achieve"better"readability,"I"have"
decided" to" provide" English" translations" in" the" main" text" and" cite" the" original" quotes" in" the" footnotes." All"
translations"from"German"are"my"translations."
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participates" are" manifold," and" cannot" often" be" clearly" defined" as" either" artistic" or"
academic;" instead," many" of" these" events" have" aimed" to" renegotiate" the" relations"
between"art"on"the"one"hand"and"science"or"scholarship"on"the"other.""
The" series" Performing! Lectures" that" the" FrankfurtUbased" curatorial" collective"
Unfriendly"Takeover"started"programming"in"2004"has"over"the"course"of"about"two"years"
hosted"more"than"twenty"lecture"performances."Video"documentation"of"most"pieces"has"
been"made"available"online"as"part"of"a"video"archive,"and"in"some"cases"the"performance"
text"is"also"provided."In"addition,"there"is"a"small"“Theory"Forum”"that"hosts"discussions,"
newspaper" articles" and" short" texts" about" lecture" performances" (Unfriendly" Takeover"
2010).""
Performing!Science,"an"event"first"held"at"Giessen"University"in"2007"and"a"second"
time"in"2011,"invited"scientists,"scholars"and"artists"to"compete"for"the"Performing"Science"
Award" by" presenting" their" lecture" performances" or" presentations" in" a" public" event." The"
winners" were" determined" by" a" jury" “consisting" of" distinguished" representatives" of" the"
fields" of" science" and" art”" (Performing" Science" 2011)" who" publicly" discussed" each"
presentation"before"reaching"a"decision."In"the"first"instalment,"awards"were"given"in"two"
categories," “Scholarly" Presentation”" and" “Lecture" Performance”." This" distinction" was"
however"abolished"for"the"second"instalment,"after"several"participants"of"the"first"event"
had" expressed" their" discomfort" with" this" categorisation," which" again" indicates" the"
challenge" of" clearly" defining" a" presentation" or" performance" as" a" lecture" performance."
Both"events"have"resulted"in"the"publication"of"a"DVD"containing"videos"not"only"of"the"
performances"but"also"of"the"discussions"about"them.3""
In" 2010," a" sound" and" video" archive" of" lecture" performance" work" was" set" up" in"
London’s"Whitechapel"Gallery"as"part"of"the"public"programme"Performing!Idea4."What"is"
noteworthy"about"this"archive"is"the"thematic"and"formal"range"of"the"works"selected,"as"
well" as" the" fact" that" it" covers" a" time" span" from" 1973" (John" Baldessari’s" Sings! Lewitt)" to"
2010"(e.g."Marcia"Farquhar’s"To!The!Shelter),"even"though"only"thirteen"audio"and"video"
documents"were"included"in"total."Again,"of"the"works"selected,"only"a"few"had"originally"
been" labelled" as" lecture" performances" or" ‘performance" lectures’," the" term" used" in" the"
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3
"In" this" thesis," I" will" discuss" in" detail" two" lecture" performances" that" were" presented" in" these" Performing!
Science! events:" The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art! by" WagnerUFeiglUForschung," which" won" the" lecture"
performance"award"in"2007,"and"my"own"lecture"performance"Would!Joseph!Beuys!have!used!PowerPoint?,"
which"won"the"2011"award.""
4
"Performing! Idea" was" the" theme" in" the" first" year" of" the" research" project" Performance! Matters," a"
collaboration"between"the"Roehampton"and"Goldsmiths"universities"and"the"Live"Art"Development"Agency."
4"
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context" of" the" archive" (Performance" Matters" 2010)." Of" those" works" not" originally"
advertised"as"lecture"performances,"most"were"simply"labelled"as"lectures"by"artists,"and"
could" as" well" be" called" artist" talks" –" an" example" for" this" would" be" Marina" Abramović’s"
Performing!Body"(2003)."In"this"talk,"Abramović"presents"and"comments"on"a"number"of"
visual"materials"“focused"around"the"performing"body,"its"mental"and"physical"limits”"that"
she" has" collected" over" the" course" of" 20" years" from" a" variety" of" sources" (“film," dance,"
theatre,"music,"rituals"and"performance”"(Performance"Matters"2010))."The"two"works"in"
the"Whitechapel"archive"performed"before"2000,"Baldessari’s"Sings!Lewitt!and"a"lecture"
by"William"S."Burroughs"(Lecture!on!Public!Discourse"(1980)),"preUdate"the"establishment"
of"the"term"‘lecture"performance’."The"archive"furthermore"includes"works"not"originally"
performed"for"a"live"audience"but"for"the"camera"(Sings!Lewitt!is"one"example,"and"Mel"
Brimfield’s" This! Is! Performance! Art! –! Performed! Sculpture! and! Dance" (2010)" takes" the"
form"of"a"“fictional"TV"series”"(Performance"Matters"2010))."Other"works"in"the"archive"
appropriate"forms"of"public"speaking"other"than"the"lecture"–"Farquhar’s"To!The!Shelter!
(like"Fraser’s"Museum!Highlights"that"I"have"mentioned"as"an"example"at"the"beginning"of"
this"chapter)"takes"the"form"of"a"guided"tour,"Tania"Bruguera’s"Tatlin’s!Whisper!#6!(2009)"
explores"the"form"of"the"political"speech"in"“a"totalitarian"context”"(Performance"Matters"
2010)"by"opening"up"a"podium"in"Havana"for"participants"to"speak"freely"for"one"minute"
each." I" do" not" want" to" challenge" the" categorisation" of" these" works" as" lecture"
performances," but" the" inclusive" approach" in" the" selection" of" works" for" the" archive"
nevertheless"indicates"a"somewhat"indiscriminate"use"of"the"label."From"this"perspective,"
it" is" noteworthy" that" the" selection" process" was" based" on" suggestions" from" “Performing!
Idea! contributors”," with" one" criterion" for" the" selection" being" that" the" works" should" be"
considered"“crucial"to"the"definition"of"the"form”"(Performance"Matters"2010)5."While"the"
selection"of"works"in"the"archive"thus"aims"to"define"or"delineate"the"form"of"the"lecture"
performance,"this"definition"is"not"explicated"further"in"its"context.6""

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5
"Other"criteria"were"works"“that"are"vital"to"the"development"of"their"[the"contributors’]"own"practice,"and"
performance"lectures"that"they"have"not"witnessed"but"have"longed"to"see”"(Performance"Matters"2010).""
6
"In"a"public"event"in"which"the"archive"was"presented,"hosted"by"Gavin"Butt"and"Lois"Keidan,"several"items"
from"the"archive"were"shown"and"discussed,"and"in"this"discussion"the"“elusiveness”"of"a"definition"of"what"
constitutes" a" lecture" performance" was" also" a" topic." There" were," however," some" attempts" made" at" a"
definition." There" was" talk" of" a" blurring" of" the" boundaries" between" the" lecture" and" other" forms," of" an"
experimentation" with" different" forms" of" address," and" of" the" “reUperformance" of" typical" types" of" speech”,"
that"were"in"turn"“subject"to"some"degree"of"defamiliarisation”"(I"am"here"quoting"the"notes"I"took"at"the"
event)."There"was"also"the"suggestion"of"a"genealogy"of"the"lecture"performance"that"–"through"the"works"
of"John"Cage,"Antonin"Artaud"and"Joseph"Beuys"–"rooted"the"form"in"the"history"of"the"avantUgarde."I"will"
discuss"different"genealogies"or"lineages"of"the"lecture"performance"in"chapter"2.""
5"
"
 In"recent"years,"there"have"also"been"two"exhibitions"that"focused,"respectively,"on"
the"lecture"in"art"(A!Short!History!of!Performance!Part!II:!The!Lecture!as!a!Work!of!Art"at"
the"Whitechapel"Gallery"in"2003)"and"on"the"lecture"performance"(Lecture!Performance"at"
Kölnischer" Kunstverein" in" 2009)." Of" the" two" catalogues" that" were" published," especially"
the" Lecture! Performance" catalogue" is" a" helpful" source" for" research" into" the" lecture"
performance"as"it"contains"a"number"of"essays"on"the"format"as"well"as"documentation"of"
performances,"mainly"images"and"excerpts"from"performance"texts"(Jentjens"et"al."2009)."
Lecture" performances" have" also" featured" prominently" in" academic" conferences" and"
symposia,"especially"in"the"field"of"performance"studies."An"example"is"the"Performance"
Studies" international" Conference" #15" in" Zagreb" in" 2009" that" introduced" soUcalled" shiftU
events."These"are"described"on"the"conference"website"as"follows:""
"
From" their" inception," performance" studies" conferences" invited" and" welcomed"
performative"modes"of"conference"presentation."The"main"problem"with"this"approach"
was" that" these" innovative" presentations" had" to" be" inserted" into" conventional"
conference" spaces" and" schedules." With" the" concept" of" shifts" we" aim" to" address" this"
longUstanding" problem" in" performance" studies" conferences." However" performative"
and" inventive" they" may" be," conference" panels" remain" rooted" in" the" notion" of"
discursive" presentation" of" ideas" in" the" form" of" conference" papers." By" contrast," shifts!
take"the"notion"of"performance"in"the"broad"sense"(aesthetic,"cultural,"durational,"etc.)"
as" their" organizing" principle." Therefore," performance" informs" both" the" form" and"
content" of" each" shift." A" shift" can" accommodate" a" wide" range" of" formats," such" as"
various"kinds"of"performative"presentations,"roundUtable"discussions"on"performances"
presented," workshops," interactive" events," seminars," and" even" miniUsymposia."
(Performance"Studies"international"Conference"#15"2009)"
"
While"a"lot"of"the"shift"events"actually"took"the"form"of"a"lecture"performance,"the"
suggestions" for" other" forms" the"shift" events" could" take" also" shows," as" I" have" previously"
pointed"out,"that"the"lecture"performance"has"to"be"understood"in"relation"to"such"other"
formats" –" both" artistic" and" discursive" –" that" address" similar" concerns" or" employ" similar"
forms."In"order"to"do"so,"however,"it"seems"necessary"to"first"provide"a"clearer"definition"
of"the"lecture"performance"itself.""
"
What#is#a#lecture#performance?#
#
There" are" two" approaches" to" answering" this" question:" giving" examples," as" I" have"
already" done" and" as," for" instance," the" Performing! Idea" archive" does," or" providing" a"

6"
"
definition" of" what" constitutes" a" lecture" performance" by" trying" to" outline" some" of" the"
characteristics" of" the" format" or" genre." Both" of" these" approaches" have" their" respective"
disadvantages."Giving"examples,"and"thus"implying"that"lecture"performances"are"in"one"
way"or"another"all"like"the"one"selected"to"exemplify"the"genre,"brings"with"it"the"danger"
of" looking" solely" at" the" work’s" generic" qualities," at" the" features" in" the" piece" that"
characterise" it" as" a" lecture" performance," and" thus" disregarding" its" singularity." In" a"
different" context," Giorgio" Agamben" has" reflected" on" how" treating" something" as" an"
example"changes"its"meaning:""
"
What" the" example" shows" is" its" belonging" to" a" class," but" for" this" very" reason" the"
example"steps"out"of"its"class"in"the"very"moment"in"which"it"exhibits"and"delimits"it"(in"
the"case"of"a"linguistic"syntagm,"the"example"thus"shows"its"own"signifying"and,"in"this"
way,"suspends"its"own"meaning)."If"one"now"asks"if"the"rule"applies"to"the"example,"the"
answer"is"not"easy,"since"the"rule"applies"to"the"example"only"as"to"a"normal"case"and"
obviously" not" as" to" an" example." The" example" is" thus" excluded" from" the" normal" case"
not"because"it"does"not"belong"to"it"but,"on"the"contrary,"because"it"exhibits"its"own"
belonging"to"it."(Agamben"1998:"22)"
"
Furthermore," the" single" example" (maybe" contrary" to" Agamben’s" example" for" an"
example," the" linguistic" syntagm)" cannot" account" for" the" great" variety" and" diversity" of"
approaches"within"the"field"of"the"lecture"performance."And"it"is"also"this"diversity"that"on"
the" other" hand" makes" it" difficult" to" draw" the" line," to" establish" the" “norms" and"
interdictions”"(Derrida"1992:"224)"that,"according"to"Jacques"Derrida"in"his"essay"The!Law!
of!Genre,"delineate"a"genre:"“As"soon"as"the"word"genre"is"sounded,"as"soon"as"it"is"heard,"
as"soon"as"one"attempts"to"conceive"it,"a"limit"is"drawn.”"(224)"Yet"this"limit"will"first"and"
foremost" be" drawn" on" the" level" of" form:" certain" (mainly)" formal" characteristics," certain"
“trait[s]"upon"which"one"could"rely"in"order"to"decide"that"a"[...]"given"work"corresponds"
to"a"given"class"(genre,"type,"mode,"form,"etc.)”"(228U229),"have"to"be"identified,"and"then"
one"has"to"examine"if"the"work"(the"example)"bears"these"traits.""
Such" traits" can" also" be" identified" for" the" lecture" performance." One" such" trait," for"
instance,"is"that"the"audience"is"usually"addressed"directly"in"lecture"performances."While"
in"a"lecture,"but"also"in"many"other"forms"of"public"speech,"direct"audience"address"is"the"
norm," in" theatre," in" contrast," it" is" not." In" a" theatre" context," as" I" have" described" in" ‘On"
Giving"A"Paper’,"an"essay"about"On!Everest"(1997),"a"lecture"performance"by"Lone"Twin,"
this" kind" of" address" has" to" be" understood" as" “extraUscenic”" (Lehmann" 2006:" 127)"

7"
"
communication:" “The" audience" is" not" overhearing" a" conversation" between" actors" on"
stage,"but"is"directly"addressed,"and"thus"implicated"in"the"situation”"(Ladnar"2011:"230)."
HansUThies" Lehmann," who" in" his" book" Postdramatic! Theatre" introduces" a" distinction"
between" “theatrical" discourse”" that" is" directed" extraU" and" “intraUscenically”" (Lehmann"
2006:"127),"diagnoses"a"shift"towards"direct"audience"address"also"for"the"kinds"of"theatre"
he"describes"as"“postdramatic”,"which"in"turn"means"that"this"trait"also"characterises"a"lot"
of" contemporary" theatre" and" performance" work." There" are" certainly" many" other" traits"
that" can" be" identified" as" characteristic" for" lecture" performance" work," but" it" will" always"
share"these"traits"with"other"discursive"or"artistic"forms."In"many"cases,"such"a"focus"on"
formal"criteria"means"that"the"term"‘lecture"performance’"is"often"rather"indiscriminately"
applied" to" include" works" that" could" as" well" or" even" more" productively" be" discussed" in"
other" contexts," for" instance" in" the" context" of" autobiographical" performance.7"But" more"
importantly," since" the" lecture" performance" appropriates" many" of" its" formal" traits" from"
the" form" of" the" lecture," a" focus" on" these" traits" alone" cannot" be" enough" to" distinguish"
lecture"performance"from"lecture."Take"Abramović’s"Performing!Body"as"an"example:"had"
it"not"been"included"in"the"Performing!Idea"Archive,"I"would"probably"not"have"considered"
the"piece"a"lecture"performance."Based"solely"on"its"formal"traits,"Performing!Body"would"
best" be" characterised" simply" as" a" lecture" or" a" talk," and" maybe" it" is" rather" that" than" a"
lecture" performance," and" its" inclusion" in" an" archive" of" lecture" performances" should" be"
contested."Nevertheless,"even"if"it"was"wrongly"included"in"the"archive,"this"inclusion"itself"
suggests"its"belonging"if"not"to"the"genre"than"to"its"context"of"proximity"that,"if"nothing"
else,"can"inform"the"debate"around"the"lecture"performance."Even"if"the"piece"itself"might"
not" be" “crucial" to" the" definition”" of" what" constitutes" a" lecture" performance," it" is"
nevertheless" crucial" to" outlining" this" context," and" to" indicating" where" the" drawing" of"
limits"becomes"difficult,"especially"in"the"case"of"a"form"whose"name"is"composed"of"the"
names"of"two"other"forms,"namely"lecture"and"performance.8"Outlining"formal"traits"that"

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7
"I" am" here" using" the" example" of" autobiographical" performance" for" two" reasons:" firstly," many" lecture"
performances"incorporate"elements"of"autobiographical"narration,"and"secondly,"as"Deirdre"Heddon"points"
out," autobiographical" performance" often" employs" form" of" storytelling" in" which" the" audience" is" directly"
addressed:" “Most" performers" create" a" mode" of" address" that" acknowledges" the" spectator’s" presence”"
(Heddon"2008:"5)."An"important"example"for"the"use"of"autobiography"in"a"lecture"performance"is"Le"Roy’s"
Product!of!Circumstances."I"think"it"is"partly"due"to"the"prominent"position"of"this"work"in"the"emergence"of"
the" lecture" performance" (an" aspect" I" will" return" to" in" chapter" 2)" that" many" early" discussions" around" the"
format" emphasise" the" importance" of" the" element" of" autobiography" for" the" lecture" performance" (Peters"
2011:"37).""
8
"The" inclusion" of" Performing! Body" in" the" archive" also" makes" evident" the" institutional" dimension" of" such"
categorisations:"the"inclusion"itself"marks"the"work"as"a"lecture"performance.""
8"
"
lecture" performances" have" in" common" will" therefore" not" be" sufficient" for" an"
understanding"of"the"lecture"performance."
Derrida"states"that"a"work"of"art"does"not"merely"belong"to"one"genre"or"a"number"
of"genres,"but"that"it"always"also,"to"use"Agamben’s"words"about"the"example,"“exhibits"
its"own"belonging”"to"a"genre:"“[...]"can"one"identify"a"work"of"art,"of"whatever"sort,"but"
especially"a"work"of"discursive"art,"if"it"does"not"bear"the"mark"of"a"genre,"if"it"does"not"
signal" or" mention" it" or" make" it" remarkable" in" any" way?”" (Derrida" 1992:" 229)." A" lecture"
performance" might" for" instance" be" advertised" as" a" lecture" performance" on" the"
programme"notes,"or"it"might"take"place"as"part"of"a"series"of"lecture"performances."Or"
there"might"be"a"“mention”"in"the"performance"itself"–"which"does"not"necessarily"have"
to"be"an"explicit"selfUcharacterisation"of"the"work"as"a"lecture"performance,"but"any"sort"
of"indication"of"its"belonging"to"this"genre"that"can"be"found"in"the"work.9"In"indicating"its"
belonging," the" work" however" does" something" other" than" only" belong." Like" Agamben’s"
example"that"“steps"out"of"its"class"in"the"very"moment"in"which"it"exhibits"and"delimits"
it”," according" to" Derrida," because" the" “reUmark" of" belonging" does" not" belong”" (Derrida"
1992:"230),"a"work"is"prevented"from"being"fully"absorbed"in"the"genre"by"indicating"its"
belonging"to"a"genre."Derrida"therefore"speaks"of"a"“participation”"of"the"work"in"a"genre:"
“Every" text" participates" in" one" or" several" genres," there" is" no" genreless" text," there" is"
always"a"genre"and"genres,"yet"such"participation"never"amounts"to"belonging.”"(230)"This"
in"turn"also"implies"that"all"works"of"art"to"some"degree"make"examples"of"themselves"(in"
order" to" be" understood" as" works" of" art)." I" would" argue" that" all" lecture" performances"
contain"elements"of"selfUreferentiality."They"are"often"selfUreferential"not"only"as"lecture"
performances," but" also" with" regard" to" the" lecture" and" to" performance." Could" selfU
referentiality"be"a"trait"that"defines"the"lecture"performance"genre,"and"if"so,"can"lecture"
performances" ever" be" fully" understood" without" being" considered" as" examples" of" their"
genre?10""
Summing" up," lecture" performances" will" need" to" be" discussed" both" with" regard" to"
their"singularity,"to"that"which"is"never"fully"resolved"by"looking"at"the"generic"qualities"of"
a" particular" piece," and" with" regard" to" how" they" negotiate" their" participation" in" their"

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9
"“The"remark"of"belonging"need"not"pass"through"the"consciousness"of"the"author"or"the"reader,"although"
it" often" does" so." It" can" also" refute" this" consciousness" or" render" the" explicit" ‘mention’" mendacious," false,"
inadequate"or"ironic"according"to"all"sorts"of"overdetermined"figures.”"(Derrida"1992:"230)"
10
"This" would" imply" a" difference" between" Agamben’s" example," the" linguistic" syntagm," and" the" lecture"
performance"(or,"more"generally,"Derrida’s"example,"the"work"of"art"or"literature)."
9"
"
genre," or" in" other" genres" or" forms" they" participate" in" (lecture" and" performance," for"
instance)."This"implies"a"shift"of"focus"regarding"the"question"of"genre:"Derrida’s"idea"that"
the"relation"between"a"work"of"art"and"its"genre"is"characterised"by"participation"rather"
than"belonging"allows"me"to"concentrate"on"the"nature"of"this"participation"rather"than"
on" the" “norms" and" interdictions”" of" a" belonging" or" not" belonging." The" question" how" a"
lecture" performance" participates" in" its" genre" brings" with" it" the" question" how" it"
participates" in" other" contexts" and" discourses" from" which" it" originates" and" to" which" it"
responds."To"understand"what"a"lecture"performance"is"requires"not"only"a"discussion"of"
examples" of" lecture" performances" and" an" analysis" of" the" form" in" general," but" also" an"
understanding"of"these"contexts.""
In"her"contribution"to"the"Lecture!Performance"catalogue,"Jenny"Dirksen"reflects"on"
the"composite"nature"of"the"term"‘lecture"performance’:"“It"combines"two"terms,"lecture"
and"performance,"each"with"its"own"definition"and"its"own"history:"on"the"one"hand"the"
lecture"and"on"the"other"the"performance.”11"(Dirksen"2009:"9)"By"thus"incorporating"the"
two" terms" ‘lecture’" and" ‘performance’," the" term" ‘lecture" performance’" itself" already"
designates"a"participation"of"the"lecture"performance"in"the"two"genres"of"the"lecture"and"
the"performance,"or,"put"differently,"in"the"two"practices"of"lecturing"and"performing.""
Before"I"go"on"to"outline"the"lecture"performance’s"participation"in"these"contexts"in"
detail"in"chapter"2"of"this"thesis,"I"will"first"try"and"approach"the"question"I"have"initially"
proposed" –" What" is" a" lecture" performance?" –" by" looking" at" existing" definitions" or"
descriptions" of" the" lecture" performance" and" by" discussing" a" series" of" aspects" that" they"
raise.""
"
Definitions#
Definition##1:#Lecture#or#performance?#‘Lecture#performance’#or#‘performance#lecture’?#
"
If"one"were"to"ask"how"to"define"a"lecture"performance,"the"answer"would"simply"be:"it"
is"a"hybrid"lecture,"in"which"a"lecture"intersects"with"an"artistic"performance.12"(Ernst"
2004:"192)""
"

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11
"Unfortunately"Dirksen"does"not"go"on"to"trace"these"definitions"and"histories"in"her"essay."
12
"“Wenn" man" fragte," wie" eine" LectureUPerformance" zu" definieren" sei," so" wäre" einfach" zu" antworten:" Es"
handelt"sich"um"einen"hybriden"Vortrag,"in"dem"sich"eine"Lecture"[...]"mit"einer"künstlerischen"Performance"
überkreuz[t].”"
10"
"
 The"lecture"performance’s"combination"of"lecture"and"performance"is"the"focus"of"
WolfUDieter"Ernst’s"definition"of"the"format."Interestingly,"Ernst"characterises"the"lecture"
performance"as"a"“hybrid"lecture”,"thus"implying"its"belonging"more"closely"to"one"of"the"
two" genres" that" its" name" suggests:" the" lecture," rather" than" the" other," artistic"
performance.13"While" Ernst" acknowledges" the" format’s" hybridity" –" in" that" it" combines"
elements"both"of"the"lecture"and"of"artistic"performance"–"his"definition"still"points"to"an"
important"question."Is"the"lecture"performance"a"primarily"aesthetic"event,"or"does"it,"as"a"
variation"of"the"academic"lecture,"have"to"be"considered"as"a"primarily"discursive"format?"
Lecture"performances"regularly"take"place"in"academic"contexts,"albeit"often"introduced"
as" something" special," out" of" the" ordinary14." And" they" often," on" the" level" of" form," have"
more"in"common"with"traditional"academic"lectures"than"with"most"artistic"performances"
–" I! in! Disguise," for" instance," a" selfUdeclared" lecture" performance" written" by" Florian"
Malzacher," but" presented" by" Mårten" Spångberg# pretending" to" be" Malzacher" at"
Tanzquartier" Wien" in" 2005," is" a" conventional" paper" in" all" respects" but" one:" that" it" is"
delivered"by"somebody"else.15""
Peters," who" has" undertaken" the" most" substantial" research" into" the" academic"
lecture"to"date,"describes"how"she"has"originally"arrived"at"her"research"area"through"an"
interest" in" the" lecture" performance" (Peters" 2006:" 121U122)." The" lecture" performance,"
according"to"Peters,"can"provide"insights"into"the"functioning"of"the"academic"lecture"–"by"
foregrounding"its"scenic"or"performative"elements.""
On"the"other"hand,"Peters"also"points"out"that"it"cannot"necessarily"be"assumed"that"
the" motivation" for" artists" to" choose" the" lecture" performance" format" is" based" on" an"
interest"in"the"performativity"of"the"academic"lecture"(122U3)."So"while"it"seems"possible"
to"identify"lecture"performances"that"are"not"primarily"concerned"with"their"lectureUness,"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
13
"This"also"leads"him"to,"in"the"course"of"his"essay,"develop"an"analogy"between"the"lecture"performance"
and" a" scholarly" methodology" –" Clifford" Geertz’s" “thick" description”" (Ernst" 2004:" 197)." However," if" lecture"
performances" are" merely" discussed" in" relation" to" the" lecture" and" not" to" other" artistic" practices," lectures"
would" implicitly" be" introduced" as" the" norm" that" lecture" performances" are" measured" against." (A" similar"
problem" is" generated" by" a" term" like" practiceUasUresearch" –" one" thing," research," is" constituted" as" the"
standard"that"the"other"thing,"practice,"has"to"live"up"to.)"
14
"Ernst"describes"this"with"respect"to"a"lecture"performance"he"himself"presented"that"was"announced"as"
“etwas"ganz"Dolles”"(Ernst"2004:"192)"–"a"colloquialism"that"is"difficult"to"translate,"maybe"“something"farU
out”"would"be"a"good"approximation.""
15
"This" gesture" corresponded" with" the" theme" of" the" paper," a" discussion" of" the" role" of" the" “I”" in" lecture"
performances." However," the" gesture" was" not" noticeable" to" audience" members" who" did" not" know" either"
Spångberg" or" Malzacher." This" example" illustrates" how" difficult" it" is" to" delineate" the" lecture" performance"
genre." Is" this" gesture" enough" to" make" something" a" lecture" performance" that" is" otherwise" a" conventional"
paper"presentation?"
11"
"
but"that"make"use"of"the"openness"of"the"format"to"address"any"issue,"it"is"not"possible"to"
subtract" the" artistic" element" as" that" which" differentiates" the" lecture" performance" from"
the" cultural" performance" of" the" lecture." If," with" Derrida," the" question" has" to" be" how"
lecture"performances"participate"in"the"respective"genres"that"give"them"their"name,"their"
participation" in" the" lecture" genre" can" be" described" as" characterised" by" an" artistic"
appropriation"of"the"lecture"form.16""
That" an" artistic" element" is" indispensable" for" a" work" to" be" considered" a" lecture"
performance" might" in" itself" not" be" immediately" obvious," considering" that" the" term"
‘performance’" in" ‘lecture" performance’" might" merely" foreground" the" performativity" of"
any"lecture"that"Peters"for"instance"describes."Moreover,"this"proposition"itself"does"not"
suffice" to" draw" the" Derridian" “limit”," because" it" still" remains" questionable" when" these"
elements"are"strong"enough,"as"in"the"case"of"both"Abramović’s"and"Malzacher’s"alleged"
lecture" performances." And" furthermore," to" stress" the" aesthetic" or" artistic" elements" of"
lecture" performances" cannot" in" turn" mean" disregarding" its" discursive" or" theoretical"
elements," i.e." the" hybrid" nature" of" the" form" always" has" to" be" acknowledged." With" this"
hybridity"of"the"form"comes"a"certain"undecidedness"that"is"also"evident"in"the"different"
names" it" has" been" given." While" I" believe" the" term" ‘lecture" performance’" to" still" be" the"
more" common" or" established" term," the" examples" I" have" given" show" that" the" term"
‘performance" lecture’" is" also" often" used. 17 "The" implications" of" these" conflicting"
terminologies"are"not"usually"reflected"in"discussions"of"the"form."The"difference"seems"to"
be"that"the"term"‘performance"lecture’,"much"like"Ernst’s"characterisation"of"the"lecture"
performance" as" a" “hybrid" lecture”," identifies" the" form" as" a" variation" of" the" academic"
lecture,"while"the"term"‘lecture"performance’"qualifies"it"as"a"type"of"artistic"performance."
The"different"names"then"each"suggest"a"different"focus,"and"each"name"privileges"one"of"
the" two" contexts" –" lecture" or" artistic" performance" –" that" the" lecture" performance"
participates"in."As"a"form,"the"lecture"performance"blurs"the"boundaries"between"these"
contexts," and" therefore" such" a" privileging" of" one" context" will" always" be" problematic."
While" I" will" throughout" this" thesis" also" reflect" on" how" the" lecture" performance"
participates" in" the" context" of" the" lecture," I" will" however" put" a" focus" on" the" lecture"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
16
"How"this"appropriation"manifests"(and"manifests"differently"in"different"lecture"performances),"and"what"
this"means"for"the"perception"of"these"works"and"for"how"they"are"situated"in"relation"to"their"respective"
contexts,"will"be"discussed"throughout"this"thesis,"in"particular"in"the"case"studies"of"chapters"3"to"5.""
17
"Other" terms," like" ‘performed" essay’" or" ‘essay" performance’," are" also" frequently" used," the" ‘performed"
essay’" for" instance" being" an" established" form" of" assessment" in" performance" courses" at" the" Theatre," Film"
and"Television"Department"at"Aberystwyth"University.""
12"
"
performance"as"an"artistic"practice,"and"discuss"it"in"the"context"of"other"forms"of"artistic"
performance."This"is"also"one"main"distinction"between"my"approach"and"Peters’s,"who"in"
her"book"The!Lecture!as!Performance!outlines"a"history"of"the"lecture"as"a"performance"
that"is"framed"by"a"consideration"of"the"lecture"performance,"but"that"locates"the"lecture"
performance"in"a"context"of"what"she"calls"an"“art"of"lecturing”18"(Peters"2011:"9)."Peters"
thus" places" the" lecture" performance" in" a" tradition" that," even" though" it" is" for" her"
characterised" by" a" challenging" of" established" conceptions" of" science" or" scholarship,"
nevertheless"develops"or"emerges"primarily"in"relation"to"these"conceptions:"“They"stand"
in" a" tradition" of" scenic" lecturing" that" can" be" traced" back" at" least" to" the" 18th" century.”19"
(10)"I"will"reflect"on"Peters’s"approach"in"detail"in"chapter"2"of"this"thesis,"but"would"like"
to" suggest" at" this" point" that" the" artistic" appropriation" of" the" lecture" form" is" a" relatively"
new"development,"and"that"it"is"different"from"the"“art"of"lecturing”"that"Peters"describes"
exactly" because" it" manifests" at" least" as" vividly" in" the" context" of" art" as" it" does" in" an"
academic" context." If" I" use" the" term" ‘lecture" performance’" rather" than" ‘performance"
lecture’"in"this"thesis"(as,"by"the"way,"Peters"also"does),"it"is"not"least"to"acknowledge"this"
focus" of" the" thesis." It" has" to" be" mentioned," however," that" this" should" not" imply" that"
lecture" performances" are" somehow" less" legitimate" or" sincere" attempts" at" presenting"
and/or"generating"knowledge"than"traditional"lectures."
"
Definition##2:#The#temporality#of#the#lecture#performance:#process#vs.#product#
"
First" and" foremost," the" lecture" performance" is" a" hybrid" format" that," like" a" multiple"
adaptor,"can"connect"diverse"artistic"forms"with"each"other.20"(Peters"2006:"123)"
"
This" definition" by" Peters" also" describes" the" lecture" performance" as" a" hybrid" form,"
yet" it" does" so" already" with" a" view" to" artistic" production." The" hybridity" of" the" lecture"
performance" is" thus" not" only" based" on" its" appropriation" of" a" nonUartistic" form," but" also"
characterises" its" artistic" potential" to" combine" and" translate" between" different" artistic"
forms." In" addition," according" to" Peters," the" lecture" performance" as" a" form" has" the"
capacity"to"translate"between"the"various"temporal"stages"of"a"work."It"enables"artists"to"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
18
"“Vortragskunst”."
19
"“Sie" stehen" in" einer" Tradition" des" szenischen" Vortragens," die" sich" mindestens" bis" ins" 18." Jahrhundert"
zurückverfolgen"läßt.“""
20
"“In" erster" Linie" ist" die" LectureUPerformance" ein" hybrides" Format," das" wie" ein" multipler" Adapter"
unterschiedlichste"künstlerische"Formen"miteinander"verschalten"kann.”"
13"
"
turn"archiveUbased"projects"into"events."It"also"enables"artists"to"revisit"works"that"were"
conceived" as" unrepeatable" singular" events" or" siteUspecific" projects" and" present" them" in"
different" contexts." Lecture" performances" can" thus" function" as" what" Mike" Pearson" and"
Michael" Shanks" have" termed" “secondUorder" performance”" or" “performanceUaboutU
performance”" (Pearson" and" Shanks" 2001:" 65).21"But" lecture" performances" cannot" only"
turn"documentation"into"event,"they"also"allow"artists"to"present"projects"that"are"still"in"
the" concept" stage" or" that" are" “workUinUprogress”" (Peters" 2006:" 124)." This" again" shows"
that"lecture"performances"have"to"be"considered"within"a"wider"context"of"contemporary"
performance" practices," especially" as" artists" very" often" do" not" exclusively" work" with" the"
format,"but"use"it"as"one"possible"manifestation"of"their"practice"or"of"a"particular"project."
Lecture"performances"thus"negotiate"a"tension"between"process"and"product"in"so"far"as"
they" can" appear" as" the" deferral" of" a" finished" product" (as" one" manifestation" of" a" larger,"
often" yet" unfinished" process)" and" at" the" same" time" make" evident" the" demand" that"
“artistic"production”22"(Peters"2006:"123)"today"has"to"be"“presentable"at"every"stage”23"
(123).24"
What" this" tension" between" process" and" product" also" shows" is" that" the" lecture"
performance,"as"Esther"Pilkington"and"I"argue"in"an"essay"entitled"‘Die"Kunst"des"NichtUdaU
Seins’" (‘The" Art! of" Not" Being" There’)," can" be" seen" as" an" “example" for" a" different"
conception"of"the"temporality"of"performance"beyond"the"singular"event”25"(Ladnar"and"
Pilkington" 2013:" 200)." By" being" presented" as" one" manifestation" of" a" larger" (research)"
process,"lecture"performances"always"make"reference"to"a"context"whose"scope"exceeds"
its"articulation"in"the"performance"event"itself.26""
"
"
"
"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
21
"In" chapter" 3," I" will" look" in" detail" at" lecture" performances" that" are" based" on" the" documentation" of" past"
performance"events."
22
"“künstlerischen"Produktion”."
23
"“in"jedem"Stadium"präsentabel”."
24
"Lecture"performances"can"according"to"Peters"thus"appear"as"a"product"that"still"promises"that"there"is"an"
“optimum" yet" to" be" achieved“" (Peters" 2006:" 124)" [“erst" noch" zu" erzielende[s]" Optimum”" (Peters" 2006:"
124)]." With" regard" to" this" point" Peters" sees" a" connection" between" the" lecture" performance" and" the"
business"presentation."
25
"„Beispiel"einer"anderen"Konzeption"der"Zeitlichkeit"von"Performance"jenseits"des"singulären"Ereignisses“."
26
"In"chapter"5,"I"will"look"at"works"that"envision"themselves"as"part"of"a"larger"discursive"context"and"that"
aim"to"participate"in"this"context"both"in"and"beyond"the"event.""
14"
"
Definition##3:#Conceptual#openness#vs.#formal#limitations#
"
For" some" years" now," even" decades," there" is" talk" about" the" fusion" of" artistic" practice"
and" its" theory," about" the" crossing" of" the" borders" of" genres," about" selfUreflective" art"
and"creative"science."No"wonder"that"[since]"Xavier"Le"Roy's"‘Product"of"Circumstances’"
of" 1999" lecture" performances" have" become" more" and" more" popular." Popular" as" a"
thrilling," performative" and" discursive" medium" for" choreographers," performers,"
directors" and" theorists" alike." The" seemingly" narrow" formal" limitations" of" the"
performance" lecture" offer" a" set" of" unique," often" quite" complex" opportunities" and"
challenges."The"lecture"as"performance,"reflection"as"selfUreflection,"content"as"form,"
language"as"action."(Unfriendly"Takeover,"2010)"
"
This" quote" from" the" website" of" Unfriendly" Takeover," whose" series" Performing!
Lectures! I" have" mentioned" above," stresses" a" point" I" have" already" raised," i.e." the" appeal"
the"lecture"performance"has"for"artists"(and,"as"the"quote"also"mentions,"theorists)"from"
different" backgrounds." This" diversity" of" disciplines" that" artists" working" with" the" lecture"
performance"format"come"from"illustrates"the"adaptability"of"the"format"(like"the"lecture,"
the"lecture"performance"can"potentially"be"about"anything),"its"aforementioned"capacity"
to"accommodate"a"variety"of"artistic"projects.""
Even" if" they" are" only" “seemingly" narrow”," the" mention" of" “formal" limitations”"
however" also" shows" that" the" lecture" performance" achieves" this" openness" to"
accommodate" different" forms" and" approaches" by" providing" a" framework" of" rules" and"
strategies"that"these"various"approaches"have"to"work"with"(and"maybe"sometimes"work"
against)." So" if" the" above" conception" of" the" lecture" performance" stresses" its"
simultaneously" “performative”" (in" the" artistic" sense)" and" “discursive”" nature," and"
proposes" that" the" interest" in" the" format" stems" from" an" existing" discourse" about" the"
“fusion”"of"artistic"theory"and"practice"on"the"one"hand"and"about"the"relation"of"art"and"
science"on"the"other,"those"features"of"the"format"also"have"to"be"understood"to"some"
extent"as"requirements"(Derrida’s"“norms"and"interdictions”)."A"lecture"performance"that"
does"not"negotiate"any"of"these"relations"on"any"level"seems"hard"to"conceive"of,"which"in"
turn"means"that"whatever"else"a"lecture"performance"is"about,"it"always"also"negotiates"
the"question"what"it"means"to"lecture"and"to"perform,"and"how"these"two"activities"relate"
to"each"other.""
"
"
"
15"
"
Definition##4:#the#discourse#about#the#lecture#performance#
"
The" lecture" performance" has" become" a" feature" of" contemporary" art." Various"
descriptions"of"the"phenomenon"have"circulated"over"the"past"few"years,"and"this"lack"
of"consensus"implies"the"need"for"a"more"accurate"conceptual"definition."Artists"in"this"
comparatively" young" genre" work" at" the" interface" between" lecturing" and" performing,"
seeking"out"creative"ways"of"including"traditional"methods"of"artistic"communication"in"
presenting" themselves" to" the" audience." The" method" involves" elements" of" selfU
reflection,"discussion,"performance"or"action."(Jentjens"et"al."2009:"5)"
"
Apart"from"locating"the"lecture"performance"“between"lecturing"and"performing”,"
this" short" excerpt" from" the" introduction" to" the" Lecture! Performance" catalogue" is" not"
really"a"definition"but"a"statement"expressing"the"need"for"a"“more"accurate”"definition"of"
what"is"here"referred"to"as"a"“phenomenon”."The"importance"of"the"lecture"performance"
form" is" expressed" by" the" reference" to" a" variety" of" positions" about" the" lecture"
performance" and" a" “lack" of" consensus”" among" them." These" different" positions" are,"
however,"never"outlined"in"what"follows."There"is"no"further"reference"to"a"wideUranging"
discussion,"which"is"not"that"surprising,"as,"to"my"knowledge,"there"are"so"far"no"extensive"
studies" of" the" lecture" performance.27"How" then" can" this" assumption" of" a" circulation" of"
“various"descriptions”"be"explained"(and"how,"in"turn,"the"lack"of"an"extensive"discourse)?"
Where,"if"it"does"not"exist"in"writing,"is"this"discourse"“circulated”"(or,"if"it"indeed"does"not"
exist," how" can" this" impression" of" a" circulation" be" explained)?" As" I" cannot" know" exactly"
what"the"authors"are"referring"to,"an"answer"to"these"questions"has"to"remain"somewhat"
speculative."I"would,"however,"like"to"propose"some"explanations:"If,"instead"of"“various"
descriptions" of" the" phenomenon”," the" above" quote" would" read" “various" manifestations"
of"the"phenomenon”,"this"would"actually"be"an"accurate"description"of"a"field"that"is"not"
least"characterised"by"a"diversity"of"approaches"and"artistic"strategies."In"the"second"part"
of" the" quote," some" characteristics" of" the" lecture" performance" form" are" named," among"
them"that"it"“involves"elements"of"selfUreflection,"discussion,"performance"or"action”28."If"
selfUreflection"and"discussion"are"features"of"the"form"itself,"if"lecture"performances"thus"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
27
"It" is" striking" that," when" looking" at" the" individual" essays" that" follow" this" introduction" to" the" catalogue,"
there"is"no"reference"here"to"the"existing"literature"on"lecture"performance,"however"scant"–"this"might"be"
due"to"the"fact"that"this"catalogue"focuses"on"visual"arts"practice,"while"the"existing"literature"on"the"lecture"
performance"has"mostly"been"published"in"a"theatre"or"performance"studies"context.""
28
"Although"they"are"here"mentioned"in"the"same"breath,"these"“elements”"do"not"appear"to"belong"to"one"
category:" “selfUreflection”" to" me" seems" to" describe" a" particular" mode" in" which" the" other" elements" (all" of"
them"specific"forms"or"activities)"could"be"presented."Furthermore,"that"they"contain"elements"of"discussion"
is"not"necessarily"the"norm"for"lecture"performances.""
16"
"
always" also" make" examples" of" themselves," maybe" it" is" also" there," in" the" lecture"
performances"themselves,"that"the"discourse"about"the"lecture"performance"takes"place."
And" maybe" this" explains" the" lack" of" academic" discourse" around" the" subject:" there" is" an"
overlapping" of" competencies," and/or" lecture" performances" themselves" can" be"
understood"as"investigations"into"modes"of"academic"discourse,"a"field"that"–"especially"
with" regard" to" the" function" of" the" academic" lecture" –" is" itself" a" blind" spot" of" academic"
research.29""
And," furthermore," it" is" important" to" look" at" the" context" in" which" lecture"
performances"are"presented"–"often,"they"take"place"at"the"interstices"between"academic"
and" artistic" fields," in" summer" schools" or" conferences" (I" have" mentioned" PSi" #15" as" an"
example)," or" they" are" for" instance" presented" as" a" discursive" format" programmed"
alongside" performance" or" theatre" festivals.30"Discussions" and" workshops" are" also" often"
part" of" these"events," and"occasionally" lecture"performances"also" incorporate" or"at" least"
make"provisions"for"an"audience"discussion"(most"prominently"Xavier"Le"Roy’s"Product!of!
Circumstances" (1999)" that" I" will" discuss" in" chapter" 4)." Maybe," the" discourse" about" the"
lecture"performance"takes"place"here,"in"the"discussions"and"conversations"around"them"
that"are"often"not"easily"distinguished"from"the"works"themselves,"or"that"are"part"of"the"
larger"context"these"works"are"in"turn"part"of"–"that"is,"they"exist"in"an"oral"realm"that"is"
not"easily"accessible"retrospectively."
"
Conclusion#and#outline:#the#lecture#performance#in#context#
"
In" the" various" descriptions" and" definitions" of" the" lecture" performance" that" I" have"
quoted," the" lecture" performance" appears" as" a" hybrid" form" that" not" only" combines" the"
cultural" performance" of" the" lecture" and" artistic" performance," but" also" potentially"
connects"various"artistic"forms"and"projects"–"temporally"as"well"as"conceptually."Lecture"
performances"function"both"discursively"and"aesthetically."With"regard"to"their"relation"to"
the"academic"lecture,"this"means"that"they"simultaneously"participate"in"and"aesthetically"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
29
"The"lack"of"academic"research"into"the"lecture"is"remarkable"when"looking"at"the"importance"it"has"for"
academic" discourse," as" Peters" points" out:" “The" lecture" as" an" academic" format" and" event" has," despite" its"
eminent" importance" for" academic" practice," for" the" most" part" remained" an" anathema" in" the" history" of"
science.”" (Peters" 2005:" 311)" [“Der" Vortrag" als" wissenschaftliches" Format" und" Geschehen" ist," seiner"
eminenten" Bedeutung" für" die" akademische" Praxis" zum" Trotz," bisher" weitgehend" Anathema" der"
Wissenschaftsgeschichte"geblieben.“]"
30
"An" example" would" be" Alles! Anders?," a" programme" of" lecture" performances" presented" at" the" festival"
Wiener!Festwochen!in"2010"(Wiener"Festwochen"2010).""
17"
"
explore" the" performative" production" and" dissemination" of" knowledge" enacted" in"
traditional" lectures." Yet" they" also" often" explore" the" performance" event" itself," thus"
negotiating" a" knowledge" of" and" about" performance" (e.g." when" they" turn" either" the"
documentation" of" an" existing" work" or" the" conception" of" a" yet" unrealized" work" into" an"
event," or" when" they" negotiate" the" relation" of" performance" practice" and" theory)." In" this"
sense," lecture" performances" function" simultaneously" as" metaUlectures" and" as" metaU
performances,"which"in"turn"means"that"it"is"not"least"in"lecture"performances"themselves"
that" the" discourse" about" the" lecture" performance" takes" place." The" lecture" performance"
therefore" has" to" be" approached" from" two" angles," by" exploring" both" its" relation" to" the"
academic"lecture"and"to"other"contemporary"performance"practices.""
In"the"following"chapter,"I"will"look"in"detail"at"these"two"contexts"that"the"lecture"
performance"participates"in"and"that"give"it"its"name."I"am"here"deliberately"choosing"the"
term" ‘context’" rather" than" ‘genre’," as" this" analysis," too," has" to" look" beyond" the" “norms"
and"interdictions”"that"could"indicate"a"“belonging”"of"the"lecture"performance"to"either"
one"or"both"of"these"genres."Instead,"my"focus"will"be"on"the"question"how"the"lecture"
performance"challenges"established"ideas"about"how"meaning"is"produced"in"lectures"and"
artistic"performances."If"I"am"right"in"considering"the"lecture"performance"as"both"metaU
lecture" and" metaUperformance," than" it" is" not" least" by" displaying" certain" traits" identified"
with"either"format"that"the"lecture"performance"transcends"the"limits"of"these"respective"
genres," because" these" traits" themselves" and" the" question" how" they" participate" in" the"
production" of" meaning" can" become" the" object" of" the" enquiry." Or," in" other" words," by"
making" an" example" of" itself," the" lecture" performance" does" more" than" indicate" its"
belonging" to" a" genre" (which" in" itself" according" to" Derrida" is" enough" to" undermine" the"
notion"of"belonging),"it"negotiates"the"conditions"of"this"belonging"or"notUbelonging.""
To"speak"of"the"lecture"performance’s"participation"in"the"contexts!of!lecturing!and!
performing" rather" than" in" the" genres" of" lecture" and" performance" still" implies" a" concern"
with" such" questions" of" belonging." At" the" same" time," however," according" to" Derrida," “a"
context" is" never" absolutely" determinable," or" rather," [...]" its" determination" can" never" be"
entirely"certain"or"saturated”"(Derrida"1988:"2)."At"the"beginning"of"his"lecture"‘Signature"
Event"Context’,"Derrida"speaks"of"“the"limits"of"what"is"called"a"context”"(2),"a"formulation"
that"implies"a"parallel"between"determining"the"context"of"an"utterance"and"establishing"
the"genre"of"a"work"(which"Derrida,"as"I"have"quoted,"also"refers"to"as"the"drawing"of"a"
“limit”)."However,"the"“norms"and"interdictions”"that"establish"a"context"can"remain"less"
18"
"
specific" compared" to" those" that" delineate" a" genre," which" shows" in" Derrida’s"
characterisation" of" the" “conventional" context”" he" is" presenting" his" lecture" in" (a"
colloquium"on"the"subject"of"“communication”)"as"“produced"by"a"kind"of"consensus"that"
is"implicit"but"structurally"vague”"(2)."Despite"these"implicit"“presuppositions”"(3)"at"work"
in" establishing" a" context," no" utterance" can" ever" be" contained" within" the" limits" thus"
established,"as"Derrida"goes"on"to"argue"in"the"course"of"the"lecture"and"throughout"the"
other"texts"collected"in"the"book"Limited!Inc.!For"Derrida,"it"is"because"of"the"“iterability”"
(12)"of"every"utterance"that"its"context"can"never"be"fully"and"finally"determined:"“Every"
sign,"linguistic"or"nonlinguistic,"spoken"or"written"(in"the"current"sense"of"this"opposition),"
in" a" small" or" large" unit," can" be" cited," put" between" quotation" marks;" in" so" doing" it" can"
break" with" every" given" context," engendering" an" infinity" of" new" contexts" in" a" manner"
which"is"absolutely"illimitable”"(12).31""
This"understanding"of"context"as"“limitless”32"(136)"that"Derrida"argues"for"I"think"is"
essential"to"an"exploration"of"the"contexts"of"the"lecture"performance:"Firstly,"the"shifting"
between" contexts" and" the" “engendering”" of" new" contexts" that" Derrida" describes" as" a"
possibility" for" every" “sign”" is" actualised" in" the" hybrid" form" of" the" lecture" performance."
And"secondly,"the"lecture"performance,"by"participating"in"the"genres"of"the"lecture"and"
of" artistic" performance," also" participates" in" the" larger" contexts" (institutional," historical,"
discursive," economical," thematic" or" other)" that" these" forms" themselves" participate" in."
This" is" also" evident" in" my" discussion" of" the" immediate" contexts" of" the" lecture"
performance:" for" the" context" of" lecturing," I" will" in" chapter" 2" not" only" consider" how" the"
lecture"performance"participates"in"the"larger"context"of"academia"or"the"university,"but"I"
will" furthermore" consider" the" lecture" performance" in" relation" to" the" increasing"
importance" of" presentational" formats" outside" of" the" established" sites" of" knowledge"
production." With" regard" to" the" context" of" artistic" performance," I" will" also" take" into"
account" the" historical" and" institutional" contexts" of" the" emergence" of" the" lecture"
performance." In" both" cases," I" will" ask" how" the" lecture" performance" transcends" the"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
31
"At"a"later"stage"in"the"book,"Derrida"tries"to"state"this"idea"more"precisely:"“It"would"have"been"better"and"
more" precise" to" have" said" ‘engendering" and" inscribing" itself,’" or" being" inscribed" in," new" contexts." For" a"
context" never" creates" itself" ex! nihilo;" no" mark" can" create" or" engender" a" context" on" its" own," much" less"
dominate" it." This" limit," this" finitude" is" the" condition" under" which" contextual" transformation" remains" an"
always"open"possibility.”"(Derrida"1988:"79)"
32
"For"Derrida,"such"an"understanding"of"context"is"essential"to"the"definition"of"deconstruction:"“One"of"the"
definitions"of"what"is"called"deconstruction"would"be"the"effort"to"take"this"limitless"context"into"account,"to"
pay" the" sharpest" and" broadest" attention" possible" to" context," and" thus" to" an" incessant" movement" of"
recontextualization.”"(Derrida"1988:"136)"
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19"
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perceived" “limits”" of" each" of" these" contexts," in" particular" the" “presuppositions”" about"
how"meaning,"knowledge"or"understanding"are"produced"in"them.""
In" chapters" 3" to" 5," I" will" continue" this" investigation" into" the" contexts" of" the" lecture"
performance" by" looking" in" detail" at" how" individual" examples" of" lecture" performances"
engage"with"or"establish"specific"contexts"both"on"the"level"of"form"and"content."These"
contexts"of"course"overlap"and"intersect,"and"my"concern"is"not"with"distinctions"between"
them"but"with"tracing"what"Derrida"calls"“an"incessant"movement"of"recontextualization”"
(Derrida" 1988:" 136)" that," rather" than" in" any" specific" context," I" think" the" lecture"
performance"could"best"be"described"as"participating"in."My"introduction"to"each"of"these"
chapters"will"be"a"discussion"of"a"“historical”"performance"or"practice"that"precedes"the"
establishment"of"the"term"‘lecture"performance’"–"as"a"foil"for"the"contemporary"contexts"
that"the"lecture"performance"participates"in.""
In" chapter" 3," entitled" Contexts! of! making! and! watching," I" will" analyse" lecture"
performances"that"explore"the"relation"between"live"event"and"documentation"(a"relation"
that" I" will" approach" through" a" discussion" of" works" by" Chris" Burden)." These" lecture"
performances" by" WagnerUFeiglUForschung," Jérôme" Bel" and" Rabih" Mroué" all" engage" with"
past"performance"work:"performances"by"the"artists"themselves,"performances"they"have"
witnessed,"historical"performances"or"works"that"were"never"realised."I"will"discuss"in"this"
chapter" how" these" lecture" performances" negotiate" the" status" of" documentation" in"
relation"to"the"live"event"and"what"kind"of"relationships"between"artist"and"spectator,"or"
rather," between" the" activities" of" making" and" watching" performance," are" envisioned" in"
them."In"chapter"4,"Contexts!of!addressing!and!instituting,"I"will"investigate"how"lecture"
performances" negotiate" their" relation" to" specific" institutional" and" disciplinary" contexts,"
and"at"how"they"attempt"to"create"different"kinds"of"publics"through"different"modes"of"
addressing"their"audience:"addressing"an"audience"in"the"name"of"an"institution"but"doing"
so" while" taking" on" a" fictional" persona" (Andrea" Fraser)," addressing" a" public" with" an"
autobiographical" narrative" that" is" primarily" an" account" of" the" artist’s" professional" life" in"
different"institutional"contexts"(Xavier"Le"Roy)"and"addressing"a"public"in"the"name"of"an"
institution"that"is"yet"to"be"established"and"whose"establishment"depends"largely"on"the"
public" thus" addressed" (geheimagentur)." In" chapter" 5," Contexts! of! assembling! and!
disseminating,"I"will"look"at"participatory"works"that"transgress"the"mode"of"the"singular"
performance" event" by" negotiating" their" relation" to" a" wider" discursive" context" that" they"
participate" in" or" establish:" Hurtzig’s" series" Blackmarket! for! Useful! Knowledge! and! NonA
20"
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Knowledge! that" I" have" already" briefly" described" and" works" by" Joshua" Sofaer" that" in"
different"ways"try"to"enable"anyone"to"deliver"a"lecture."Joseph"Beuys’s"practice"serves"as"
a"historical"foil"to"the"contemporary"works"in"this"chapter,"and"I"will"return"to"Beuys"again"
in" the" conclusion," where" I" will" look" at" how" one" of" my" own" lecture" performances"
participates" in" the" various" contexts" that" the" previous" chapters" have" focused" on."
Developed" as" part" of" this" research" project," Would! Joseph! Beuys! have! used! PowerPoint?"
traces"claims"for"democratisation"and"participation"from"the"artistic"practices"that"Beuys"
and" others" introduced" in" the" 1960s" and" 70s" to" the" PowerPoint" presentation" as" the"
paradigmatic"presentation"format"today.""
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Chapter#2#
CONTEXTS#OF#LECTURING#AND#PERFORMING#
#
Where#and#when#to#begin?#
"
In" this" chapter," I" will" look" at" how" the" lecture" performance" participates" in" the"
contexts"of"the"lecture"on"the"one"hand,"and"of"artistic"performance"on"the"other"hand."
By" looking" at" these" contexts" separately," I" am" aware" that" I" appear" to" be" reinforcing" a"
seemingly"strict"delineation"between"them"–"and"with"it"a"delineation"between"academic"
practice" and" art," between" cultural" and" artistic" performance," between" different" types" of"
knowledge" –" despite" the" proposition" made" in" the" previous" chapter" that" the" lecture"
performance"actually"blurs"such"distinctions."It"will,"however,"hopefully"become"evident"
that"these"distinctions"are"from"the"outset"never"as"strict"as"they"might"appear."Maybe,"
the" lecture" performance" not" only" blurs" distinctions," but" it" also" foregrounds" already"
existing" similarities" and" connections" between" its" various" contexts." In" order" to" establish"
these" connections," I" have" decided" to" keep" these" contexts" provisionally" distinct" in" the"
following"discussion."However,"not"only"the"delineation"between"these"contexts"is"up"for"
discussion," but" also" the" delineation" of" those" contexts" themselves:" how" far" do" these"
contexts" extend," and" what" has" to" be" included" in" the" discussion" to" understand" how" the"
lecture"performance"relates"to"them?"For"instance,"is"it"enough"to"focus"on"the"academic"
lecture,"or"do"other"forms"of"presentations"or,"even"more"generally,"of"public"speech"have"
to"be"taken"into"consideration?"And,"with"respect"to"artistic"performance,"how"far"do"we"
have"to"go"back"in"art"history"to"understand"the"lecture"performance?"And,"considering"
the" different" backgrounds" of" artists" working" with" the" format," what" different" artistic"
disciplines" will" have" to" be" accounted" for" in" this" discussion?" Finally," the" question" where"
and"when"to"begin"does"not"only"pose"itself"for"the"context"of"artistic"performance,"but"
also" for" the" context" of" the" lecture," where" Peters," as" I" have" already" quoted," sees" the"
lecture"performance"in"a"tradition"“that"can"be"traced"back"at"least"to"the"18th"century”"
(Peters"2011:"10).""
In"outlining"how"the"lecture"performance"participates"in"the"contexts"of"the"lecture"
and" of" artistic" performance," this" chapter" will" thus" also" function" both" as" a" historical"
overview" and" as" a" literature" review." One" of" my" main" references" in" the" first" part" of" this"
chapter"will"be"Erving"Goffman’s"‘The"Lecture’!(1981),"the"published"text"of"a"lecture"that"
22"
"
Goffman"originally"delivered"in"1976."In"it"the"sociologist"provides"a"lucid"analysis"of"the"
performance"of"the"lecture"while"at"the"same"time"arguing"that"it"is"of"little"significance"
for"an"understanding"of"a"lecture"whether"it"is"encountered"through"its"live"performance"
or" as" text." The" other" main" reference" point" is" Peters’s" research" on" the" lecture." Peters’s"
book" The! Lecture! as! Performance" and" numerous" essays" she" has" written" on" the" topic" of"
the" lecture" from" different" angles" constitute" the" most" substantial" investigation" of" the"
academic"lecture"to"date.33"What"is"of"particular"relevance"to"this"thesis"is"that,"as"I"have"
already"mentioned,"Peters’s"interest"in"the"academic"lecture"originated"in"an"interest"in"
the" lecture" performance" (Peters" 2006:" 121ff.)" –" references" to" lecture" performances"
feature" regularly" in" her" essays," some" of" her" writing" directly" addresses" the" lecture"
performance" form," and," last" but" not" least," Peters" also" makes" lecture" performances"
herself.34"Even" though" I" will" come" back" to" her" writing" at" several" points" in" the" course" of"
this"thesis,"the"full"scope"of"Peters’s"extensive"writing"on"the"lecture"exceeds"the"topic"of"
this" dissertation," and" I" will" instead" focus" on" those" elements" that" are" relevant" to" my"
discussion"of"the"lecture"performance.""
I"will"start"this"chapter"by"looking"at"the"relevance"that"the"lecture"has"today,"at"a"
time" when" its" institutional" context," the" university," is" undergoing" radical" changes." I" will"
discuss"how"the"format"of"the"lecture"is"tied"to"questions"of"authority,"and"how"lectures"
both"mirror"and"shape"our"understanding"of"what"constitutes"knowledge."I"will"then"go"
on" to" examine" the" relations" between" the" lecture" event 35 "and" the" lecture" text," i.e."
between"two"different"types"of"encounters"one"can"have"with"a"lecture."This"will"lead"me"
to" explore" how" exactly" meaning" is" produced" in" lectures" by" looking" at" what" Peters"
describes" as" the" relation" between" “discursive”" 36 "(Peters" 2005:" 315)" and" “nonU
discursive”37"(315)" elements" in" this" process." Finally," I" will" investigate" how" the" lecture’s"
subject"matter"focuses"an"audience’s"attention"towards"something"other"than"the"lecture"

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33
"The" essays" are" written" and" published" in" German," which" also" means" that" Peters’s" historical" analyses"
mainly"focus"on"(but"are"not"limited"to)"a"German"context."I"will"not"retrace"the"historical"development"of"
the" lecture" here" in" detail," as" it" only" becomes" important" for" my" research" project" if" one" of" the" lecture"
performances"analysed"here"explicitly"refers"to"this"history."
34
"One" example" is" The! Art! of! Demonstration" (2005," developed" together" with" Matthias" Anton)," a" lecture"
performance"about"lecturing.""
35
"Although"any"‘lecture"event’"can"also"be"considered"as"a"performance,"I"am"here"using"the"term"‘lecture"
event’" to" describe" the" performance" of" the" academic" lecture" in" order" to" avoid" confusion" with" the" term"
‘lecture"performance’."
36
"“Diskursiven“.""
37
"“NichtUDiskursiven”.""
23"
"
itself,"and"address"the"question"what"this"means"for"lecture"performances,"as"they"always"
also"exhibit"their"own"lectureUness.""
In"the"second"part"of"the"chapter,"I"will"first"look"at"the"emergence"of"the"lecture"
performance"in"the"context"of"performance"history,"which"will"also"lead"me"to"consider"
different" accounts" of" this" history" and" different" conceptions" of" performance" as" an" art"
form."Within"this"history,"I"will"pay"particular"attention"to"the"specific"situation"around"the"
turn"of"the"millennium,"and"thus"to"the"time"when"the"lecture"performance"began"to"be"
recognised" as" an" artistic" format" in" its" own" right." I" will" then" ask" how" the" lecture"
performance"relates"to"models"of"the"aesthetic"perception"of"performance"that"privilege"
performance’s"experiential"over"its"discursive"qualities."To"conclude,"I"will"briefly"address"
the"question"how"the"relation"between"performance"and"documentation"is"negotiated"in"
lecture" performances," an" aspect" that" I" will" return" to" and" expand" on" in" chapter" 3" and"
throughout"the"rest"of"this"thesis.""
"
Contexts#of#lecturing#
Presentation,#lecture,#performance#
"
In"2005,"musician"and"artist"David"Byrne"presented"a"lecture"entitled"I!♥!PowerPoint"
in" Berkeley.38"In" his" introduction" to" the" event," Ken" Goldberg," the" engineering" professor"
and"artist"who"had"invited"Byrne,"is"quoted"as"having"said"about"Microsoft’s"often"heavily"
criticised39"presentation"software:""It's"easy"to"ridicule"it"for"its"corporate"nature,"but"the"
real"story"is"about"how"participatory"and"democratic"it"is."High"school"kids"use"it,"rabbis"
use"it,"people"even"use"it"for"wedding"toasts.""(in"Powell"2005)"
This" statement," while" playing" down" any" possible" serious" concerns" about" the"
corporate" nature" of" PowerPoint," raises" some" interesting" questions" about" the" increasing"
importance" of" presentational" forms" in" many" branches" of" society," a" development" for"

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38
"Byrne" has" delivered" a" number" of" these" lectures," and" has" worked" extensively" with" PowerPoint" as" a"
medium" for" his" art" (more" information" on" this" strand" of" Byrne’s" work" can" be" found" on" his" website" (Byrne"
2012))."
39
"A" famous" critique" of" PowerPoint" has" been" formulated" by" Edward" Tufte," who," in" an" article" entitled"
PowerPoint! Is! Evil" (2003)," states" that" the" use" of" the" software" in" presentations" leads" to" a" simplification" of"
complex"issues:"“the"PowerPoint"style"routinely"disrupts,"dominates,"and"trivializes"content”"(Tufte"2003)."
24"
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which"the"popularity"of"PowerPoint"could"serve"as"an"indication.40"In"their"multiple"uses"–"
in"fields"such"as"business,"education,"art,"but"also,"as"Ken"Goldberg"mentions,"in"religious"
contexts" or" for" festive" occasions" etc." –" PowerPoint" presentations" are" paradigmatic" for"
today’s" ubiquity" of" the" presentational." While" the" ‘lecture’" in" ‘lecture" performance’"
suggests" quite" unambiguously" that" the" academic" lecture" is" the" main" formal" reference"
point"for"the"lecture"performance,"it"seems"necessary"to"discuss"the"lecture"performance"
also"in"the"context"of"the"emergence"of"what"has"been"called"the"“presentation"society”41"
(Peters"2011:"15).""
Another" example" for" the" popularity" of" presentational" formats" outside" of" the"
academic" realm" are" formats" like" the" soUcalled" ‘TED" Conferences’," which," as" Peters"
describes,"“put"the"focus"on"the"presenters"[…]"as"charismatic"advocates"of"their"ideas”42"
(164)."In"TED"events,"as"the"TED"website"proclaims,"“the"world's"most"interesting"thinkers"
and"doers”"(TED"2014)"share"their"ideas"in"a"standardised"format"of"eighteenUminuteUlong"
presentations"that"often"rely"heavily"on"biographical"narration"(Peters"2011:"164)."Peters"
points"out"that"this"focus"on"individual"personalities"erodes"possible"distinctions"between"
the" disciplinary" or" institutional" backgrounds" of" the" speakers," for" instance" whether" they"
are" entrepreneurs" or" scientists" (165)." While" the" events" themselves" are" very" exclusive"
(tickets" cost" thousands" of" dollars)," the" presentations" are" filmed" and" many" of" them" are"
made" available" to" be" watched" online." The" presentations" are" thus" conceived"
simultaneously" as" (exclusive)" live" events" and" as" (accessible" and" potentially" viral)" online"
videos."Considering"the"TED"motto"–"“ideas"worth"spreading”"–,"it"could"be"said"that"the"
live"manifestations"of"the"TED"talks"evidences"the"“worth”"of"the"ideas,"while"the"online"
manifestations" guarantee" that" they" are" being" “spread”." The" TED" talks" thus" not" only"
illustrate"the"role"that"digitalisation"has"in"changing,"as"Mercedes"Bunz"puts"it"in"Die!stille!
Revolution"(The!silent!revolution),"“what"and"how"we"know”43"(Bunz"2012:"11);"they"at"the"
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40
"In" 2011" I" developed" the" lecture" performance" Would! Joseph! Beuys! have! used! PowerPoint?," which" I" will"
document"and"discuss"later"on"in"this"thesis."As"this"lecture"performance"negotiates"and"expands"on"some"
of" the" questions" I" raise" throughout" the" thesis," and" in" particular" in" this" chapter," and" because" it" also"
incorporates" some" of" the" references" and" formulations" I" use" here," some" repetitions" will" become" evident"
when"watching"the"video"documentation."I"have"nevertheless"decided"to"keep"these"elements"both"in"the"
documentation" of" the" lecture" performance" and" in" this" chapter," for" two" reasons:" firstly," because" they" are"
essential"for"developing"my"argument"in"both"instances,"and"secondly,"because"I"believe"that"this"way"I"also"
document"my"own"research"process,"and"how"this"process"can"manifest"in"different"ways:"in"the"thesis,"and"
in"the"lecture"performance"that"has"originated"from"the"same"research"process"and"is"in"turn"incorporated"
into"the"thesis.""
41
"“Präsentationsgesellschaft”.""
42
"“stehen"die"Vortragenden"im"Mittelpunkt"[...]"als"charismatische"VerfechterInnen"ihrer"Ideen”.""
43
"“was"und"wie"wir"wissen”.""
25"
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same"time"show"how"a"“new"social"relevance”44"(9)"of"knowledge"seems"always"already"
linked"to"economical"considerations."In"this"respect,"the"TED"talks"can"be"said"to"have"a"
normative" function," an" aspect" that" Ramon" Reichert" has" identified" for" the" online"
encyclopaedia"Wikipedia."Although"it"is"usually"associated"with"“chances"for"participation"
and"strategies"of"empowerment”45"(Reichert"2008:"209),"according"to"Reichert,"Wikipedia"
relies" on" “values" such" as" flexibility," mobility," creativity," and" individual" responsibility”46,"
and" thus" replicates" the" organisation" of" capitalist" production" in" today’s" knowledge"
economy."
The"increasing"importance"of"presentational"formats"outside"of"academic"contexts"
means" that," as" Peters" points" out," “[s]cience" is" at" present" significantly" losing" societal"
influence" with" regard" to" the" presentation" of" knowledge" in" general.”" (Peters" 2011:" 15)47"
This" in" turn" has" implications" for" the" form" of" the" lecture" itself," as" the" “conventions" of"
academic" presentations”" (15)48"are" no" longer" essential" in" defining" what" constitutes" a"
presentation"of"knowledge."Instead,"as"Peters"and"others"have"shown"(and"I"will"expand"
on" this" later)," how" knowledge" is" presented" increasingly" follows" an" economic" logic" in"
which" knowledge" is" primarily" treated" as" a" resource:" “While" this" logic" of" a" ‘knowledge"
society’" holds" research" in" high" esteem" as" the" central" context" for" the" production" of"
knowledge,"knowledge"is"at"the"same"time"dissociated"fundamentally"from"the"scene"of"
its"production."It"is"no"longer"legitimised"by"the"methods"through"which"it"is"generated,"
but"by"the"efficiency"of"its"application"as"resource.”49"(16)"This"for"Peters"means"that"the"
presentation"of"knowledge"has"to"present"itself"as"“a"good"performance”50"(16).""
Whilst"I"agree"with"Peters’s"assessment"of"this"development,"it"has"to"be"noted"that"
in" her" account" of" the" history" of" the" lecture" she" mentions" many" instances" in" which" the"
perception"of"what"constitutes"a"lecture"has"been"challenged"or"shifted"by"developments"
that"originated"outside"of"the"fields"of"academia"or"science."Peters"recounts"how"in"the"
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44
"“neue"gesellschaftliche"Rolle”."While"the"literal"translation"of"“Rolle”"would"be"“role”,"Bunz"here"stresses"
not"only"a"new"function"of"or"relation"towards"knowledge,"but"also"its"increased"importance"in"society."
45
"“Beteiligungschancen"und"Ermächtigungsstrategien”."
46
"“Werten"wie"Flexibilität,"Mobilität,"Kreativität"und"Eigenverantwortung”."
47
"“Die"Wissenschaft"verliert"gegenwärtig"deutlich"an"gesellschaftlichem"Einfluss,"was"die"Präsentation"von"
Wissen" generell" angeht.”" Peters‘s" main" reference" here" is" Schnettler’s" and" Knoblauch‘s" research" into" the"
PowerPoint"presentation"(Knoblauch"and"Schnettler"2007).""
48
"“Konventionen"wissenschaftlicher"Präsentationen”."
49
"“Denn" zwar" wird" Forschung" in" der" Logik" dieser" ›Wissensgesellschaft‹" als" zentraler"
Produktionszusammenhang"von"Wissen"hoch"geschätzt,"zugleich"löst"sich"Wissen"jedoch"in"fundamentaler"
Weise"von"der"Szene"seiner"Produktion."Es"wird"nicht"mehr"über"die"Verfahren"seiner"Entstehung,"sondern"
von"der"Effizienz"seines"Einsatzes"als"Ressource"her"legitimiert."”""
50
"“eine"gute"Performance“.""
26"
"
1850s"and"1860s"women"for"the"first"time"addressed"a"mixedUsex"public"audience"in"the"
context"of"spiritualist"“trance"lectures”,"where"they"claimed"to"speak"for"the"dead"(83ff.);"
she" describes" how" in" the" 18th" century" demonstrations" of" newly" discovered" scientific"
phenomena"like"electricity"produced"“new,"heterogeneous"publics"that"spanned"from"the"
auditorium" to" the" market" stand”51"(85);" and" she" refers" to" magic" shows" of" 19th" century"
carnivals," in" which" illusions" like" levitations" were" often" presented" as" revealing" hitherto"
unknown"scientific"phenomena"and"were"as"such"“embedded"in"lecture"performances”52"
(87)." Furthermore," Peters" describes" how" new" academic" disciplines" also" introduced" new"
elements" to" the" lecture:" “A" prominent" example" for" this" is" the" emergence" of" an"
experimental"natural"science,"which"at"first"was"met"with"hostility"not"only"by"the"fields"of"
philosophy" and" mathematics," but" also" by" natural" history," the" argument" being" that"
experimentation" was" about" selfUproduced" effects" that" could" as" such" not" be" found" in"
nature"itself.”53"(9U10)""
Such" a" critical" position" against" developments" that" contest" established" notions" of"
science"or"research"is"mirrored"in"Peters’s"own"critique"of"the"presentation"of"knowledge"
in" today’s" “presentation" society”." That" Peters" at" the" same" time" places" the" lecture"
performance" in" the" tradition" of" an" “art" of" lecturing”," whose" formation" she" herself"
characterises" as" defined" by" influences" from" outside" the" fields" of" academia" or" science,"
raises" the" question" why" the" lecture" performance" rather" than" the" presentation" of"
knowledge" as" resource" (which" Peters" identifies" as" the" norm" for" presentations" today)"
should" be" considered" as" the" continuation" of" that" tradition." In" other" words," there" is" a"
certain" ambiguity" in" Peters’s" argument" with" regard" to" the" status" of" the" lecture"
performance"in"relation"to"the"emergence"of"a"“presentation"society”:"sometimes"Peters"
describes" the" lecture" performance" as" a" critical" response" to" this" development" and" as" a"
means" of" counteracting" it" –" for" instance" in" discussing" the" lecture" performance" in" the"
context" of" attempts" to" create" alternative" spaces" of" knowledge" production." Other" times"
she" describes" at" length" how" the" lecture" performance" follows" the" logic" of" the" business"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
51
"“neue,"heterogene"Öffentlichkeiten,"die"vom"Salon"über"den"Hörsaal"bis"zum"Marktstand"reichten“.""
52
"“[...]" in" Vortragsperformances" eingebettet“." Peters" here" uses" the" German" term" “Vortragsperformance“,"
which" she" applies" whenever" discussing" any" lecture" as" performance," whilst" reserving" the" English" “lecture"
performance“"to"describe"specifically"the"lecture"performance"as"an"artistic"performance,"a"distinction"that"
she"however"does"not"elaborate"on.""
53
"“Ein"prominentes"Beispiel"dafür"ist"die"Entstehung"der"experimentellen"Naturwissenschaft,"die"zunächst"
nicht" nur" von" Seiten" der" Philosophie" und" der" Mathematik," sondern" auch" von" der" Naturgeschichte"
angefeindet" wurde," und" zwar" mit" dem" Argument," beim" Experimentieren" ginge" es" um" selbst" produzierte"
Effekte,"die"in"der"Natur"so"gar"nicht"anzutreffen"seien.“""
27"
"
presentation" (195)" as" a" continuous" “deferral” 54 "of" production" and" analyses" how" it"
reproduces" the" element" of" selfUpresentation" characteristic" for" the" postUFordist" labour"
market"(an"element"that"is"for"instance"central"to"a"format"like"the"TED"talks).""
Moreover," it" is" not" only" the" lecture" performance" itself," but" more" generally" an"
understanding" of" the" lecture" as" performance" that" for" Peters" promises" a" way" out" of" the"
demand"for"a"“good"performance”:"“Understanding"the"lecture"as"performance"opens"up"
the"opportunity"to"expose"the"knowledgeUpoietic"potential"of"the"lecture,"which"is"under"
threat" of" being" covered" up" by" the" effort" to" achieve" a" better" ‘presentation"
performance’.”55"(16U17)"In"this"one"sentence,"the"term"‘performance’"is"used"to"describe"
both" a" live" presentation" for" an" audience" and" the" success" of" that" presentation," its"
accomplishment.""
While"I"will"expand"on"these"different"notions"of"performance"later,"for"now"I"would"
like" to" point" out" that" this" double" meaning" contributes" to" the" ambiguity" of" Peters’s"
assessment" of" the" lecture" performance." Or," in" other" words," an" “understanding" of" the"
lecture"as"performance”"in"the"sense"of"a"“good"performance”"is"in"fact"constitutive"for"
the"development"that"Peters"proposes"such"an"understanding"could"counteract."But"not"
only" is" the" ambiguity" not" easily" resolved," it" is" exactly" this" ambiguity" that" many" lecture"
performances"negotiate.56"The"popularity"of"the"lecture"performance"form"might"actually"
be"linked"to"the"ambiguity"inherent"in"the"form,"to"the"fact"that"the"lecture"performance"
can"be"read"both"as"an"example"of"and"as"a"critique"of"the"role"of"knowledge"production"
and"presentation"in"today’s"society.""
In" an" essay" that" considers" the" “use" of" performative" art" as" a" form" of" academic"
publication" practice” 57 "(Roms" 2013:" 205U206)," Heike" Roms" only" briefly" (and" with"
reference"to"Peters)"mentions"the"lecture"as"performance"(205)."Nevertheless,"her"focus"
on" the" question" how" research" is" presented" to" a" public" through" performance" is" of" great"
relevance"here."Roms"shows"how"artistic"forms"of"the"presentation"of"research"that"have"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
54
"“Aufschub”."I"have"already"quoted"Peters’s"remark"that"the"lecture"performance"can"follow"the"logic"of"
the"business"presentation"by"turning"process"into"product"and"thus"meeting"the"demand"for"a"presentable"
product"while"promising"that"there"is"an"“optimum"yet"to"be"achieved”."[see"footnote"24]"
55
"“Im" Verständnis" des" Vortrags" als" Performance" liegt" immer" auch" die" Chance," das" wissenspoietische"
Potential" des" Vortrags" freizulegen," das" vom" Bemühen" um" eine" bessere" ›Präsentationsperformance‹"
überdeckt"zu"werden"droht.“""
56
"Peters"for"instance"mentions"the"first"part"of"Jochen"Roller’s"perform!performing"(2003),"in"which"Roller"
addresses"his"precarious"working"conditions"as"both"dancer"and"callUcentre"agent."
57
"“der"Einsatz"performativer"Kunst"als"Form"wissenschaftlicher"Veröffentlichungspraxis”."
28"
"
evolved" in" the" context" of" the" “institutional" acceptance”58"(207)" of" artistic" research" or"
“practiceUasUresearch”" (207)" in" the" last" two" decades" can" be" seen" as" compatible" with"
demands"for"a"measurable"public"“impact”"of"research,"a"demand"posed"in"the"context"of"
a"restructuring"and"increasing"privatisation"of"the"universities"in"the"UK."Artistic"research"
is"here"perceived"to"generate"“new"publics"and"a"new"kinds"of"participation"in"academic"
research”59"(208)." At" the" same" time," the" idea" of" the" public" that" is" addressed" by" the"
university" is" shifting:" Roms" describes" that" the" evaluation" of" academic" research" is" no"
longer"undertaken"only"by"other"academics"or"scientists,"but"also"by"soUcalled"“research"
users”" (213)," whose" background" is" often" in" business." This" logic," as" Roms" describes,"
ultimately"leads"to"a"privatisation"of"research:"“Because"if"it"can"be"so"clearly"defined"who"
benefits" from" research," then" the" funding" of" this" research" might" as" well" be" left" to" these"
recipients.”60""
Despite" thus" illustrating" the" extent" to" which" artistic" forms" of" presenting" research"
can"be"instrumentalised"in"a"discourse"of"efficiency,"impact"and"usefulness"characteristic"
for"today’s"knowledge"economy,"Roms"also"describes"a"critical"potential"of"these"forms,"
and"I"would"like"to"argue"that"this"potential"can"also"be"found"in"the"lecture"performance:"
to" create" different" kinds" of" impact" that" are" not" predefined," and" to" make" not" only" the"
research"but"the"“act"of"research”61"(222)"accessible"to"a"public"outside"of"the"university."
As"a"hybrid"form,"the"lecture"performance"participates"in"different"contexts,"and"can"thus"
foreground" and" possibly" challenge" the" conventions" of" any" one" of" these" contexts;" it" can"
address" different" publics," sometimes" even" simultaneously," and" in" choosing" how" this"
address" is" formulated" it" can" negotiate" its" relationship" to" these" publics." If" the" public"
addressed" by" universities" is" increasingly" limited" to" “research" users”," the" lecture"
performance" can" choose" to" address" a" different" kind" of" public." In" doing" so," it" is" not"
necessarily"limited"to"established"notions"of"what"constitutes"a"public."In"chapter"4,"I"will"
outline"in"detail"how"lecture"performances"can"envision"and"temporarily"constitute"new"
kinds"of"publics."
"
"
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58
"“institutionelle"Anerkennung“."
59
"„neue"Öffentlichkeiten"[...]"und"neue"Arten"der"Teilhabe"an"wissenschaftlicher"Forschung“."
60
"“Denn"wenn"man"derart"klar"benennen"kann,"wer"von"Forschung"profitiert,"dann"könnte"man"doch"
eigentlich"die"Finanzierung"dieser"Forschung"gleich"diesen"Abnehmer_innen"überlassen“."
61
"“Forschungsakt“."
29"
"
Titles#and#entitlement#
"
While" Peters" identifies" emancipatory" elements" in" certain" historical" developments"
that"have"influenced"the"practice"of"lecturing"(an"example"would"be"her"account"of"the"
role"of"women"in"“trance"lectures”),"she"does"not"do"the"same"for"presentational"formats"
that" have" emerged" in" the" last" few" decades" –" with" the" exception" of" the" lecture"
performance." However," as" Ken" Goldberg’s" statement" about" the" “democratic”" nature" of"
PowerPoint" suggests," a" reading" of" these" new" formats" as" offering" emancipatory" aspects"
could"have"some"merit.""
At"this"point,"it"seems"worth"noting"that"the"lecture"itself"is"often"perceived"as"an"
archaic"(Masschelein"and"Simons"2010:"56)"and"outdated"form"of"knowledge"transfer"and"
is" heavily" criticised," for" instance" for" being" a" form" of" “oneUtoUmany”" communication"
(Peters"2011:"162),"a"perception"that"even"scholars"arguing"in"support"of"the"continued"
relevance" of" the" lecture" –" such" as" Peters" U" concede." Masschelein" and" Simons," whose"
remarks" on" the" lecture" I" will" discuss" at" a" later" point," pose" the" question:" “[...]" why" do"
professors" in" the" age" of" the" internet" still" speak" to" masses" of" students" in" public"
lectures?”62"(Masschelein"and"Simons"2010:"56)"And"Peters"ascertains"that"“[w]hoever"is"
invested" in" new" forms" of" [knowledge]" transfer" today" tries" activating" an" audience" that"
before" seemed" to" be" reduced" to" the" role" of" recipients" in" performative" settings." Against"
this"background,"the"lecture"appears"to"be"a"traditional"and"ultimately"outdated"form"of"
transfer.”63"(Peters" 2011:" 14)" It" is" striking" that" the" criticism" outlined" in" these" remarks" is"
echoed"in"Gardner’s"critique"of"the"lecture"performance"as"being"about"“straightforward"
expertise”"rather"than"“knowledge"sharing”"(Gardener"2008)."These"criticisms"are"aimed"
at" the" specific" relation" that" the" lecture" (or," in" Gardner’s" case," the" lecture" performance)"
establishes"between"the"person"delivering"it"and"the"audience,"a"relation"that"is"perceived"
to"be"hierarchical"in"its"structure"and"to"submit"the"audience"to"a"passive"position"of"mere"
recipient.64""
It" is" not" this" relation" that" Ken" Goldberg" addresses" in" his" statement;" instead," he"
focuses" on" the" role" of" the" person" delivering" the" lecture" –" not" always" a" professor," but"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
62
"“[...]" warum" eigentlich" sprechen" Professoren" im" Zeitalter" des" Internets" noch" immer" in" öffentlichen"
Vorlesungen"zu"Massen"von"Studierenden?“""
63
"“Wer"heute"auf"neue"Formen"der"Vermittlung"setzt,"versucht,"ein"Publikum,"das"zuvor"auf"die"Rolle"von"
Rezipienten" reduziert" zu" sein" schien," in" performativen" Settings" zu" aktivieren." Der" Vortrag" erscheint" vor"
diesem"Hintergrund"als"traditionelle"und"letztlich"überholte"Form"der"Vermittlung.“"
64
"I"will"more"closely"examine"this"relation"in"the"case"studies"of"chapter"3."
30"
"
nevertheless"a"person"in"a"position"of"authority."This"role,"his"statement"suggests,"is"now,"
with"the"introduction"of"PowerPoint,"open"to"anyone,"including"school"children,"and"it"is"
here"that"he"locates"the"medium’s"potential"for"democratisation.""
In" a" selfUreferential" lecture" entitled" ‘TITLE:" to" be" specified’," Derrida" comments" on"
questions" of" authority" and" status" and" on" the" power" awarded" to" a" speaker" within" the"
institution" of" the" academy" by" reflecting" on" the" “implicit" contract”" (Derrida" 1981:" 6)"
behind"the"lecture"he"is"giving:"
"
[...]" if" the" legitimate" authorities" of" these" premises" signed" a" blank" check" honoring" me"
with" an" invitation" to" speak" about" anything" under" a" title" remaining" still" "to" be"
specified,"" it" is" only" in" authorizing" the" titles" they" recognize" in" me" that" merits" such"
confidence." A" whole" legitimizing" process" is" implied" in" this" contract," and" it" forms"
infinitely" complex" networks" of" subUcontracts," implicit" evaluations," codes" of"
admissibility," more" or" less" virtual" protocol," in" brief," of" the" establishment" of" an"
ensemble"of"titles"–"this"time"not"in"the"meaning"of"what"entitles"or"names"a"work,"a"
discourse,"a"corpus,"but"of"what"appoints,"what"legitimizes"a"function"or"gives"status"–"
a"law"(for"example"a"right"to"speak"in"given"conditions,"etc.)."(6)"
"
The" question" of" title," of" who" is" entitled" or" “authorized" to" speak" with" authority”"
(Bourdieu" 1990:" 177)," as" Bourdieu" has" put" it" in" ‘A" lecture" on" the" lecture’" (another"
example" of" a" selfUreflexive" lecture)," is" always" at" stake" when" discussing" the" academic"
lecture."In"yet"another"lecture,"Derrida"demands"“an"unconditional"freedom"to"question"
and"to"assert,"or"even,"going"still"further,"the"right"to"say"publicly"all"that"is"required"by"
research," knowledge," and" thought" concerning" the" truth”" (Derrida" 2001:" 24)" for" the"
modern"university,"a"position"that"for"Derrida"is"embodied"in"the"figure"of"the"professor."
That" lectures" and" presentations" gain" importance" outside" of" the" context" of" academia"
might" indicate" that" the" authority" of" the" professor" or" academic," the" question" who" is"
entitled65"to"“profess"the"truth”66"publicly,"is"being"reUnegotiated."Lecture"performances,"
then," in" so" far" as" they" critically" negotiate" the" authoritative" aspects" of" lecturing" and" are"
characterised" by" a" kind" of" selfUauthorisation" to" speak" publicly," could" be" seen" as" one"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
65
"Bourdieu," too," reflects" on" the" notion" of" title:" “Social" functions" are" social" fictions." And" the" rites" of"
institution" create" the" person" they" institute" as" king," knight," priest" or" professor"by"forging"his"social"image,"
fashioning" the" representation" that" he" can" and" must" give" as" a" moral" person," that" is," as" a" plenipotentiary,"
representative"or"spokesman"of"a"group."But"they"also"create"him"in"another"sense."By"giving"him"a"name,"a"
title," which" defines," institutes," and" constitutes" him," they" summon" him" to" become" what" he" is," or" rather,"
what"he"has"to"be;"they"order"him"to"fulfil"his"function,"to"take"his"place"in"the"game,"in"the"fiction,"to"play"
the"game,"to"act"out"the"function.”"(Bourdieu"1990:"195)"In"addition"to"entitling"someone"to,"for"instance,"
speak"publicly,"the"title"might"also"require"a"person"to"do"so,"to"play"the"role"associated"with"the"title."
66
"In"his"lecture,"Derrida"describes"a"form"of"public"speaking"as"elemental"to"the"university’s"existence:"“The"
university"professes"the"truth,"and"that"is"its"profession.”"(Derrida"2001:"24)"
31"
"
manifestation" of" this" more" general" development." This" does" not" mean" that" they" are" not"
institutionally" legitimised," but" rather" that" taking" up" the" position" of" authority" that" is"
associated" with" the" act" of" lecturing" is" in" the" case" of" the" lecture" performance" not"
necessarily"legitimised"by"the"institution"of"the"university.""
It"is"however"not"only"the"question"of"who"is"“authorized"to"speak"with"authority”"
that"is"at"stake"in"this"development,"but"also"the"question"to"what"extent"this"position"is"
afforded"the"“unconditional"freedom”"that"Derrida"calls"for,"which"implies"freedom"from"
the"demands"of"efficiency"and"marketability"that"are"made"when"knowledge"is"considered"
as"a"resource.""
When" Peters" describes" the" attempt" to" find" alternative" spaces" for" knowledge"
production"as"an"important"impulse"for"the"emergence"of"the"lecture"performance,"it"on"
the"one"hand"coincides"with"a"more"general"development"in"which"the"institution"of"the"
university" is" no" longer" the" prime" locale" for" the" communication" and" presentation" of"
knowledge."On"the"other"hand,"the"realisation"that"the"university"may"no"longer"be"able"
to"grant"the"freedom"that"Derrida"demands"is"linked"to"exactly"this"development."And"it"is"
here"that"the"lecture"performance"could"be"seen"as"an"attempt"to"exercise"that"freedom"
outside"of"the"framework"of"the"university."Nevertheless,"what"remains"to"be"seen"is"to"
what" extent" the" lecture" performance" can" free" itself" from" the" demands" of" presenting"
knowledge"as"resource,"especially"bearing"in"mind"that,"as"Ana"Vujanović"points"out,"one"
of"the"ways"in"which"art"can"attest"to"its"social"value"today"is"by"presenting"itself"as"a"way"
of" generating" knowledge," thus" gaining" “new" legitimacy" [...]" in" the" context" of" cognitive"
capitalism”"(Vujanović"and"Vesić"2009:"51).""
Moreover,"it"has"to"be"noted"that,"even"if"some"lecture"performance"work"indeed"
emerges" in" the" context" of" an" attempt" to" create" alternative" spaces" for" knowledge"
production,"many"lecture"performances"also"take"place"within"an"academic"context."And"
even"if"this"is"not"the"context"from"which"they"emerge,"it"is"still"a"context"in"which"they"
participate"by"appropriating"an"academic"format."The"question"then"is"how,"through"their"
participation"in"this"context,"lecture"performances"are"able"to"shift"the"parameters"of"this"
participation,"parameters"that"of"course"are"also"affected"by"developments"outside"of"the"
fields"of"academia"and"art."If"presentational"formats"and"lectureUlike"performances"of"all"
kinds" seem" to" be" ubiquitous" today," this" also" changes" the" perception" of" the" academic"
lecture."In"turn,"the"questions"how"lectures"are"perceived"and"what"roles"are"attributed"to"

32"
"
them" both" inside" and" outside" academia" affect" not" only" the" way" that" knowledge" is"
communicated"but"moreover"shape"an"understanding"of"what"knowledge"is."
"
Knowledge#and#knowXhow#
"
That" lecturing" –" or," more" broadly," the" communication" of" knowledge" –" does" not"
exclusively" take" place" in" an" academic" or" educational" environment" is," as" I" have" outlined"
above,"not"per!se"a"new"development;"but"I"would"like"to"suggest"that"the"extent"to"which"
this" is" the" case" may" be" new." That" PowerPoint" –" considered" as" the" “the" presentational"
form" of" the" soUcalled" knowledge" society”" (Peters" 2007:" 49)67"–" originated" in" business"
rather"than"academia"for"Peters"suggests"that"today"the"“status"of"knowledge"itself”"has"
changed:" “This" might" correspond" to" a" changed" status" of" knowledge" itself," which" is" no"
68
longer" primarily" defined" as" knowledge" through" academic" substantiation.” "(49)"
Conversely," as" I" have" mentioned" above," knowledge" is" considered" as" an" economic"
resource" not" only" in" the" field" of" business" but" also" in" academia." As" Jelena" Vesić" outlines"
with" regard" to" the" implementation" of" the" Bologna" Convention," knowledge," if" it" is"
considered"as"a"resource,"turns"into"knowUhow:"
"
The" Bologna" Convention" makes" it" possible" to" view" studying" as" a" kind" of" profitable"
investment" into" a" person" as" an" entrepreneurial" unit." In" other" words," its" goal" is" not"
knowledge" in" itself" or" its" socioUpolitical" utilisation," but" what" is" referred" to" as" knowA
how," something" which" is" not" attained" through" classical" schooling" but" through"
experience," practice" and" social" capital." This" is" precisely" what" regulates" obedience" to"
the" ruling" system" –" it" is" not" established," then," through" some" institutional/state/"
corporate"decree"from"above,"but"through"producing"creative"entrepreneurs"ready"to"
take"matters"into"their"own"hands"and"relieve"the"state"and"society"of"the"burden"of"
social"insurance,"permanent"employment,"etc."(Vujanović"and"Vesić"2009:"52)""
"
During" the" first" year" of" this" PhD" project" I" took" part" in" the" obligatory" research"
training" courses" organised" by" Aberystwyth" University." Whilst" this" is" not" the" place" to"
contemplate" the" implications" of" research" training," I" believe" that" the" changes" to"
knowledge"Vesić"describes"can"clearly"be"seen"in"the"layout"of"these"courses,"with"their"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
67
"“Präsentationsformat"der"so"genannten"Wissensgesellschaft”."
68
"“Dies"entspricht"möglicherweise"einem"veränderten"Status"des"Wissens"selbst,"das"als"Wissen"nicht"mehr"
in" erster" Linie" durch" eine" wissenschaftliche" Fundierung" definiert" ist.”" Another" possible" translation" for"
German" term" ‘wissenschaftlich’," which" I" have" here" translated" as" ‘academic’," would" be" ‘scientific’" –" in"
German," the" noun" ‘Wissenschaft’" designates" a" field" that" encompasses" a" broader" spectrum" of" disciplines"
than"the"English"‘science’,"ranging"from"the"natural"sciences"to"the"humanities."
33"
"
focus"on"transferrable"skills"and"personal"development."I"would"not"mention"this"here"if"it"
were" not" for" the" two" sessions" in" the" training" programme" that" dealt" with" academic"
presentations."It"seems"helpful"to"consider,"as"an"introduction"into"the"discussion"of"the"
lecture,"how"giving"a"presentation,"presenting"a"lecture"or"a"paper,"is"actually"taught"at"
university"today,"i.e."at"the"institution"that"is,"as"Jon"McKenzie"has"described"in"Perform!or!
else," itself" so" dependent" on" the" performance" of" lecturing" and" that" McKenzie," quoting"
Derrida,"describes"as"“a"powerful"reading"or"lecture"machine”"(in"McKenzie"2001:"21).69"
Interestingly," while" there" is" little" academic" research" into" the" lecture" as" a" form," it"
appears"to"be"selfUevident"that"lecturing"can"be"taught,"as"the"doctoral"research"training"
sessions" suggest." Furthermore," I" believe" it" is" important" to" refer" to" these" sessions" here"
because" they" –" somewhat" in" contrast" to" the" position" that" Goffman" formulates" in" his"
lecture"The!Lecture!(1981),"which"I"will"discuss"in"more"detail"in"the"following"section"of"
this" chapter" –" foregrounded" the" presentational" aspect" of" giving" a" paper:" “Don't" think"
about"reading"a"paper"…"rather,"think"about"making"a"presentation”"(Barker"2009)"was"a"
motto" that" session" leader" Martin" Barker" put" forward," and" session" leader" John" Harvey"
proposed"that"a"paper"for"presentation"needed"to"be"written"differently"to"the"actual"PhD"
thesis" (“The" worst" papers" sound" like" a" chapter" from" a" PhD" being" read" aloud”" (Harvey"
2009))." Both" Barker" and" Harvey" seemed" to" agree" that" there" is" a" significant" difference"
between"writing"for"a"reader"and"writing"for"a"listener"or"a"spectator"(“one"should"write"a"
conference" paper" with" a" view" to" it" being" read" and" heard”" (Harvey" 2009))." These"
statements" suggest" an" awareness" of" the" lecture" as" performance," as" a" specific" format" in"
which"research"is"presented"live,"in"front"of"an"audience."The"research"training"sessions"
with" their" focus" on" this" specificity" of" the" lecture" are" one" of" many" examples" of" an"
increased" awareness" of" the" lecture’s" eventhood" and" performativity" (compared" for"
instance"to"Goffman’s"perspective);"the"emergence"of"the"lecture"performance"could"be"
seen" as" another" example." This" altered" understanding" coincides" with" a" change" in" the"
practice" of" documentation" and" dissemination" associated" with" the" lecture" that" I" have"
already" briefly" described" with" regard" to" the" TED" talks:" today," lectures" are" increasingly"
documented"and"disseminated"as"videos,"and"made"available"online"(Peters"2011:"155)."
This"also"means"that"they"are"documented"as"performances,"as"something"that"happened"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
69
"McKenzie’s"translation"of"the"French"“machine"de"lecture”"(in"McKenzie"2001:"21)"as"‘reading’"or"‘lecture’"
machine"can"serve"as"a"reminder"that"in"English,"too,"the"term"‘lecture’"historically"described"the"“action"of"
reading”"U"and"“that"which"is"read”"(The"Oxford"English"Dictionary"1989)."
"
34"
"
in" a" specific" time" and" place," rather" than" as" text," as" something" that" can" exist"
independently"from"its"performance"and"that"has"often"had"an"existence"not"only"after,"
but"also"before"the"performance"(the"model"that,"as"we"will"see,"Goffman"relies"on"for"his"
conception"of"the"lecture).""
Yet" the" implications" of" the" lecture’s" liveness" are" rarely" discussed:" in" research"
training," there" was" no" reflection" on" how" in" a" lecture" –" through" the" lecture" form" –"
knowledge"is"not"only"communicated"but"performatively"constituted"as"knowledge."This,"
of"course,"has"to"do"with"these"sessions"being"designed"to"teach"PhD"students"“how"to"
make"a"good"/"avoid"making"a"bad"conference"presentation”"(Barker"2009)"–"the"howUtoU
guide"does"not"aim"to"provide"an"analysis"of"its"subject."A"“good”"presentation"(a"“good"
performance”," as" Peters" has" it)" in" this" case" means" one" that" achieves" a" successful"
approximation" of" the" conventions" of" lecturing" or" presenting." If" the" research" training"
sessions"showed"an"awareness"of"the"lecture"as!performance,"performance"here"–"at"least"
to" some" extent" –" has" to" be" understood" in" its" meaning" as" a" measure" for" success" and"
achievement."The"research"training"both"responds"to"and"articulates"what"Jon"McKenzie"
has" described" as" a" “challenge”" (McKenzie" 2001:" 3)" to" perform." Only" if" this" challenge" is"
met,"the"“investment"into"a"person"as"an"entrepreneurial"unit”"that"Vesić"identifies"as"the"
aim" of" studying" today" can" pay" off." In" his" attempt" to" rehearse" a" “general" theory" of"
performance”"(McKenzie"2001:"9)"McKenzie"accounts"for"different"types"of"performance"
–"“organisational"performance”"(5)"that"“help[s]"improve"the"efficiency"of"companies"and"
other"institutions”"(9)"as"well"as"“cultural"performance”"(7)"that"aims"to"“foreground"and"
resist" dominant" norms" of" social" control”" (9)70." Lecturing," too," has" to" negotiate" between"
these"different"dimensions"of"performance.""
It" is" from" this" perspective" that" Ken" Goldberg’s" assessment" of" the" “democratic”"
nature" of" PowerPoint" has" to" be" reUaddressed," as" what" goes" hand" in" hand" with" that"
alleged" democratisation" is" exactly" the" “challenge”" to" perform;" the" critique" of" the"
authoritative"position"of"the"lecturer"or"professor"is"turned"into"a"demand"to"assume"this"
position,"a"demand"that"is"no"longer"limited"to"an"academic"context:""
"
In" the" presentation" society" it" is" no" longer" primarily" scientists" and" teachers" who" are"
confronted"with"the"task"to"present"knowledge"in"the"form"of"a"lecture"and"in"doing"so"
deliver"a"good"performance."In"numerous"professions"one"is"now"confronted"with"this"
requirement." A" flood" of" handbooks" and" training" courses" on" the" howAto" of" proper"
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70
"He"also"refers"to"technological"performance"as"the"third"area."(McKenzie"2001:"9)"
35"
"
 presenting"and"achieving"a"better"‘lecture"performance’"react"to"the"resulting"demand"
for"information,"if"not"to"say:"to"emotional"pressure.71"(Peters"2011:"16)"
"
This" implies" that," as" Peters" describes" with" regard" to" the" PowerPoint" presentation,"
the" knowledge" of" how" to" present" not" only" becomes" an" important" element" of" the"
presentation," but" that" it" becomes" something" that" is" itself" being" presented:" “[...]" in" a"
presentation" of" knowledge" in" which" knowledge" is" in" principle" treated" as" resource" there"
are" always" already" at" least" two" types" of" knowledge" involved:" i.e." the" presented"
knowledge"and"the"knowledge"of"the"presentation,"the"‘how"to’"of"presenting.”72"(Peters"
2007:"50)"Bunz"describes"how"expertise"once"constituted"itself"on"the"basis"of"a"“scarcity"
of" knowledge” 73 "(Bunz" 2012:43)," something" that" changed" when" digitalisation" made"
information"more"easily"available."This,"however,"also"means"that"expertise"is"no"longer"
primarily" legitimised" by" factual" knowledge," but" increasingly" by" how" this" knowledge" is"
presented"and"communicated.""
When"looking"at"the"lecture,"it"is"thus"not"possible"to"consider"the"content"of"the"
lecture" as" clearly" distinct" from" the" operation" of" lecturing," from" the" lecture" as"
performance." It" is" exactly" this" distinction" that" Goffman" tries" to" establish" or" maintain" in"
‘The"Lecture’"–"interestingly,"and,"because"it"shapes"the"way"in"which"a"reader"encounters"
his"text,"somewhat"paradoxically,"he"develops"his"ideas"in"the"form"of"a"(later"published)"
lecture."Its"special"correspondence"between"form"and"content"makes"‘The"Lecture’"both"a"
source"for"and"an"interesting"object"of"research"into"lecturing.74""
"
"
"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
71
"“In"der"Präsentationsgesellschaft"sehen"sich"längst"nicht"mehr"in"erster"Linie"Wissenschaftlerinnen"oder"
Lehrer"der"Aufgabe"gegenüber,"Wissen"in"Vortragsform"zu"präsentieren"und"dabei"eine"gute"Performance"
abzuliefern."In"zahlreichen"Berufsgruppen"ist"man"mittlerweile"mit"dieser"Anforderung"konfrontiert."Auf"den"
daraus" entstehenden" Informationsbedarf," um" nicht" zu" sagen:" Leidensdruck," reagiert" eine" Flut" von"
Ratgebern" und" Schulungen" rund" um" das" HowAto! richtigen" Präsentierens" und" die" bessere"
‚Vortragsperformance’.“""
72
"“[...]"auch"in"einer"Wissenspräsentation,"in"der"Wissen"grundsätzlich"als"Resource"behandelt"wird,"immer"
schon" mindestens" zwei" Arten" von" Wissen" eine" Rolle" spielen:" nämlich" das" präsentierte" Wissen" und" das"
Wissen"um"die"Präsentation,"das">how"to<"des"Präsentierens.“""
73
"“Knappheit"des"Wissens“."
74
"In" my" essay" ‘On" Giving" a" Paper’" (2011)," which" I" have" already" quoted" in" the" previous" chapter," I" use"
Goffman’s" lecture" as" a" foil" for" Lone" Twin’s" performance! On! Everest." The" essay" covers" a" lot" of" the" same"
ground" as" the" following" section" of" this" chapter," and" as" this" essay" has" emerged" from" the" same" research"
process," I" am" occasionally" using" the" same" formulations" and" ideas" in" both" texts," without" referencing" each"
individual"overlap"between"them.""
36"
"
The#cake#and#the#box#
"
Goffman" delivered" ‘The" Lecture’" at" the" University" of" Michigan" in" 1976" and"
published" the" text" in" 1981" in" his" book" Forms! of! Talk." The" year" the" lecture" was" given" is"
mentioned"in"a"short"statement"that"prefaces"the"published"lecture"text"–"the"exact"date"
is," however," not" provided." From" the" first" few" lines" the" reader" is" nevertheless" able" to"
deduce"the"time"of"day"at"which"the"lecture"took"place:"“My"topic"and"my"arguments"this"
afternoon"[...]”"(Goffman"1981:"162)"–"thus"the"beginning"of"‘The"Lecture’.""
How"is"this"information"relevant,"if"at"all?"This"question"to"me"seems"paradigmatic"
for"an"analysis"of"the"difference"between"the"two"modes"of"encounter"that"one"can"have"
with"a"lecture"–"the"encounter"a"reader"has"with"a"written"lecture"text"and"the"encounter"
a" member" of" an" audience" has" with" a" lecture" that" is" delivered" live" (on" a" particular"
afternoon)." Furthermore," it" is" here" that" the" difference" between" how" a" lecture" is"
encountered"and"perceived"in"contrast"to"the"encounter"with"a"theatre"or"performance"
event"is"negotiated"–"in"performance"and"in"most"contemporary"theatre,"there"seems"to"
be" no" question" whether" it"is"important"that"whatever"is"happening"is"happening"in"real"
space"and"real"time"(on"a"particular"afternoon).75"A"different"value"is"placed"on"the"‘live’"
and" on" its" relation" to" the" written" or" the" recorded" in" lectures" on" the" one" hand" and" in"
theatre"and"performance"work"on"the"other"(an"aspect"that"I"will"discuss"in"detail"in"the"
case"studies"of"the"following"chapter)."
In"his"prefatory"statement"to"‘The"Lecture’,"Goffman"explains"that"he"has"refrained"
from" making" any" major" changes" to" the" lecture" text" for" publication" and" has" thus" kept"
some" characteristics" of" the" lecture" format," such" as" references" to" the" “time," place," and"
occasion”"(Goffman"1981:"160)"of"the"lecture,"in"the"printed"version"of"the"text:"“My"hope"
is" that" as" it" stands," this" version" will" make" certain" framing" issues" clear" by" apparent"
inadvertence"[...]”"(160).""
Paradoxically," very" early" in" the" lecture" itself," Goffman" identifies" the" nature" of" the"
format" in" which" he" delivers" his" remarks" as" being" incidental:" “That" I" am" transmitting" my"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
75
"As" Lehmann" points" out" in" his" discussion" of" the" Aristotelian" concept" of" the" ‘unity" of" time’" (and" its"
subsequent"adaptation"in"different"forms"of"dramatic"theatre,"but"also"for"instance"in"film),"the"attempt"to"
“make" invisible" any" split" between" fictive" time" and" real" time”" (Lehmann" 2006:" 161)" and" thus" focus" the"
audience’s"attention"on"the"time"of"the"fictional"action"constitutes"“an"essential"part"of"a"powerful"tradition"
against"whose"normative"efficacy"the"contemporary"theatre"continually"has"to"assert"itself"–"even"if"nobody"
still" adheres" to" the" norm" of" the" unity" of" time" in" any" formal" sense.”" (161)" Nevertheless," even" if" a" theatre"
performance" encourages" its" audience" to" primarily" engage" with" the" time" of" the" fictional" action," this"
engagement"would"still"be"considered"different"from"that"with"the"dramatic"text"itself.""
37"
"
remarks" through" a" lecture" and" not," say," in" print" or" during" a" conversation," I" take" to" be"
incidental."Indeed,"a"term"like"'paper'"in"its"relevant"sense"can"refer"equally"to"something"
that" is" printed" and" something" that" is" delivered.”" (162U163)" Such" an" indifference" with"
regard" to" the" format" in" which" ideas" are" presented" does" not" necessarily" speak" of" an"
arbitrariness" of" the" format," but" of" the" prevalence" of" what" Peters" has" termed" “rules" of"
indifference”"(Peters"2005:"312)"or,"later,"“rules"of"irrelevance”"(Peters"2011:"38)."These"
rules"(or"conventions)"tell"the"listeners"what"aspects"of"a"presentation"they"are"supposed"
to"ignore"as"being"irrelevant"for"their"understanding"–"for"instance"the"way"the"lecturer"
dresses" or" the" time" of" day" (this" particular" afternoon)" at" which" the" lecture" takes" place."
Again,"a"difference"has"to"be"noted"with"regard"to"how"a"lecture"is"perceived"in"contrast"
to"a"theatre"and"performance"event,"where"all"elements"of"the"performance"are"assumed"
to"potentially"carry"meaning"(Peters"2011:"38;"Peters"2005:"312).76""
In" Goffman's" view," then," there" is" something" in" a" lecture" –" he" calls" it" the" “text”"
(Goffman"1981:"165)"of"the"lecture"–"that"remains"unaffected"by"the"particular"mode"of"
its" delivery." Goffman" introduces" the" metaphors" of" the" “cake”" (the" lecture" text)" and" the"
“box”"(the"situation"of"its"delivery)"to"further"illustrate"this"idea:"
"
Earlier" I" recommended" that" a" lecture" contains" a" text" that" could" just" as" well" be"
imparted"through"print"or"informal"talk."This"being"the"case,"the"content"of"a"lecture"is"
not" to" be" understood" as" something" distinctive" to" and" characteristic" of" lecturing." At"
best,"one"is"left"with"the"special"contingencies"of"delivering"any"particular"text"through"
the"lecture"medium."[…]"One"is"left"with"the"form,"the"interactional"encasement;"the"
box,"not"the"cake."(172U173)"
"
There"is"a"clear"value"judgement"expressed"in"this"metaphor:"the"lecture"text"(cake)"
is" characterised" as" essential," whilst" the" lecture" situation" (box)" is" considered" merely"
incidental." It" is" this" box," however," that" is" the" focus" of" Goffman's" analysis," that" is" his"
lecture's" cake." In" ‘The" Lecture’," there" is" hence" a" special" correspondence" between" the"
object"of"the"enquiry"and"the"form"in"which"this"enquiry"is"presented"–"a"correspondence"
towards" which" Goffman" assumes" an" apologetic" position:" “However," it" is" apparent" that"
lecturing"on"lectures"is"nonetheless"a"little"special."To"hold"forth"in"an"extended"fashion"
on" lecturing" to" persons" while" they" have" to" sit" through" one," is" to" force" them" to" serve"

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76
"Of" course," certain" “rules" of" irrelevance”" can" also" be" identified" for" different" types" of" theatre" and"
performance" –" in" dramatic" theatre," the" time" of" day" at" which" the" performance" takes" place" for" instance" is"
usually"not"considered"significant.""
38"
"
double"time"–"a"cruel"and"unusual"punishment.”"(163)"Goffman's"main"concern"with"this"
correspondence"is"that"a"“frame"break”"(163)"could"occur,"that"in"“breeching"lecturing's"
constraints," he" [the" speaker;" sic]" becomes" a" performing" speaker," not" a" speaker"
performing”" (163)." Despite" these" concerns," Goffman" seems" unable" to" fully" escape" the"
“impropriety”"(164)"he"is"in"fear"of"committing:"
"
Moreover,"much"as"I"argue"that"my"avowals"can,"should,"and"must"be"firmly"contained"
within"the"lecture"format,"something"is"likely"to"leak"out."Indeed,"I"know"that"before"
this" talk" is" over" I" will" have" turned" more" than" once" on" my" own" immediately" past"
behavior"as"an"illustration"of"what"is"currently"being"said"[...]"(164).""
"
That" which" is" “contained”" within" the" lecture" format," the" “text”," for" Goffman"
appears" constantly" threatened" in" its" autonomy" (as" something" might" “leak" out”)." It" is"
threatened"by"that"which"contains"it,"by"the"lecture"itself,"i.e."by"the"lectureUasUevent"or"
the"lectureUasUperformance."Even"though"Goffman"thinks"of"the"lecture"text"as"something"
that"exists"autonomously"of"the"form"in"which"it"is"delivered,"he"reflects"throughout"his"
paper" upon" how" this" text" is" affected" by" the" performance" of" lecturing:" he" reflects"
extensively"on"changes"of"“footing”"(i.e."changes"in"inflection"and"tone)"and"“the"contrast"
they"provide"to"what"the"text"itself"might"otherwise"generate”"(174),"e.g."a"text"could"be"
presented" with" irony" (174)" or" passion" (175)." He" furthermore" considers" the" use" of" “text"
brackets”" (175)," such" as" opening" or" closing" statements," and" how" “textUparenthetical"
remarks”"(176)"will"affect"the"perception"of"a"lecture,"as"a"speaker"has"the"opportunity"to"
“qualify,"amplify,"and"editorialize"on"what"the"text"itself"carries”"(177)."Goffman"identifies"
three"“functions”"that"the"speaker"in"a"lecture"usually"performs:"that"of"the"“animator”"
(“the"thing"that"sound"comes"out"of”),"of"the"“author”"(the"person"who"has"“formulated"
and"scripted"the"statements"that"get"made”),"and"that"of"the"“principal”"(“someone"who"
believes" personally" in" what" is" being" said" and" takes" the" position" that" is" implied" in" the"
remarks”)" (167)." While" he" does" not" reflect" on" how" these" roles" change" or" shift" when" a"
lecture"is"not"delivered"live"by"a"speaker"but"encountered"as"text,"Goffman"throughout"his"
lecture"describes"in"detail"differences"between"“written"prose"and"spoken"prose”"(189)."In"
doing" this," he" cannot" avoid" that" something," as" he" himself" puts" it," “leaks" out”." He" does,"
however," never" explicate" what" is" “leaking" out”" exactly." What" shows" itself" in" Goffman's"
lecture"–"beyond"what"Goffman"explicitly"sets"out"to"show"–"is"that"meaning"is"produced"
not"only"through"the"text,"but"through"the"act"of"lecturing"itself."There"is"a"surplus,"which"

39"
"
implies" that" something" becomes" evident" not" only" because" it" cannot" be" contained" but"
because"it"never"was"autonomous,"because"it"is"only"performatively"produced"in"the"act"
of"lecturing.""
Goffman" considers" all" but" the" content" or" text" of" the" lecture," everything" that"
constitutes" the" lecture" as" a" live" event," as" “noise”," which" he" identifies" as" “the" very"
difference"between"reading"a"lecture"at"home"and"attending"one”"(186)."This"means"that,"
as" Peters" points" out," Goffman" attributes" “no" scientific" relevance" whatsoever”77"(Peters"
2011:"127)"to"the"effects"and"characteristics"of"lecturing"that"he"himself"describes"in"much"
detail."He"does,"however,"acknowledge"how"what"he"describes"as"“noise”"plays"a"role"in"
the" reception" of" a" lecture," but" in" a" way" that" is" counterproductive" to" his" concerns." He"
appears" to" be" concerned" with" the" integrity" of" academic" discourse" that" aims" to" convey"
knowledge"about"“a"real,"structured,"somewhat"unitary"world"out"there"to"comprehend”"
(Goffman" 1981:" 194)." Lecturing" is" merely" understood" as" a" means" to" communicate" that"
knowledge:"
"
It" is" in" this" sense" that" every" lecturer," merely" by" presuming" to" lecture" before" an"
audience,"is"[...]"actively"supporting"the"same"position:"I"repeat,"that"there"is"structure"
to" the" world," that" this" structure" can" be" perceived" and" reported," and" therefore," that"
speaking" before" an" audience" and" listening" to" a" speaker" are" reasonable" things" to" be"
doing," and," incidentally," of" course," that" the" auspices" of" the" occasion" had" warrant" for"
making"the"whole"thing"possible."(195)""
"
Contrary"to"Goffman’s"position,"Peters"argues"that"it"is"such"communication"(in"this"
case" the" act" of" lecturing)" that" produces" such" knowledge," that" creates" structure" and" an"
understanding" of" a" “unitary" world”." She" points" out" that" research" does" not" simply" exist"
independently"of"its"presentation:"“What"is"negotiated"here"does"not"simply"exist"outside"
of"the"scenarios"of"academic"lecturing,"it"is"formatted"as"cultural"entity"in"the"operations"
of"lecturing.”78"(Peters"2006:"126)""
For"Peters,"the"“rules"of"irrelevance”"obstruct"the"acknowledgment"of"how"meaning"
is"produced"in"a"lecture."Goffman’s"‘The"Lecture’,"in"contrast,"I"think"is"best"understood"as"
a" plea" to" adhere" to" these" rules" in" order" to" secure" the" integrity" of" academic" discourse,"
even"to"a"point"where"that"adherence"is"merely"superficial:"

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77
"“keinerlei"wissentschaftliche"Relevanz”.""
78
"“Das," was" hier" verhandelt" wird," ist" außerhalb" des" Szenarios" des" wissenschaftlichen" Vortragens" nicht"
einfach"vorhanden,"es"wird"in"den"Operationen"des"Vortragens"als"kulturelle"Einheit"formatiert.”""
40"
"
 "
So"your"lecturer"is"meant"to"be"a"performer,"but"not"merely"a"performer."Observe,"I"am"
not" saying" that" audiences" regularly" do" become" involved" in" the" speaker’s" subject"
matter,"only"that"they"handle"whatever"they"do"become"involved"in"so"as"not"to"openly"
embarrass" the" understanding" that" it’s" the" text" they" are" involved" in." (Goffman" 1981:"
166)"
"
Goffman" does" not" merely" describe" how" a" lecture" functions," but" insists" that" for" a"
lecture"to"function"in"the"way"that"is"intended"certain"rules"or"arrangements"have"to"be"
followed"–"both"on"the"part"of"the"speaker"and"that"of"the"audience."In"the"quote"above,"
Goffman"equates"“text”"and"“subject"matter”,"and"this"seems"like"a"somewhat"premature"
equation"(as"a"listener"might"well"be"engaged"in"a"subject"matter"without"being"engaged"
with"the"speaker’s"text)."However,"in"the"particular"case"of"a"lecture"about"lecturing,"to"
focus" on" the" performance" of" lecturing" might" just" as" well" be" considered" an" engagement"
with" the" subject" matter" at" hand," and" it" is" here" that" Goffman" struggles" with" his" role" as"
speaker:"
"
It"is"okay"to"clear"one's"throat"or"even"take"a"drink"of"water,"providing"that"these"sideU
involvements"are"performed"in"speechUsegment"junctures"–"except,"uniquely,"this"one,"
this"being"the"only"juncture"when"so"minor"a"deflection"would"not"be"that,"but"some"
overcute" theatricality," of" merit" only" as" a" frameUanalytical" illustration" of" how" to" go"
wrong"in"performances."(184)"
"
Goffman’s" concern" here" is" again" with" the" integrity" and" autonomy" of" what" is"
communicated" through" a" lecture." But" what" is" more" important," the" “theatricality”" that"
Goffman" wants" to" avoid" in" this" context" (and" “theatricality”" for" him" here" seems" to" be"
synonymous"with"the"idea"that"his"actions"as"a"speaker"carry"meaning"beyond"the"text)"
can," after" Goffman" has" uttered" these" words," no" longer" be" avoided" by" merely" refraining"
from"carrying"out"the"action"described"(clearing"one’s"throat"or"taking"a"drink"of"water),"
as"not"doing"either"of"these"things"would"equally"constitute"an"illustration"of"what"is"said;"
not"doing"it"would"also"carry"meaning.""
Within" one" sentence," Goffman" first" breaks" (selfUreferentiality" with" regard" to" the"
format" seems" to" have" that" effect" for" him)" and" then" tries" to" fix" (“it" was" only" an"
illustration”)"what"he"understands"as"the"“frame”."This"makes"the"reader"of"the"text"recall"
that"this"is"a"lecture"text,"a"text"for"performance,"and"that"it"can"only"be"understood"as"
such."Goffman,"in"trying"to"show"that"the"content"of"a"lecture"should"remain"unaffected"

41"
"
by" the" act" of" lecturing," relies" in" his" demonstration" on" the" specific" operations" through"
which"lecturing"produces"meaning."Interestingly,"these"operations"become"evident"in"the"
lecture"text"itself"and"not"only"in"Goffman’s"performance"on"some"unspecified"afternoon"
in"1976,"as"Peters"describes:""
"
Goffman’s" thesis" that" the" separation" of" the" speaker" into" three" different" roles" that"
takes"place"in"the"academic"speech"act"is"specific"for"the"performance"only,"and"that"it"
is"concluded"with"the"publication"and"thus"scientifically"irrelevant,"gets"in"itself"caught"
up"in"a"performative"contradiction."This"way,"Goffman’s"lecture"like"no"other"explains"
to"us"the"relation"between"lecture"[as"performance]"and"text,"namely"by"stating"with"
virtuosity"something"other"than"what"becomes"evident"in"the"reading"process."(Peters"
2011:"128)79"
"
I" agree" with" Peters’s" assessment," but" would" like" to" briefly" clarify" that" Goffman"
never"explicitly"makes"the"claim"that"these"roles"are"only"relevant"in"the"context"of"the"
lecture"as"performance;"he"only"never"refers"to"them"in"the"context"of"the"lecture"text."He"
does," however," as" I" have" mentioned" in" the" beginning" of" my" discussion" of" ‘The" Lecture’,"
acknowledge"that"the"lecture"situation"resonates"in"the"lecture"text;"and"even"more"so,"as"
I" have" quoted," that" keeping" the" references" to" the" lecture" as" performance" “will" make"
certain"framing"issues"clear"by"apparent"inadvertence”."His"acknowledgement"illustrates"
that" the" presumed" separation" of" text" and" context" that" Goffman" presents" as" an" ideal" of"
the"lecture"cannot"be"maintained,"whether"this"context"is"that"of"the"lecture"situation"or"
that"of"a"publication.""
This"does,"however,"not"mean"that"it"is"really"of"little"significance"whether"a"lecture"
is" encountered" live" or" as" text;" that" a" lecture" text" can" be" read" as" a" document" of" a"
performance"does"not"mean"that"in"reading"a"lecture"meaning"is"produced"in"exactly"the"
same"way"as"in"hearing"it."While"neither"kind"of"encounter"should"be"privileged"over"the"
other," they" should" nonetheless" be" considered" as" interdependent," as" constantly"
referencing" each" other." The" lectureUasUtext" and" the" lectureUasUevent" produce" evidence"
differently," yet" in" each" the" knowledge" of" the" other" form" always" resonates." How" the"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
79
"“Goffmans" These," das" im" Zuge" des" wissenschaftlichen" Sprechakts" stattfindende" Auseinandertreten" des"
Sprechers" in" drei" verschiedene" Rollen" sei" spezifisch" allein" für" die" Performance," erledige" sich" mit" der"
Drucklegung" und" sei" damit" wissenschaftlich" irrelevant," verwickelt" sich" seinerseits" in" einen" performativen"
Widerspruch." Damit" erklärt" uns" Goffmans" Lecture" wie" keine" andere" die" Beziehung" zwischen" Vortrag" und"
Text," und" zwar" indem" sie" quasi" virtuos" etwas" anderes" aussagt" als" das," was" im" Zuge" der" Lektüre" evident"
wird.“""
"
42"
"
production"and"substantiation"of"meaning"in"a"lecture"is"tied"to"the"figure"of"“evidence”"is"
an"important"focus"of"Peters’s"research"into"the"lecture.""
"
Evidence"
"
Peters"proposes"that"research"into"the"lecture"has"to"respond"to"and"be"developed"
in" dialogue" with" a" number" of" disciplinary" discourses" –" she" mentions" theatre" studies,"
media" studies" and" the" history" and" theory" of" science" (Peters" 2005:" 312)," and" in" her"
writings"also"refers"to"discussions"in"performance"studies"(Peters"2005a)"and"philosophy."
Theatre"studies"as"a"discipline"is"based"on"the"proposition"that"the"relationship"between"a"
dramatic"text"and"its"scenic"realisation"needs"to"be"analysed,"i.e."that"the"text"alone"does"
not"sufficiently"document"its"performance"or"performances"(Peters"2005:"312)."Lectures,"
as" Peters" points" out," usually" enter" the" archive" as" texts" (312)," whereas" other" forms" of"
documentation" –" those" that" would" document" the" lecture" as" an" event" –" are" often"
neglected.80"While"studying"the"lecture"for"Peters"implies"including"these"other"forms"of"
documentation"as"a"source,"she"also"acknowledges,"as"already"mentioned,"the"difference"
between"“modern"theatre”,"where"it"is"assumed"that"“anything"that"happens"on"stage"is"
element" of" and" factor" in" the" scenic" production" of" meaning”81"(312)," and" the" lecture,"
where" “numerous" elements" and" factors" are" always" covered" by" something" like" a" rule" of"
indifference” 82 "(312)." To" ask" how" these" elements" and" factors" are" “involved" in" the"
production" and" reproduction" of" knowledge” 83 "(312)," but" also" how" the" “rules" of"
indifference”" or" “rules" of" irrelevance”" change" historically," requires" a" focus" on" the"
question" “[w]hich" constellations" are" formed" between" those" factors" whose" part" in" the"
production" of" knowledge" is" acknowledged" and" those" whose" part" is" ignored?”84"(313)."
Peters"considers"the"“relation"between"the"discursive"and"the"nonUdiscursive”85"(315)"as"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
80
"One"can"therefore"imagine"the"lecture"as"a"temporary"performative"actualisation"of"knowledge"(written"–"
spoken" –" written)." (cf." Peters" 2005a:" 202)" Repeating" something" that" has" already" been" written" through"
speaking"can"then"be"understood"as"an"authorisation"of"what"is"said"as"its"repeatability"“affirms"the"identity"
of" the" statements" across" differences" in" time," space," medium" and" context”" (“behauptet" die" Identität" der"
Aussagen"über"zeitliche,"räumliche,"mediale"und"kontextuelle"Differenzen"hinweg”)"(Peters"2007:"40)."
81
"“[...]"dass"alles"Geschehen"auf"der"Bühne"Element"und"Faktor"szenischer"Bedeutungsproduktion"ist”"U"and,"
it"has"to"be"added,"not"only"everything"that"actively"happens,"but"everything"that"is"part"of"it"(e.g."the"set).""
82
"“zahlreiche"Elemente"und"Faktoren"mit"einer"Art"IndifferenzURegel"belegt"[sind]“.""
83
"„[...]"an"der"Produktion"und"Reproduktion"von"Wissen"und"Erkenntnis"beteiligt“.""
84
"“Welche"Konstellationen"stellen"sich"jeweils"zwischen"jenen"Faktoren"her,"die"anerkanntermaßen"Teil"der"
Wissensproduktion"sind,"und"jenen,"die"unbemerkt"Anteil"nehmen?“"
85
"“Beziehung"zwischen"dem"Diskursiven"und"dem"NichtUDiskursiven”.""
43"
"
elementary" to" how" meaning" is" produced" in" a" lecture," i.e." besides" looking" for" what" is"
deliberately"said"or"shown"in"a"lecture"one"has"to"look"at"what"shows"itself"(314f.)."This"
raises"the"question"of"intentionality:"When"Goffman"takes"a"drink"of"water,"or"neglects"to"
do"so,"whilst"remarking"on"the"insignificance"of"nonUdiscursive"elements"such"as"drinking"
water" for" the" content" of" the" lecture," he" characterises" this" action" as" a" potential"
“illustration" of" how" to" go" wrong" in" performances”" (Goffman" 1981:" 184)" The" role" of"
illustrations"in"lectures,"however,"is"in"itself"very"complex:"where"exactly,"asks"Peters,"lies"
the"“border"between"proof"and"illustration”86"(Peters"2005a:"213)?"Can"Goffman’s"action"
of" taking" a" drink" of" water" (or" neglecting" to" do" so)" be" clearly" distinguished" from" his"
argument?""
Peters"introduces"the"concept"of"a"“figuration"of"evidence”"(Peters"2005:"315)87"to"
describe"how"–"through"the"specific"relation"or"constellation"between"discursive"and"nonU
discursive" elements," between" what" is" shown" and" what" shows" itself" –" lectures"
(simultaneously)"present"and"produce"knowledge:""
"
The"presentation"of"knowledge"is"intended"to"‘make"sense’"to"the"addressee."Specific"
combinations"of"telling"and"showing"are"aimed"at"producing"evidence."Evidence"here"
means"[...]"the"event"of"a"synchronisation"between"showing"and"understanding"that"is"
experienced"as"the"presence"of"that"which"is"to"be"shown.88"(Peters"2007:"38)"
" "
The" production" of" evidence" in" a" lecture" always" has" to" take" the" audience" into"
account,"as"evidence"“irreducibly"lies"in"the"eye"of"the"beholder,"is"always"reserved"to"the"
other”89"(Peters"2005:"315)."Or,"in"other"words,"the"“event"of"a"synchronisation"between"
showing"and"understanding”"is"something"that"can"only"be"experienced"by"the"addressee"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
86
"“Grenze"zwischen"Beweis"und"Veranschaulichung“.""
87
"“Figuration" von" Evidenz”." Peters" discusses" this" aspect" throughout" her" research" on" the" lecture." In"
Intellektuelle!Anschauung!–!unmögliche!Evidenz"Peters"and"Martin"Schäfer"propose"that"“the"generation"of"
knowledge" goes" hand" in" hand" with" the" figuration" of" evidence”" (Peters" and" Schäfer" 2006:" 9)" [“die"
Generation"von"Wissen"geht"mit"der"Figuration"von"Evidenz"einher”"]"–"not"only"in"the"lecture"situation."In"
contrast"to"Goffman’s"position,"this"implies"that"a"lecture’s"content"does"not"simply"exist"independently"of"
this" delivery," but" is" performatively" produced" by" it." The" two" forms" in" which" lectures" are" perceived" or"
encountered"(reading"and"listening)"can"then"be"understood"as"two"different"yet"interrelated"figurations"of"
evidence.""
88
"“Die" Präsentation" von" Wissen" zielt" darauf," dem" Gegenüber" einzuleuchten." Durch" bestimmte"
Kombinationen"von"Sagen"und"Zeigen"soll"Evidenz"erzeugt"werden."Evidenz"meint"dabei"[...]"ein"Ereignis"der"
Synchronisation"zwischen"Zeigen"und"Auffassen,"das"als"Präsenz"dessen,"was"gezeigt"werden"soll,"erfahrbar"
wird.”"On"a"basic"level,"evidence"is"a"factor"in"any"scene"of"address:"“Somebody"has"made"and"addressed"a"
statement," and" somebody" else" has" heard" and" seen" it" and" can" attest" to" it.”" ("Jemand" hat" eine" Aussage"
geäußert" und" adressiert," jemand" anderer" hat" dies" gehört" und" gesehen" und" kann" es" bezeugen.“)" (Peters"
2005a:"204)."
89
"“liegt"[...]"irreduzibel"im"Auge"des"Betrachters,"bleibt"immer"dem"Anderen"[...]"vorbehalten“."
44"
"
and" hence" cannot" be" planned" in" advance." As" an" ‘event’," it" occurs" in" the" moment." On"
another"level,"however,"a"figuration"of"evidence"continuously"underlies"the"production"of"
meaning"in"a"lecture,"as"every"discourse"has"to"depend"on"what"is"already"considered"to"
be" true" and" evident," and" therefore" “does" not" require" proof”"90"(315)." This" basis" has" to"
remain" unquestioned" or" ignored" –" hence" all" discourse" relies" on" evidence" as" a" “(nonU
discursive)"supplement”91"(315)."Peters"speaks"of"an"“open"secret”92"(Peters"2005a:"206)"
of" how" evidence" is" produced" in" a" lecture" that" is" passed" on" but" not" questioned." Or," put"
differently," the" effects" that" the" conventions" of" lecturing" have" on" the" production" of"
meaning"in"a"lecture"are"usually"ignored.""
With" regard" to" lecture" performances," this" allows" us" to" ask:" to" what" extent" do"
lecture"performances"rely"on"the"nonUdiscursive"elements"of"the"lecture,"on"those"factors"
that" are" usually" ignored" (such" as" the" glass" of" water" from" which" the" lecturer" drinks)," to"
illustrate" their" own" lectureUness," to" become" identifiable" as" lectures," to" indicate" their"
belonging"to"the"lecture"genre"and"in"doing"so"(paradoxically)"also"to"transcend"this"genre"
by"potentially"“breaking”"its"frame"and"exposing"the"“open"secret”.""
"
If" one" approaches" cultural" performances" for" instance" in" Goffman’s" sense" with" the"
means" of" performance" analysis," one" somewhat" counterfactually" borrows" the"
assumption"of"ubiquitous"signification"from"the"context"of"art"and"transposes"it"onto"
social" situations." This" way" not" only" what" is" considered" relevant" inside" these" social"
performances" but" everything" within" the" observational" frame" can" be" considered" as"
participating" in" signification." [...]" The" assumption" of" ubiquitous" signification"
systematically" invalidates" rules" of" irrelevance," taboos" and" routine" blindness" and"
questions"them"with"regard"to"how"they"determine"socioUcultural"interaction.93"(Peters"
2011:"38U39)"
"
Lecture" performances" can" foreground" the" role" of" nonUdiscursive" elements" in" the"
lecture’s" production" of" evidence," just" as" they" can" expose" the" position" of" authority"
awarded" to" the" person" giving" a" lecture" that" I" have" discussed" before." Lecture"
performances"can"therefore"shift"the"attention"from"what"is"being"said"to"how"it"is"being"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
90
"“keines"Nachweises"bedarf“."
91
"“(nichtUdiskursive)"Supplement”."
92
"“offenes"Geheimnis”."
93
"“Geht"man"mit"Mitteln"der"Aufführungsanalyse"an"cultural!performances!etwa"im"Sinne"Goffmans"heran,"
entlehnt" man" diese" Annahme" einer" ubiquitären" Zeichenhaftigkeit" gewissermaßen" kontrafaktisch" aus" dem"
Kunstkontext" und" überträgt" sie" auf" soziale" Situationen." Auf" diese" Weise" lässt" sich" nicht" nur" das," was"
innerhalb" dieser" sozialen" Performances" als" relevant" gilt," sondern" alles," was" sich" im" Beobachtungsrahmen"
zeigt,"als"Teil"von"Signifikation"betrachten."[...]"Die"Annahme"ubiquitärer"Zeichenhaftigkeit"setzt"also"gezielt"
Irrelevanzregeln," Tabuisierungen" und" ›Betriebsblindheiten‹" außer" Kraft" und" hinterfragt" sie" im" Hinblick"
darauf,"wie"sie"die"soziokulturelle"Interaktion"bestimmen.“""
45"
"
said,"from"content"to"form,"but"not"so"the"form"becomes"more"significant,"but"rather"that"
its" role" in" the" production" of" evidence" becomes" evident." They" can," in" producing" and"
communicating"knowledge"or"meaning"simultaneously,"show"how"knowledge"or"meaning"
is"being"produced"and"communicated.""
This"potential"of"lecture"performances"can,"however,"also"be"found"in"(more"or"less)"
any" lecture." The" lectures" I" have" used" above" (by" Bourdieu," Derrida" or" Goffman)" as" both"
sources"and"examples"all"achieve"this"in"one"way"or"another"(and"some"more"eloquently"
than"many"lecture"performances),"if"only"through"talking"about"the"lecture"in"a"lecture."
Bourdieu"describes"this"operation"towards"the"end"of"‘A"lecture"on"the"lecture’:"
"
A" discourse," which" takes" itself" as" its" object" attracts" attention" less" to" the" referent,"
which" could" be" replaced" by" any" other" act," than" to" the" operation" which" consists" of"
referring"to"what"one"is"in"the"process"of"doing"and"to"what"distinguishes"it"from"the"
fact"of"simply"doing"what"one"is"doing,"of"being,"as"they"say,"entirely"absorbed"in"what"
one" is" doing." This" reflexive" selfUexamination," when" it" occurs," as" here," in" the" midst" of"
the" situation" itself," has" something" unusual," or" even" insolent," about" it." It" breaks" the"
spell"cast"by"the"occasion,"it"disenchants."It"draws"attention"to"how"simply"doing"what"
one"is"supposed"to"do"enables"one"to"forget"and"persuade"other"people"to"forget"as"
well."It"lists"oratorical"or"rhetorical"effects"which,"like"the"fact"of"reading"in"the"earnest"
tone"of"improvisation"a"text"prepared"in"advance,"aims"to"prove"and"make"palpable"the"
fact"that"the"orator"is"altogether"present"in"what"he"is"doing,"that"he"believes"in"what"
he" is" saying" and" adheres" fully" to" the" mission" with" which" he" is" invested." It" thus"
introduces" a" distance" which" threatens" to" annihilate," both" in" the" orator" and" in" his"
public,"the"belief"that"is"the"ordinary"precondition"of"the"successful"functioning"of"the"
institution."(Bourdieu"1990:"197U198)"
"
Bourdieu’s" description" of" the" distancing" effects" of" both" giving" and" witnessing" a"
lecture" about" the" lecture," which" produces" selfUreferentiality" as" a" way" of" “breaking" the"
spell"of"the"occasion”,"is"reminiscent"of"the"“frame"break”"that"Goffman"tries"but"in"his"
virtuosic" command" of" the" lecture" format" fails" to" avoid." While" Goffman" fears" that" such"
selfUreferentiality" might" threaten" the" integrity" of" academic" discourse," Bourdieu" in"
contrast" considers" it" as" elemental" to" research:" “all" the" propositions" that" this" science"
enunciates"must"be"applied"to"the"subject"who"practises"this"science”."(177)"
Lecture" performances" thus" always" have" to" be" considered" to" some" extent" as"
“lectures" on" the" lecture”" in" Bourdieu’s" sense." Yet" not" every" selfUreferential" lecture"
necessarily"becomes"a"lecture"performance"(even"though"boundaries"become"very"blurry"
here)," because" the" field" of" lecturing" is" only" one" of" the" contexts" with" which" the" lecture"
performance"enters"into"an"often"selfUreferential"relationship."The"other"context"is"that"of"
46"
"
performance." While" in" the" first" part" of" this" chapter" I" have" tried" to" describe" the" context"
within"which"the"lecture"performance"can"serve"as"a"kind"of"metaUlecture,"the"following"
part" aims" to" provide" a" basis" for" a" discussion" of" the" lecture" performance" as" a" metaU
performance" by" looking" at" the" artistic" contexts" in" which" the" lecture" performances"
participates"and"to"which"it"responds.""
Before"I"enter"into"the"discussion"of"this"other"context,"there"remains"one"issue"that"
needs"to"be"addressed:"namely,"if"there"is"not"some"merit"in"Goffman’s"insistence"that"it"
is" the" ‘subject" matter’" of" a" lecture" that" should" demand" our" attention," rather" than" its"
supposedly" nonUdiscursive" elements." More" generally" speaking:" might" paying" too" much"
attention" to" how" meaning" is" produced" in" a" lecture" not" get" in" the" way" exactly" of" this"
production"of"meaning?""
"
The#world#out#there#
"
I" have" already" cited" Goffman’s" assertion" that" a" lecture" concerns" itself" with" an"
understanding"of"the"“world"out"there”,"an"understanding"that,"as"Peters"suggests,"is"only"
constructed"in"the"activity"of"lecturing."At"this"point,"however,"I"would"like"to"focus"on"the"
question"how"this"concern"with"the"“world"out"there”"affects"the"situation"of"the"lecture"
itself"and"the"relation"between"lecturer"and"audience."The"full"quote"reads:"“The"lecturer"
and" the" audience" join" in" affirming" a" single" proposition." They" join" in" affirming" that"
organized"talk"can"reflect,"express,"delineate,"portray"–"if"not"come"to"grips"with"–"the"real"
world,"and"that,"finally,"there"is"a"real,"structured,"somewhat"unitary"world"out"there"to"
comprehend.”" (Goffman" 1981:" 194)" Goffman" here" proposes" that" there" is" a" shared"
understanding" between" audience" and" lecturer" that" is" determined" by" a" shared" concern"
with" something" outside" of" the" lecture" itself:" “A" lecture," then," purports" to" take" the"
audience"right"past"the"auditorium,"the"occasion,"and"the"speaker"into"the"subject"matter"
upon"which"the"lecture"comments.”"(166)"From"this"perspective"it"becomes"evident"why"
Goffman"is"so"cautious"about"focussing"the"attention"on"the"lecture"situation"itself,"on"the"
world" “in" here”" rather" than" “out" there”," because" it" is" the" subject" matter" and" hence"
something"external"to"the"situation"with"which"he"believes"the"audience"should"engage.""
In" their" book" Jenseits! der! Exzellenz:! Eine! kleine! Morphologie! der! WeltAUniversität!
(Beyond!Excellence:!a!Brief!Morphology!of!the!World!University)"(2010),"Jan"Masschelein"
and"Maarten"Simons"formulate"a"position"on"the"lecture"that"echoes"Goffman’s"in"many"
47"
"
ways."In"their"conception"of"the"lecture"as"a"“form"of"public"thinking”94"(Masschelein"and"
Simons" 2010:" 59)," they" too" put" forward" the" idea" that" a" “common" topic”" or" “common"
concern”"(and"thus"something"outside"of"it)"is"constitutive"for"the"lecture:"“In"the"lecture,"
the" professor" does" not" present" the" world" as" a" collection" of" facts" and" resources," but" by"
making"it"a"common"concern."In"the"auditorium,"the"world"becomes"a"real"and"common"
topic" and" the" listeners" a" participating" public.”95"(59)" For" Masschelein" and" Simons" it" is"
because" of" this" concern" with" the" “world”" (the" Goffmanian" “world" out" there”)" as" a"
“common"topic”"that"a"lecture"should"not"be"considered"a"performance:"“Because"of"this,"
a"lecture"is"no"performance"or"entertainment."There"are"no"stage,"no"roles,"no"script"[...],"
instead"there"is"somebody"who"presents"the"world"and"gathers"students"as"an"audience."
What" it" is" actually" about" is" a" form" of" public" thinking" [...].”96"(59)" The" use" of" the" term"
“performance”"is"not"further"explicated;"it"is,"however,"presented"in"association"with"the"
term"“entertainment”,"and"several"elements"are"listed"that"differentiate"a"lecture"from"a"
performance" in" their" view:" “no" stage," no" roles," no" script”." This" list" could" easily" be"
contested," for" instance" by" referring" to" Goffman’s" description" of" the" different" roles" the"
lecturer"takes"on"or"of"the"importance"of"the"lecture"text."But"what"the"authors"seem"to"
suggest"by"making"a"distinction"between"lecture"and"performance"is"that"the"focus"on"a"
“common" concern”," on" something" beyond" the" lecture" situation," is" what" constitutes" the"
lecture"as"a"“form"of"public"thinking”."In"their"conception"of"the"lecture,"which"is"clearly"
influenced" by" Goffman," Masschelein" and" Simons" emphasise" an" “egalitarian" ethos”97"of"
the"lecture,"where"the"scholar"or"professor"“addresses"the"others"under"the"premise"of"
equality“"(49)98:"
"
The"lecture"is"thus"the"place"where"somebody"offers"something"to"think,"because"he"
also" offers" his" own" thinking" or" demonstrates" and" shows" his" own" thoughts." In" this"
instant," ideas" and" words" are" exposed," they" become" public," and" because" people" are"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
94
"“Form"des"öffentlichen"Nachdenkens“."
95
"“Der"Professor"präsentiert"in"der"Vorlesung"die"Welt"nicht"als"eine"Sammlung"von"Fakten"und"Ressourcen,"
sondern" indem" er" sie" zu" einem" gemeinsamen" Anliegen" macht." Im" Hörsaal" wird" die" Welt" zu" einem" realen"
und"gemeinsamen"Thema"und"werden"die"Hörer"zu"einer"Anteil"nehmenden"Öffentlichkeit.”"
96
"“Genau"deshalb"ist"eine"Vorlesung"auch"keine"Vorführung"oder"Unterhaltung."Es"gibt"keine"Bühne,"keine"
Rollen,"kein"Drehbuch"[...],"dafür"gibt"es"jemanden,"der"die"Welt"präsentiert"und"Studierende"als"Publikum"
versammelt."Worum"es"eigentlich"geht,"ist"eine"Form"des"öffentlichen"Nachdenkens"[...].“"
97
"“egalitäres"Ethos“."
98
"“er"spricht"die"anderen"unter"der"Voraussetzung"der"Gleichheit"an”."
48"
"
 gathered"around"them,"they"no"longer"belong"to"anybody,"but"everyone"(or"no"one"in"
particular)."(70)99"
"
Despite" the" explicit" differentiation" between" lecture" and" performance," it" becomes"
clear" here" that" for" Masschelein" and" Simons" (other" than" for" Goffman)" the" lecture’s"
liveness"is"an"essential"factor,"because"it"is"only"in"the"coUpresence"of"the"live"situation,"
when" “people" are" gathered" around”" ideas," that" the" process" or" activity" of" thinking"
becomes" a" public" matter." This" conception" of" the" public" as" an" actual" gathering" can" be"
problematised"(an"aspect"to"which"I"will"return"in"chapter"4),"and"I"have"already"reflected"
on"how"the"lecture"situation"itself"can"resonate"in"the"lecture"text.100"What"I"would"like"to"
highlight" at" this" point" is" that" Masschelein’s" and" Simons’s" emphasis" on" the" relevance" of"
the" live" situation–" in" contrast" to" Goffman’s" position" –" shows" that" an" awareness" of" this"
situation" does" not" obstruct" an" involvement" with" the" “subject" matter”." Even" in" stressing"
the" importance" of" this" involvement," in" being" attentive" to" something" outside" the"
auditorium," they" cannot" ignore" the" importance" of" the" situation" itself:" “In" this" sense"
becoming" a" student" also" always" means" to" let" oneself" be" carried" away" from" the"
auditorium,"beyond"the"lecture"towards"the"subject"matter,"towards"the"word,"and"thus"
to"be"here"as"well"as"there.”101"(59)"
Being"“here"as"well"as"there”:"from"this"perspective"lecture"performances"could"be"
described" as" a" "form" of" public" thinking"" about" public" thinking," as" a" form" that" asks" its"
audience" to" shift" their" attention" back" and" forth" from" engaging" in" a" common" topic" to"
engaging"in"a"consideration"of"the"situation"within"which"this"topic"is"presented."#
"
"
"

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99
"“Die" Vorlesung" ist" also" der" Ort," wo" jemand" etwas" zu" denken" gibt," weil" er" auch" sein" eigenes" Denken"
darbietet" oder" seine" eigenen" Gedanken" demonstriert" und" zeigt." In" diesem" Augenblick" werden" Ideen" und"
Worte"exponiert,"werden"sie"öffentlich,"und"weil"Menschen"um"sie"versammelt"werden,"gehören"sie"nicht"
länger"irgendjemandem,"sondern"jedem"(oder"niemand"im"Besonderen).“""
100
"Peters"also"comments"on"this"aspect"with"regard"to"Goffman’s"‘The"Lecture’:"“Goffman"demands"of"the"
academic" lecture" that" it" detaches" the" audience’s" attention" from" the" situation" of" the" lecture" and" steers" it"
towards"the"subject"matter"of"the"lecture,"as"it"is"presented"in"the"lecture"text."Nevertheless,"the"lecture"
text"[...]"continuously"steers"our"attention"back"towards"the"situation"of"the"lecture"performance.”"(Peters"
2011:" 124)" [„Goffman" verlangt" vom" wissenschaftlichen" Vortrag," er" müsse" die" Aufmerksamkeit" des"
Publikums" von" der" Situation" des" Vortrags" abziehen" und" in" das" Thema" des" Vortrags," wie" es" im" Text" des"
Vortrags" gegeben" sei," hineinlenken." Dennoch" lenkt" der" Text" des" Vortrags" [...]" unsere" Aufmerksamkeit"
unablässig"auf"die"Situation"der"Vortragsperformance"zurück.“]"
101
"“In" diesem" Sinne" bedeutet" Studierender" zu" werden" stets" auch," sich" aus" dem" Hörsaal" davontragen" zu"
lassen,"über"den"Vortrag"hinaus"hin"zum"Thema,"hin"zur"Welt,"und"somit"sowohl"hier"als"auch"dort"zu"sein.“"
49"
"
Contexts#of#performing#
Lineages#
#
In" the" introduction" to" this" chapter," I" have" already" pointed" out" that" an" attempt" to"
situate"the"lecture"performance"within"the"history"of"performance"as"an"art"form"is"faced"
with" the" problem" of" where" and" when" to" begin" the" account." This" problem" is" however"
complicated"by"the"fact"that"the"same"can"be"said"for"the"history"of"performance"as"an"art"
form"itself."The"question"of"where"and"when"to"begin"the"account"is"for"instance"already"
evident"in"the"title"of"RoseLee"Goldberg’s"influential"history"of"performance,"Performance!
Art:!From!Futurism!to!the!Present."“Performance"became"accepted"as"a"medium"of"artistic"
expression"in"its"own"right"in"the"1970s”"(Goldberg"2011:"7),"is"the"first"sentence"of"the"
foreword" to" the" book’s" third" edition." While" Goldberg" here" uses" the" more" general" term"
“performance”,"this"is"also"and"maybe"even"more"specifically"true"for"“performance"art”,"
the"term"that"Goldberg"uses"in"the"title"of"her"book."Nevertheless,"Goldberg"begins"her"
account"of"performance"as"a"“medium"of"artistic"expression”"with"an"account"of"Futurist"
performance," the" emergence" of" which" for" her" coincides" with" the" publication" of" the"
Futurist"manifesto"in"1909"(Goldberg"2011:"11).102""
And" while" the" lecture" performance," to" use" Goldberg’s" words" about" performance,"
“became"accepted"as"a"medium"of"artistic"expression"in"its"own"right”"in"the"late"1990s,"
when" roughly" also" the" term" “lecture" performance”" emerged," I" have" already" mentioned"
earlier"examples"of"works"that"could"be"and"have"been"considered"lecture"performances."
In" an" article" entitled" ‘Performance" and" Pedagogy:" All" Talk," Some" Action‘" (2010)," Karen"
Archey"for"instance"draws"up"a"lineage"of"the"lecture"performance,"choosing,"somewhat"
arbitrarily," Joseph" Beuys’s" How! to! Explain! Pictures! to! a! Dead! Hare! (1965)" as" the" first"
example"of"“of"art"utilising"both"performance"and"the"pedagogical"lecture”"(Archey"2010):""
"
Beginning"on"the"cusp"of"postmodernism,"Beuys’s"‘How"to"Explain"Pictures"to"a"Dead"
Hare’"marks"the"onset"of"lectureUbased"performance,"through"the"era"of"‘institutional"
critique’" and" the" performances" of" Andrea" Fraser" posing" as" museum" docent" Jane"
Castleton," and" towards" the" contemporary" work" of" Anton" Vidokle," Mark" Leckey," the"
Bruce"High"Quality"Foundation"and"Seth"Price."This"lineage"is"not"a"direct"chronology"of"
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102
"If"we"looked"instead"at"a"concept"like"Lehmann’s"“postdramatic"theatre”"that"engages"with"many"of"the"
developments" that" Goldberg" describes" from" a" theatre" perspective," it" would" seem" equally" plausible" to" go"
back"a"few"thousand"years"more:"grounded"in"the"history"of"drama,"the"concept"also"has"had"to"account"for"
earlier" theatre" forms" that" Lehmann" himself" has" described" as" “preUdramatic”" [“präUdramatisch“](Lehmann"
1991:"2),"such"as"Greek"tragedy."
50"
"
 amassed" references," but" a" largely" fabricated" one." It" illustrates" paradigm" shifts" in"
artistic" discourse" and" changes" in" the" assumed" function" of" the" artist" via" the" lectureU
performance."(Archey"2010)"
"
Archey‘s"comment"on"the"fabricated"nature"of"her"proposed"lineage"should"be"kept"
in"mind"when"looking"at"some"other"attempts"at"such"a"lineage."I"have"already"mentioned"
that" often," in" academic" discussions" of" lecture" performances" as" well" as" in" exhibitions" or"
catalogues,"contemporary"lecture"performances"are"presented"alongside"older"works"that"
are" retrospectively" classified" as" lecture" performances." This" approach" seems" especially"
problematic" when" it" suggests" some" kind" of" continuity" between" them," especially" when"
there"is"no"indication"that"contemporary"lecture"performances"are"developed"in"response"
to,"or"even"out"of"an"awareness"of"older"examples"of"performance"work"that"may"have"
used" a" similar" form" or" addressed" issues" in" a" similar" way.103"Archey," at" least" to" some"
extent," situates" the" works" she" chooses" to" discuss" in" relation" to" their" different" historical"
contexts,"which"is"evident"in"her"assertion"that"the"lineage"she"sketches"shows"“paradigm"
shifts"in"artistic"discourse”.""
Archey"identifies"three"stages"in"the"development"of"the"lecture"performance."The"
first" is" characterised" by" the" attempt" at" “fostering" a" community" within" which" to" speak"
about" artistic" practice”" (Archey" 2010) 104 ," for" which" Beuys’s" work" is" considered"
paradigmatic." The" second" is" the" practice" of" institutional" critique," here" exemplified" by"
Andrea"Fraser’s"satirical"exploration"of"“subjective"and"objective"relationships"within"the"
museum" sphere”," which" Archey" characterises" as" an" “authoritative" subversion”" (Archey"
2010)" of" the" institutions" of" art." The" third" phase," which" encompasses" contemporary"
artistic" explorations" of" the" lecture" form," can" according" to" her" be" described" either" as" a"
shift"towards"the"“strictly"educational”"or"by"“an"investigation"of"the"emerging"role"of"the"
artistUasUprofessional”" (Archey" 2010)." The" former" is" represented" by" Vidokle’s"
unitednationsplaza,"a"series"of"lectures"that"for"Archey"“barely"engaged"performance"or"

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103
"Although"there"are"many"examples"of"lecture"performances"that"engage"with"the"history"of"performance"
(in"the"following"chapter,"I"will"for"instance"look"at"WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s"Encyclopaedia!of!Performance!
Art)," I" am" not" aware" of" any" examples" that" explicitly" investigate" this" history" with" regard" to" early" artistic"
explorations" of" the" lecture" form" (I" do" this" to" some" extent" in" my" own" lecture" performance" Would! Joseph!
Beuys!have!used!PowerPoint?).""
104
"This" is" actually" a" more" appropriate" characterisation" of" other" pieces" Beuys"created," for" instance" his"Fat!
Transformation!Piece"from"1972"(for"an"analysis"see"Lange"2007),"than"of"How!to!Explain!Pictures!to!a!Dead!
Hare,"where"the"“community”"consisted"largely"of"Beuys"and"a"dead"animal.""
51"
"
any" other" codified" artistic" practice”" (Archey" 2010)105"and" made" it" thus" difficult" to" be"
identified"as"art"at"all."
Archey’s"“fabricated"lineage”"and"her"analysis"of"the"paradigm"shifts"it"supposedly"
illustrates"is"of"course"very"much"dependent"on"her"selection"of"examples"–"she"herself"
describes" this" lineage" as" “highly" selective”" (Archey" 2010)" and" insists" on" the"
“heterogeneity”" (Archey" 2010)" of" the" form." Nonetheless," her" lineage" is" constructed"
exclusively" from" works" from" a" visual" arts" context," ignoring" some" of" the" most" significant"
examples"of"lecture"performance"work"by"artists"from"other"disciplines.106""
Introducing"the"Performing!Idea!Archive!of!Performance!Lectures"in"London"in"2010,"
Gavin"Butt,"as"already"mentioned,"situated"the"lecture"performance"in"the"tradition"of"the"
avantUgarde" and" mentioned" not" only" John" Cage" and" Beuys," but" also" Antonin" Artaud’s"
Theatre!and!the!Plague"(1933)"as"an"early"example"of"lecture"performance"work.107"This"
selection" suggests" a" lineage" very" different" from" the" one" that" Archey" proposes." Butt’s"
approach" nevertheless" resembles" Archey’s" in" one" important" respect:" both" locate" its"
beginnings" well" before" the" establishment" of" the" term" “lecture" performance”." However,"
whilst" I" agree" that" a" history" of" a" genre" or" form" might" well" include" examples" from" the"
period"before"the"genre"was"named"or"identified"as"such,"the"emergence"of"a"term"for"it"
is" nevertheless" an" important" development" that" needs" to" be" considered." Before" the"
emergence"of"the"term,"before"the"identification"of"the"genre,"that"is"at"the"time"when"
these"works"were"first"developed"and"shown,"there"could"not"have"been"a"sense"of"their"
participation" in" a" specific" genre" called" ‘lecture" performance’." Or," in" other" words," these"
works," while" participating" in" a" series" of" contexts" and" genres," did" not" exhibit" their"
belonging" to" the" context" within" which" they" are" retrospectively" discussed." Moreover," in"
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105
"Archey" compares" this" work" to" Beuys’s" focus" on" “discussion" and" community”" (Archey" 2010)," which"
implies"a"certain"continuity"rather"than"the"paradigm"shift"that"she"proposes.""
106
"On" the" other" hand," when" lecture" performances" by" artists" from" different" backgrounds" are" addressed"
within" one" framework" or" event" (such" as" the" Lecture" Performance" exhibition" at" Kölnischer" Kunstverein" or"
the" Performing" Idea" Archive" of" Performance" Lectures" at" Whitechapel" Gallery)," there" is" usually" hardly" any"
consideration" made" of" how" these" different" backgrounds" have" influenced" the" respective" performance"
works.""
107
"In" histories" of" early" performance" and" performance" art," references" to" performance" work" that"
incorporates" lecture" elements" are" not" exactly" manifold," but" nevertheless" a" few" examples" can" be" found."
Goldberg,"for"instance,"mentions"Hausmann’s"reading"of"his"lecture"The!New!Materials!in!Painting"on"the"
occasion" of" the" second" Dada" soirée" in" Berlin" on" 12" April" 1918" (Goldberg" 2001:" 56)" as" an" example" of" the"
diversity" of" contributions" to" this" and" similar" Dada" events." Butt" probably" had" Cage’s" famous" Lecture! on!
Nothing!(1949)"in"mind"when"referring"to"him"as"a"protagonist"of"the"lecture"performance,"but"it"is"worth"
noting"here"that"an"important"event"in"performance"history,"the"Untitled!Event"at"Black"Mountain"College"in"
1952," was" also" preceded" by" a" lecture" delivered" by" Cage:" “Before" the" actual" performance," Cage" gave" a"
reading"of"the"Huang"Po"Doctrine"of"Universal"Mind"which,"in"its"curious"way,"anticipated"the"event"itself.”"
(Goldberg"2001:"126)""
52"
"
the"case"of"the"lecture"performance,"the"emergence"of"the"term"seems"to"coincide"with"
an" unprecedented" output" of" works" that" are" thus" identified." Although" it" is" difficult" to"
pinpoint"exactly"when"the"term"was"first"used,"within"a"relatively"short"amount"of"time"
(starting"in"the"late"1990s)"not"only"the"term"‘lecture"performance’"was"introduced,"but"
the" practice" described" by" it" gained" relevance" within" the" context" of" contemporary"
performance." There" is," accordingly," another" lineage" that" locates" the" origins" of" the" form"
around" that" time" and" that" often" awards" a" prominent" position" to" Le" Roy’s" Product! of!
Circumstances," a" piece" widely" considered" as" “paradigmatic" for" the" lecture" performance"
format”108"(Peters" 2006:" 124)." In" 2000," in" an" article" about" storytelling" in" contemporary"
theatre,"dance"and"performance"that"focuses"on"Product!of!Circumstances"as"the"central"
example," Gabriele" Brandstetter" still" puts" the" term" ‘lecture" performance’" in" quotation"
marks"when"discussing"Le"Roy’s"piece"(Brandstetter"2000:"413)."This"suggests"that"in"2000"
the" lecture" performance" is" still" perceived" as" an" emergent" form." Unlike" How! to! Explain!
Pictures!to!a!Dead!Hare!in"Archey’s"account,"Product!of!Circumstances!is"never"explicitly"
considered" as" the" first" lecture" performance;" it" might" however" well" be" the" first" lecture"
performance" that" has" entered" into" academic" discourse" –" at" least" as" a" lecture"
performance."The" prominent"position"of"the"piece"is"further"exemplified"by"the" citation"
from"the"Unfriendly"Takeover"website"quoted"in"the"introduction:""
"
For" some" years" now," even" decades," there" is" talk" about" the" fusion" of" artistic" practice"
and" its" theory," about" the" crossing" of" the" borders" of" genres," about" selfUreflective" art"
and"creative"science."No"wonder"that"[since]"Xavier"Le"Roy's"‘Product"of"Circumstances’"
of" 1999" lecture" performances" have" become" more" and" more" popular." Popular" as" a"
thrilling," performative" and" discursive" medium" for" choreographers," performers,"
directors"and"theorists"alike."(Unfriendly"Takeover"2010)""
"
This" quote" also" suggests" a" lineage," or" two" lineages" to" be" precise:" it" places" the"
lecture" performance" in" the" context" of" the" debate" on" art" and" theory" that" dates" back"
several" decades" (and" I" will" return" to" this" debate" a" little" later" on)." And" it" furthermore"
proposes" that" within" this" already" existing" context," the" lecture" performance" offers"
something" new:" where" before" there" was" “talk”" there" is" now" a" “medium”" that" is" both"
“performative"and"discursive”."Unlike"the"explicit"attempts"to"construct"a"lineage"of"the"
lecture" performance" that" I" have" summarised," which" locate" the" origin" of" the" lecture"
performance" somewhere" in" art" or" performance" history," this" implicit" lineage" includes"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
108
"“paradigmatisch"für"das"Format"der"LectureUPerformance“."
53"
"
references" to" other" fields," to" science" and" theory." Exemplary" for" this" perspective" is," of"
course," Peters’s" writing" on" the" lecture" performance," which" places" it" in" the" context" of" a"
history"of"the"lecture"as"performance,"and"thus,"to"quote"again,"in"a"tradition"“that"can"be"
traced"back"at"least"to"the"18th"century”.""
In" her" account," Peters" does" however" acknowledge" both" the" existence" of" different"
lineages" and" the" fact" that" around" the" year" 2000" there" emerges" a" new" development," a"
“new"intensity”"of"lecture"performance"work:"
"
Around" the" turn" of" the" millennium" the" lecture" performance" appears" on" the" public"
scene"with"a"new"intensity"–"in"very"different"variations"and"media"constellations"and"
across" the" spectrum" of" artistic" and" scientific" discourses." This" lecture" performance"
trend"in"many"ways"connects"to"historical"scenarios"of"the"art"of"lecturing,"even"though"
the" lecture" performance" scene" itself" seems" to" identify" its" predecessors" in" the"
conceptual"and"performance"art"of"the"1960s.109"(Peters"2011:"180)"
"
After" briefly" considering" the" possible" origin" of" the" lecture" performance" in" the"
history" of" performance" art," Peters" focuses" on" a" distinction" between" such" earlier,"
“singular” 110 "(180)" examples 111 "and" the" emergence" of" the" contemporary" lecture"
performance"form:"“The"lecture"as"performance"is"now"(reU)discovered"at"the"same"time"
by"scenic"performance,"visual"arts"and"science"[...]”112"(181)."Peters"sees"the"emergence"
not" of" the" lecture" performance" as" such" (which" for" her" is" part" of" the" larger" historical"
context"of"the"lecture"as"performance)"but"of"its"recent"trend"as"originating"in"different"
contexts" simultaneously," which" she" describes" as" follows:" “The" interests" of" performance"
artists"and"cultural"producers"who"rediscover"theatre"as"public"space,"without,"however,"

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109
"“Um"die"Jahrtausendwende"erscheint"die"Vortragsperformance"in"neuer"Intensität"auf"der"öffentlichen"
Bildfläche" –" in" sehr" unterschiedlichen" Spielarten" und" medialen" Konstellationen" und" quer" durch" das"
Spektrum" künstlerischer" und" wissenschaftlicher" Diskurse." Diese" Konjunktur" der" LectureUPerformance"
schließt"auf"vielerlei"Weise"an"historische"Szenarien"der"Vortragskunst"an,"obwohl"die"LectureUPerformanceU
Szene" selbst" ihre" Vorläufer" vor" allem" in" der" KonzeptU" und" Performancekunst" der" 1960er" Jahre" zu" sehen"
scheint.“"
110
"“vereinzelt”."
111
"Despite"this"assessment,"Peters"references"examples"from"the"history"of"performance"art"at"other"points"
in"her"book."For"instance,"a"few"pages"later,"she"mentions"Dan"Graham’s"PerformerAAudienceAMirror"(1975),"
but"tellingly"again"in"the"context"of"a"reference"to"the"history"of"the"lecture"(which"also"means"outside"the"
context"of"art):"“In"the"action"PerformerAAudienceAMirror!by"Dan"Graham"[...]"I"saw"mirrored"the"principle"of"
speculation" of" the" extemporaneous" lecture" around" 1800.”" (Peters" 2011:" 183)" [“In" der" Aktion" PerformerA
AudienceAMirror! von" Dan" Graham" [...]," spiegelte" sich" für" mich" nicht" zuletzt" das" Spekulationsprinzip" des"
freien"Vortrags"um"1800.“]"
112
"“Der" Vortrag" als" Performance" wird" nun" von" der" szenischen" Performance," der" bildenden" Kunst" und" der"
Wissenschaft"zugleich"(wiederU)entdeckt"[...]“."
54"
"
wanting"to"“make"theatre”,"and"researchers"looking"for"alternative"spaces"of"knowledge"
production,"meet.”113"(Peters"2011:"181U182)"
The" search" for" “alternative" spaces”" is" linked" by" Peters" with" the" increasing"
restrictions"in"the"academic"system"that"I"have"described"in"the"first"part"of"this"chapter."
This"does,"however,"also"mean"that"the"contexts"in"which"these"shared"interests"become"
manifest" are" primarily" arts" contexts:" “An" exodus" from" the" academic" institutions" is" the"
consequence," and" alternative" conceptions" of" education" as" knowledge" production"
temporarily"find"a"precarious"shelter"in"the"public"spaces"of"art.”114"(181)"In"the"strategic"
alliance" between" art" and" science," the" lecture" performance" for" Peters" “takes" on" new"
concrete"functions"as"a"format"of"knowledge"presentation"in"contexts"that"can"no"longer"
fall" back" on" existing" formats” 115 "(182)." And" it" is" here" that" Peters" locates" further"
differences" to" earlier" practices" of" artists" such" as" Beuys," which" for" her" were" more"
concerned"with"a"“unification"of"science"and"art”116"(182),"forming"a"context"in"which"the"
lecture" performance" remains" an" “exotic" formal" experiment” 117 "(182)." The" lecture"
performance" that" emerges" out" of" this" strategic" alliance," on" the" other" hand," concerns"
itself," according" to" Peters," with" “concrete" artistic," scientific" or" social" concerns" that" look"
for"new"forms"with"which"to"address"an"equally"new"kind"of"public.”118"(182)""
Peters’s"narrative"of"the"emergence"of"the"“lecture"performance"trend”"around"the"
turn"of"the"millennium"proposes"a"synchronicity"of"developments"in"arts"and"science,"and"
from" this" perspective" suggests" that" earlier" artistic" experiments" with" the" lecture" form"
remain" “exotic”" or" “singular”" as" even" in" their" appropriation" of" an" academic" or" scientific"
format" they" do" not" participate" equally" in" both" contexts." While" I" agree" with" Peters" that"
there" is" a" greater" permeability" between" the" contexts" of" art" and" science" in" the"
development"she"describes,"I"still"purport"that"most"protagonists"of"the"emerging"lecture"
performance" scene" were" (or" are)" first" and" foremost" artists." Regardless" of" whether" this"
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113
"“Die" Interessen" von" PerformanceUKünstlerinnen," UKünstlern" und" Kulturschaffenden," die" das" Theater" als"
öffentlichen" Raum" wieder" entdecken," ohne" doch" ›Theater" machen‹" zu" wollen," und" Forscherinnen" und"
Forschern,"die"nach"alternativen"Orten"der"Wissensproduktion"suchen,"treffen"sich.”""
114
"“Ein" Exodus" aus" den" akademischen" Institutionen" ist" die" Folge" und" so" finden" alternative" Entwürfe" von"
Bildung" als" Wissensproduktion" zeitweilig" einen" prekären" Unterschlupf" in" den" öffentlichen" Räumen" der"
Kunst.“""
115
"“übernimmt" neue" konkrete" Funktionen" als" Format" der" Wissenspräsentation" in" Zusammenhängen," die"
nicht"mehr"auf"gegebene"Formate"zurückgreifen"können“."
116
"“Vereinigung"von"Wissenschaft"und"Kunst“.""
117
"“exotisches"Formalexperiment“."
118
"“[...]" konkrete" künstlerische," wissenschaftliche" und" gesellschaftliche" Anliegen," die" nach" neuen" Formen"
suchen,"um"sich"an"eine"ebenso"neue"Form"von"Öffentlichkeit"zu"wenden.“""
"
55"
"
perception" is" true," however," and" regardless" of" which" context" the" person" presenting" a"
lecture"performance"is"primarily"associated"with"(which"is"often"not"easy"to"decide),"what"
nevertheless"remains"to"be"discussed"is"how"lecture"performances"are"perceived"not"only"
in" relation" to" the" lecture" as" academic" performance," but" also" in" relation" to" artistic"
performance.""
If"the"“exodus"from"academic"institutions”"into"the"art"context"that"Peters"describes"
(or," seen" from" a" different" perspective," the" appropriation" of" academic" formats" into" this"
context)"is"not"simply"an"attempt"to"reUinstitute"existing"models"of"knowledge"production"
in" a" different" environment," then" it" also" implies" that" this" development" cannot" only" be"
described"by"looking"at"how"lecture"performances"renegotiate"the"production"of"meaning"
in" lectures." It" is" equally" important" to" consider" how" it" does" so" in" performance." Or," put"
differently,"looking"at"the"lecture"performance"in"the"context"of"an"“art"of"lecturing”"does"
not"fully"explain"how"the"lecture"performance"is"perceived"not"only"as"an!art"but"as"art,"
how" it" challenges" perceived" notions" not" only" of" what" constitutes" a" lecture" but" also" of"
what" constitutes" an" artistic" performance." In" order" to" approach" this" issue," a" look" at" the"
history"(or"several"histories)"of"performance"as"an"art"form"will"indeed"be"useful"–"not"to"
construct" a" lineage," but" to" point" out" how" the" lecture" performance" relates" to" different"
models"of"aesthetic"perception"that"are"associated"with"performance"work.""
"
Performance#histories#
#
Performed" in" 1965," Beuys’s" How! to! Explain! Pictures! to! a! Dead! Hare! is" today"
regarded"as"a"canonical"example"of"early"performance"art."When"Peters"writes"that"“the"
lecture"performance"scene"itself"seems"to"identify"its"predecessors"in"the"conceptual"and"
performance"art"of"the"1960s”,"Beuys"is"obviously"one"of"the"figures"she"has"in"mind"(as"
her"later"comments"confirm)."However,"it"is"not"only"the"label"‘lecture"performance’"that"
is"retrospectively"applied"to"the"piece."The"terms"‘performance’"and"‘performance"art’,"as"
Marvin"Carlson"points"out,"only"became"“widely"utilized"after"1970"to"describe"much"of"
the" experimental" work" of" that" new" decade”" (Carlson" 2004:" 108)." In" Carlson’s" account,"
although"performance"art"“drew"much"of"its"inspiration"and"methods"from"the"complex"
experimental" mix" of" the" 1960s”" (108)," it" was" only" in" the" 1970s" and" 1980s" that"
“performance"and"performance"art"[...]"emerged"as"major"cultural"activities"in"the"United"

56"
"
States" as" well" as" in" Western" Europe" and" Japan“119"(110)." While" this" is" quite" a" precise"
temporal" outline" of" the" emergence" of" performance" and" performance" art" –" only"
complicated"by"the"fact"that"a"distinction"between"these"two"terms"and"practices"(which"
Carlson" provides" elsewhere" in" his" book)" is" missing" –" most" histories" of" performance" and"
performance"art"extend"beyond"this"temporal"frame"to"include"examples"of"works"dating"
back"to"much"earlier"periods"in"time."Goldberg,"for"instance,"while"focussing"her"account"
on"the"20th"Century,"mentions"among"early"examples"a"pageant"directed"by"Leonardo"da"
Vinci" in" 1490" (Goldberg" 2011:" 8)." Indeed," the" period" after" 1970" is" only" discussed" in" the"
final" quarter" of" Performance! Art120!–" despite" the" fact" that" she," like" Carlson," regards" the"
1970s"as"the"time"when"performance"is"recognised"as"an"autonomous"art"form"(7)."
Performance"in"Goldberg’s"account"is"a"form"that,"firstly,"has"always"been"there"but"
whose" importance" was" not" previously" recognised;" and" that," secondly," is" per" se" radical:"
“Live" gestures" have" constantly" been" used" as" a" weapon" against" the" conventions" of"
established" art”" (7). 121 "Goldberg’s" narrative" of" the" history" of" performance" can" be"
described" as" the" attempt" to" appropriate" the" history" of" the" avantUgarde" for" the" field" of"
performance."Consequently,"she"attempts"to"develop"continuity"where"before"there"was"
an"“omission”"(7),"and"thus"discusses"all"her"examples"(i.e."work"from"the"beginning"of"the"
20th" century" as" well" as" contemporary" work)" under" the" paradigm" of" performance." What"
follows"from"this"approach"is"a"very"wide"definition"of"performance:"“By"its"very"nature,"
performance"defies"precise"or"easy"definition"beyond"the"simple"declaration"that"it"is"live"
art" by" artists." Any" stricter" definition" would" immediately" negate" the" possibility" of"
performance" itself.”" (9)" There" is" an" obvious" contradiction" between" Goldberg’s"
assumption"of"an"inherent"radicalness"of"performance"and"the"width"of"her"definition"–"

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119
"There"are"of"course"also"other"histories"of"performance"art"beyond"this"Western"perspective,"although"
these"have"only"quite"recently"come"into"focus."For"an"account"of"Eastern"European"performance"practices"
see"for"instance"Harutyunyan"et"al."2012."
120
"The"rest"of"Goldberg’s"account"is"devoted"to"tracing"the"history"of"performance"within"the"history"of"the"
avantUgarde:"“[...]"whenever"a"certain"school"[...]"seemed"to"have"reached"an"impasse,"artists"have"turned"to"
performance" as" a" way" of" breaking" down" categories" and" indicating" new" directions." Moreover," within" the"
history" of" the" avant" garde" –" meaning" those" artists" who" led" the" field" in" breaking" with" each" successive"
tradition" –" performance" in" the" twentieth" century" has" been" at" the" forefront" of" such" an" activity:" an" avant"
avant" garde.”" (Goldberg" 2001:" 7)" This" focus" on" the" avantUgarde" is" in" turn" criticised" by" Carlson" who" –" not"
surprisingly," given" that" he" is" writing" from" a" US" American" performance" studies" perspective" –" instead"
emphasises"the"importance"of"“popular"and"folk"forms”"(Carlson"2004:"83).""
121
"The"martial"vocabulary"is"consistent"with"the"image"of"the"avantUgarde."
57"
"
not" all" “live" art" by" artists”122"can" be" described" as" “a" weapon" against" the" conventions" of"
established"art”."I"believe"that"Goldberg’s"evocation"of"performance’s"“radical"stance”"(7)"
is" characteristic" for" an" understanding" of" performance" informed" by" the," as" Frazer" Ward"
puts"it,"“frequently"confrontational”"(Ward"2002:"2)"performance"art"practices"that"have"
emerged" in" the" 1970’s," the" period" leading" up" to" the" publication" of" Goldberg’s" selfU
proclaimed" “first" history" of" performance”" (Goldberg" 2001:" 7)." If" the" performance" art" of"
the" 1970’s" is" repeatedly" brought" up" as" one" of" the" historical" reference" points" for" the"
emergence" of" the" lecture" performance," then" the" question" is" what" remains" of" this"
perceived" “radical" stance”" in" contemporary" lecture" performance" work." Or," to" use"
Goldberg’s" words," against" which" “conventions" of" established" art”" is" the" lecture"
performance"used"as"a"“weapon”?"
The"history"that"Goldberg"claims"as"that"of"performance"or"performance"art"has"also"
been"described"from"the"perspective"of"experimental"theatre."A"recent"example"for"such"
an" approach" is" HansUThies" Lehmann’s" account" of" the" “Prehistories”" of" postdramatic"
theatre"(Lehmann"2006:"46U68)."Here,"a"different"narrative"unfolds,"as"Lehmann"insists"on"
maintaining" a" distinction" between" the" experimental" theatre" forms" he" describes" and"
performance"art"–"despite"acknowledging"the"connections"between"them:"
"
Since" the" immediacy" of" a" shared" experience" between" artists" and" audience" is" at" the"
heart"of"Performance"Art,"it"is"obvious"that"the"closer"theatre"gets"to"an"event"and"to"
the"performance"artist’s"gesture"of"selfUpresentation,"the"more"a"common"borderland"
between"Performance"and"Theatre"develops"–"especially"since"in"the"Performance"Art"
of"the"1980s"a"counter"trend"towards"theatricalization"could"be"observed."(134)123"
"
Lehmann’s" account" of" a" “blurred" boundary”" (134)" between" theatre" and"
performance"art,"while"foregrounding"the"similarities"between"the"two"forms,"still"has"to"
insist"on"a"distinction"between"them."This"difference"once"again"has"to"be"situated"within"
the"history"of"the"forms:"as"the"term"“postdramatic"theatre”"would"not"make"sense"for"
works" clearly" positioned" outside" a" theatrical" lineage," Lehmann" has" to" acknowledge" the"
visual"arts"heritage"of"such"work:"“From"the"point"of"view"of"visual"arts,"Performance"Art"
presents"itself"as"an"expansion"of"pictorial"or"objectUlike"presentations"of"reality"through"

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122
"In"this"deliberately"imprecise"definition"of"performance"as"“live"art"by"artists”,"Goldberg"uses"a"term"that"
in"itself"now"constitutes"(at"least"in"the"UK)"an"established"category:"‘live"art’."I"will"briefly"discuss"the"term"
below."
123
"This"shift"within"performance"art"towards"the"theatrical"has"also"been"noted"by"Carlson"(Carlson"2004:"
114f.)."
58"
"
the"addition"of"the"dimension!of!time.”"(134)."From"this"perspective,"in"its"proposition"of"a"
discontinuity"between"developments"in"visual"arts"and"theatre,"rather"than"the"continuity"
that"Goldberg"suggests,"performance"art"initially"appears"as"a"new"form"originating"from"a"
visual" arts" context." However," such" distinctions" are" increasingly" difficult" to" maintain," as"
Lehmann’s" reference" to" of" a" “common" borderland" between" Performance" and" Theatre”"
shows." I" propose" that" it" is" this" “common" borderland”" that" the" lecture" performance"
inhabits," and" that" the" existence" of" such" an" overlap" also" means" that" it" is" not" especially"
surprising" that" the" lecture" performance" is" taken" up" by" practitioners" from" different"
backgrounds" in" the" second" half" of" the" 1990s.124"Moreover," at" the" time" when" the" term"
‘lecture" performance’" was" coined," ‘performance’" was" the" term" commonly" used" to"
describe" the" practices" that" had" emerged" somewhere" in" this" “common" borderland”"
between" performance" art" and" experimental" theatre" (and," it" has" to" be" added,"
contemporary"dance).125"As"such,"the"term"‘performance’"is"or"at"least"was"in"that"period"
largely" synonymous" with" the" term" ‘live" art’" as" the" LondonUbased" Live" Art" Development"
Agency" defines" it:" “Live" Art" is" an" umbrella" term" encompassing" a" range" of" performance,"
performative" and" timeUbased" practices" that" are" unrestricted" by" artform" boundaries.”"
(Live" Art" Development" Agency" 2012)" In" a" short" lecture" performance126"entitled" What! is!
Live! Art?" (2002)," Joshua" Sofaer" gives" a" definition" of" ‘live" art’" that" evokes" Goldberg’s"
definition" of" performance:" “Well," at" its" most" fundamental," Live" Art" is" when" an" artist"

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124
"These"different"practices"–"experimental"theatre,"performance"art,"dance"–"often"found"a"common"place"
in"venues"such"as"the"Frankfurt"Mousonturm"–"where"I"first"encountered"them"as"a"student"of"Lehmann,"
and"where,"among"the"many"performances"I"saw"I"also"witnessed"quite"a"few"lecture"performances.""
125
"I" would" like" to" mention" two" publications" from" that" period:" Tim" Etchells’s" Certain! Fragments" (1999),"
which" documents" the" work" of" his" company" Forced" Entertainment" and" carries" the" subtitle" ‘Contemporary!
Performance! and! Forced! Entertainment’;" and" Goat" Island’s" Matthew" Goulish’s" 39! Microlectures" (2001),"
which"is"subtitled"‘in!proximity!of!performance’.!Not"only"do"the"respective"subtitles"show"that"the"artists"
locate"their"practice"or"that"of"their"companies"in"the"field"of"performance,"but"both"books"also"illustrate"
that" leading" practitioners" of" performance" were" at" that" time" drawn" towards" theorising" their" practice." In"
addition,"both"books"contain"pieces"of"writing"that"are"relevant"to"a"discussion"of"the"lecture"performance."
Goulish"has"performed"some"of"his"Microlectures"live,"for"instance"in"the"context"of"a"Forced"Entertainment"
retrospective" at" Mousonturm" in" Frankfurt" in" 2003" together" with" Etchells." And" Forced" Entertainment’s" A!
Decade! of! Forced! Entertainment" (1994)," the" script" of" which" is" published" in" Certain! Fragments" and" which"
was" originally" advertised" as" “part" autobiography," part" archive," part" historical" meditation" and" part"
theoretical"speculation”"(Etchells"1999:"29),"could"be"considered"as"one"of"the"first"lecture"performances"to"
emerge"out"of"that"particular"context"of"performance.""
126
"What! is! Live! Art?" Is" a" lecture" performance" for" camera." The" 5Uminute" video" shows" Sofaer," dressed" in" a"
suit," giving" a" short" introduction" to" live" art" in" a" busy" street" facing" the" camera" that" slowly" zooms" out,"
exposing"more"and"more"of"the"environment"and"passersUby"looking"surprised"or"confused"at"the"artist."This"
look"of"surprise"is"explained"when"Sofaer,"having"finished"his"lecture,"turns"around"and"walks"off,"and"we"
see"that"a"hole"had"been"cut"into"the"back"of"his"trousers,"exposing"his"bare"behind.""
59"
"
chooses" to" make" work" directly" in" front" of" the" audience" in" space" and" time.”" (Sofaer"
2002)127""
Their"liveness"is"the"“fundamental”"feature"that"is"invoked"in"definitions"of"all"these"
often" overlapping" forms" or" genres," whether" they" are" referred" to" as" performance,"
performance"art,"live"art"or"postdramatic"theatre."And"while"liveness"is"a"feature"that"is"
obviously" not" exclusive" to" these" forms" (both" Goldberg’s" and" Sofaer’s" definitions" could"
also" describe" a" concert" or" a" conventional" play)," what" the" definitions" show" is" the" great"
value"that"is"attributed"to"liveness"in"performance"in"general"(to"use"‘performance’"here"
as"an"“umbrella"term”"instead"of"‘live"art’,"because"it"is"a"component"of"the"term"‘lecture"
performance’)." In" the" first" part" of" this" chapter," I" have" already" focused" on" the" very"
different"value"that"is"placed"on"liveness"in"a"performance"or"theatre"context"in"contrast"
to"a"lecture"context."Goffman,"for"instance,"purports"that"a"lecture’s"content"can"remain"
unaffected" by" its" live" presentation" and" be" communicated" equally" well" as" text." Such"
prejudices" can" also" be" found" in" specific" models" of" the" production" of" meaning" in"
performance"that"conceive"of"the"live"moment"as"inviting"a"primarily"emotional"response"
which"can"only"later"be"rationalised."While"Goffman"argues"that"its"liveness"is"an"aspect"
that" can" be" disregarded" in" the" lecture’s" production" of" meaning," the" models" that" I" will"
discuss"in"what"follows"imply"that"live"performance"resists"an"immediate"understanding.""
"
Experience#and#thought#
"
Marvin" Carlson" suggests" that" early" performance" art" was" characterised" by" an"
“opposition"to"logical"and"discursive"thought"and"speech”"(Carlson"2004:"110)."From"this"

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127
"Sofaer"expands"on"the"establishment"of"the"term:"“The"term"‘Live"Art’"came"into"usage"in"the"UK"in"the"
midU1980s," and" was" born" out" of" a" frustration" by" arts" professionals" to" account" for" art" practices" that"
expanded" or" escaped" the" classifications" in" use." Artists" were" making" work" that" wasn’t" quite" dance," that"
couldn’t" be" called" theatre," that" didn’t" fit" into" any" of" the" categories" on" offer." While" Performance" Art" had"
been"an"established"genre"in"the"US"since"the"1970’,"the"term"‘Live"Art’"was"an"attempt"to"acknowledge"the"
diversity" of" live" based" arts" practices.”" Because" “performance" art”" describes" an" “established" genre”," it"
cannot"for"Sofaer"account"for"the"“diversity"of"practices”"associated"with"the"more"general"term"“live"art”."
His" description" of" these" practices," however," echoes" Goldberg’s" portrayal" of" performance" art" “in" the"
twentieth" century”" as" a" “permissive," openUended" medium" with" endless" variables," executed" by" artists"
impatient"with"the"limitations"of"more"established"forms,"and"determined"to"take"their"art"directly"to"the"
public.”"(Goldberg"2001:"9)"Performance,"Goldberg"goes"on,"“draws"freely"on"any"number"of"disciplines"and"
media"for"material"–"literature,"poetry,"theatre,"music,"dance,"architecture"and"painting,"as"well"as"video,"
film," slides" and" narrative" –" deploying" them" in" any" combination.”" (9)" Again," she" here" conflates" the" terms"
“performance”"and"“performance"art”;"the"latter"does"indeed,"as"Sofaer"suggests,"describe"a"more"specific"
practice"emerging"only"in"the"second"half"of"the"twentieth"century.""
"
60"
"
perspective"it"seems"difficult"to"imagine"that"the"lecture"performance,"a"form"that"heavily"
relies" on" “logical" and" discursive" thought" and" speech”," even" if" it" sometimes" transcends,"
parodies" or" perverts" it," should" emerge" from" this" tradition." That" there" is" some" value" in"
Carlson’s" diagnosis," however," becomes" evident" when" looking" at," for" instance," How! to!
Explain!Pictures!to!a!Dead!Hare."I"will"discuss"this"performance"–"in"which"Beuys,"as"the"
title" suggests," explained" pictures" to" a" dead" hare" in" a" gallery" while" an" audience" was"
watching"from"the"outside"–"in"more"detail"in"chapter"5"of"this"thesis."But"for"now"I"would"
like"to"use"it"as"an"example"of"what"could"be"described"as"a"conflicted"relation"rather"than"
an"outright"opposition"to"rationalisation."While"Beuys’s"performance"apparently"consists"
mainly"of"an"act"of"explanation,"the"audience"is"twice"excluded"from"this"act,"first"by"not"
being"addressed"directly"and"secondly"by"not"being"able"to"hear"what"is"being"said."“[...]"I"
do" not" really" like" explaining" them" to" people" ..." A" hare" comprehends" more" than" many"
human" beings" with" their" stubborn" rationalism" ...”" (in" Warr" and" Jones" 2000:" 76)," Beuys"
himself"afterwards"said"about"the"piece."At"first"this"statement"seems"to"be"very"much"in"
line" with" Carlson’s" assessment," but" it" is" also" evidence" to" the" fact" that," after" the"
performance,"Beuys"decided"to"try"and"explain"why"he"had"performed"the"action,"and"in"
doing"so"actually"appealed"to"an"understanding"of"the"action"on"the"level"of"the"“stubborn"
rationalism”"he"criticised"in"the"statement."To"what"extent"this"discourse"about"the"work"
can"be"separated"from"the"work"itself"will"be"a"focus"of"my"later"discussion"of"the"piece."
At"this"point,"I"would"like"to"focus"on"the"initial"moment"of"reception"or"perception"of"the"
work,"on"what"Gregory"L."Ulmer,"in"the"chapter"of"his"book"Applied!Grammatology"that"is"
dedicated" to" Beuys’s" work" (and" in" which" he" also" discusses" How! to! Explain! Pictures! to! a!
Dead! Hare! in" some" detail)," refers" to" as" the" “primary" effect”" (Ulmer" 1985:" 252)" of" the"
work.""
In" the" beginning" of" the" chapter," in" the" context" of" introducing" his" readers" to"
“contemporary"movements"such"as"conceptual"art,"performance"art"and"video"art”"(228),"
Ulmer" sketches" a" development" that" is" characterised" by" a" collapsing" of" distinctions"
between" art" and" science" in" general" and" between" the" different" forms" in" which" they" are"
manifest"in"particular:"
"
"In"short,"there"is"a"general"shift"under"way,"equally"affecting"the"arts"and"the"sciences,"
in"which"the"old"classifications"organizing"the"intellectual"map"into"disciplines,"media,"
genres,"and"modes"no"longer"correspond"to"the"terrain."The"organizing"principle"of"the"

61"
"
 current" situation" is" the" collapse" of" the" distinction" (opposition" or" hierarchy)" between"
criticalUtheoretical"reflection"and"creative"practice."(225)"
"
Ulmer’s"statement"can"be"read"as"a"contribution"to"the"debate"about"the"“fusion”"of"
art"and"science,"theory"and"creative"practice"that,"according"to"Unfriendly"Takeover,"has"
been"going"on"“for"decades”"(Unfriendly"Takeover"2010)"and"provides"the"context"for"the"
emergence" of" the" lecture" performance." Beuys’s" practice" for" Ulmer" appears" to" be"
indicative" of" this" development" (Ulmer" speaks" of" Beuys" as" “exemplary”" (Ulmer" 1985:"
226)),"which"seems"to"contradict"Carlson’s"assessment"of"the"opposition"of"performance"
and"thought."However,"when"it"comes"to"the"reception"of"the"work,"Ulmer’s"reading"of"
Beuys" still" to" some" extent" relies" on" exactly" the" distinction" between" “criticalUtheoretical"
reflection"and"creative"practice”."
In" short" (I" will" expand" on" this" aspect" in" chapter" 5)," Ulmer" proposes" that" Beuys’s"
work"resists"an"immediate"understanding."An"understanding"of"the"work"might"however"
develop" in" retrospect" as" it" is" “intended" to" function" by" means" of" an" aftereffect”" (252)."
Despite"mentioning"“performance"art”,"Ulmer"never"explicitly"considers"the"specific"social"
situation"of"the"work"(such"as"the"coUpresence"of"performer"and"spectators),"and"instead"
focuses"on"Beuys’s"use"of"objects:"
"
"[...]"Beuys’s"objects"are"both"what"they"are"[...]"and"stimulation"for"the"general"process"
of" memory" and" imagination." At" the" primary" level," the" object" does" not" ‘transfer" a"
message’"but"moves"the"spectator"–"remaining"open"in"its"reference,"the"object"evokes"
associated"memories"that"are"motivated"less"by"the"qualities"of"the"object"than"by"the"
subject"of"reception"[...]."(251)"
"
The" effect" that" Ulmer" describes" here" is" one" of" not" understanding." In" the" passage"
leading" up" to" this" quote," he" evokes" Derrida’s" reading" of" Mallarmé’s" writing" as" retaining"
“the" structure" of" mimesis" but" without" representing" anything”" and" applies" it" to" Beuys"
where" “the" objects" produce" the" effect" of" reference," but" without" referring" to" anything”"
(251)."It"is"because"of"this"structure"that,"according"to"Ulmer,"the"spectator"has"to"provide"
the" reference" through" her" “associated" memories”." While" Ulmer" disregards" the" social"
situation" in" which" this" “effect" of" reference”" takes" place," his" remarks" illustrate" how" a"
representational" structure" is" at" work" even" in" the" assumed" immediate" presence" of" the"
performance"event"that,"as"Andrew"Quick"summarises,"“appears"to"resist"the"operation"of"
representation," of" repetition," of" illusion," while" somehow" being" or" presenting" ‘the" real’"

62"
"
itself”"(Quick"1996:"12)."Nevertheless,"the"effect"that"Ulmer"describes"as"taking"place"at"
the" “primary" level”" of" reception" is" primarily" emotional." The" spectator" is" described" as"
being"“moved”,"and"her"being"moved"is"due"to"the"fact"that"there"is"no"“message”"that"
can" be" immediately" understood." Thus," Ulmer," while" aiming" to" use" Beuys’s" work" as" an"
example" of" a" collapsing" of" distinctions" between" “criticalUtheoretical" reflection" and"
creative" practice”," seems" to" insist" that" “criticalUtheoretical" reflection”" is" something" that"
only"promises"results"after"the"“primary"effect”,"after"the"initial"emotional"response"that"
is"triggered"by"the"failure"to"understand."And"while"to"associate"“creative"practice”"with"a"
primarily"emotional"response"would"seem"to"reinstitute"the"oppositions"that"Ulmer"sees"
dissolve," it" is" nevertheless" striking" that" for" him" the" rational" understanding" and" the"
emotional"experience"of"the"work"function"asynchronously.""
In" a" quote" that" Ulmer" does" not" properly" reference," the" effect" of" Beuys’s" work" is"
described"as"being"of"an"“intensity,"which"can"register"as"a"longUlasting"shock"in"the"mind"
of" the" confronted" viewer”" (in" Ulmer" 1985:" 253)." Ulmer" himself" never" uses" the" term"
“shock”"to"describe"the"effect"that"Beuys’s"work"has"on"its"audience,"but"he"nevertheless"
sketches"a"process"in"which"an"emotional"response"is"over"time"transformed"into"a"more"
rational" understanding." And" while" emotional" experience" and" rational" understanding" are"
never"that"clearly"distinguished"but"are"described"as"interrelated"processes,"the"question"
remains" what" is" left" of" the" original" “shock”" (again," a" term" Ulmer" only" introduces" via"
quotations)"after"the"temporal"distance"has"afforded"a"rational"understanding.""
How"does"Ulmer’s"model"of"aesthetic"perception"relate"to"the"lecture"performance?"
In"its"appropriation"of"the"lecture"form,"a"form"that"is"conventionally"not"understood"as"
being"an"object"of"aesthetic"perception,"the"lecture"performance"itself"is"often"suspected"
of"being"primarily"concerned"with,"in"Gardner’s"words,"the"passing"on"of"“straightforward"
expertise”" (Gardner" 2008)." This" implies" that," despite" demonstrating" how" certain" factors"
participate"in"the"production"of"meaning"in"a"lecture"setting"that"would"more"readily"be"
associated" with" “creative" practice”," or," indeed," with" aesthetic" perception," the" lecture" is"
often" understood" to" appeal" primarily" to" the" faculties" of" “criticalUtheoretical" reflection”."
This"in"turn"would"mean"that"Ulmer’s"model"of"aesthetic"perception"cannot"be"applied"to"
the" lecture" performance," not" simply" because" it" does" not" invite" an" aesthetic" perception"
(which" it" does," albeit" not" exclusively)," but" because" it" does" not" necessarily" defer" an"
immediate"understanding"(although"it"might"occasionally"do"so)."Or,"to"be"more"precise,"if"
the"lecture"is"aimed"at"the"production"of"evidence,"which"Peters"describes"as"“the"event"
63"
"
of" a" synchronisation" between" showing" and" understanding" that" is" experienced" as" the"
presence"of"that"which"is"to"be"shown”"(Peters"2007:"38),"this"is"at"least"partly"also"true"
for"the"lecture"performance."The"production"of"evidence"as"a"“synchronisation"between"
showing" and" understanding”" describes" a" process" of" perception" that" is" fundamentally"
different" to" the" model" of" a" deferred" understanding" that" Ulmer" proposes." While" Ulmer"
develops"this"model"specifically"for"Beuys’s"work,"Lehmann"proposes"a"similar"model"for"
the"“aesthetic"experience"of"theatre”"in"general:"
"
The"aesthetic"experience"of"theatre"[...]"is"only"in"a"secondary"manner"reflection."The"
latter"rather"takes"place"ex!post"and"would"not"even"have"a"motivation"had"it"not"been"
for"the"prior"experience"of"an"event"that"cannot"be"‘thought’"or"‘reflected’"and"which,"
in"this"sense,"has"the"character"of"a"shock."(Lehmann"2006:"142)"
"
Here,"too,"the"“shock”"of"the"aesthetic"experience"is"linked"to"an"inability"to"make"
sense" of" what" is" being" perceived" by" means" of" “criticalUtheoretical" reflection”," which" in"
turn"is"the"“motivation”"for"a"process"of"reflection."Lehmann"develops"his"model"of"the"
aesthetic"experience"of"theatre"from"the"idea"of"a"coUpresence"of"actors"and"spectators,"a"
presence" that" according" to" him" is" “of" a" different" kind" than" the" presence" of" a" picture," a"
sound," a" piece" of" architecture”" (142)." Nevertheless," Lehmann" in" a" next" step" generalises"
his"observations"about"theatre"and"applies"them"to"“all"aesthetic"experience”:"
"
All"aesthetic"experience"knows"this"bipolarity:"first"the"confrontation"with"a"presence,"
‘sudden’" and" in" principle" this" side" of" (or" beyond)" the" rupturing," doubling" reflection;"
then" the" processing" of" this" experience" by" an" act" of" retroactive" remembering,"
contemplating"and"reflecting."(142)"
"
After" this" generalising" statement," Lehmann" returns" to" discussing" the" aesthetic"
experience"of"theatre"in"particular,"but"this"time"even"more"specifically"considering"“the"
presence"we"are"dealing"with"in"performance"and"in"those"forms"of"theatre"that"abandon"
the"paradigm"of"dramatic"theatre”"(142)."Over"the"course"of"a"few"sentences,"Lehmann"
applies"his"model"of"aesthetic"experience"to"three"different"contexts;"or,"more"precisely,"
he"each"time"frames"the"context"differently."But"how"can"a"model"of"aesthetic"experience"
be"described"as"specific"to"one"particular"artistic"form"(theatre,"postdramatic"theatre,"or,"
to"bring"Ulmer"back"into"the"equation,"Beuys’s"objects),"when"it"can"also"be"applied"to"the"
widest" possible" context" (“all" aesthetic" experience”)?" I" propose" that" we" are" here"

64"
"
confronted"with"an"idea"of"aesthetic"experience"that,"while"claiming"universal"validity,"is"
still"assumed"to"be"more"pronounced"in"the"reception"of"a"specific"art"form"(in"this"case,"it"
is"implicitly"assumed"to"be"more"pronounced"in"theatre"than"in"other"art"forms,"and"even"
more"so"in"postdramatic"theatre)."What"is"specific"to"these"art"forms"for"Lehmann"is"their"
relation"to"presence"and"to"the"present."Besides"defining"this"“present"of"performance”"
(which" is" also" the" title" of" this" section" of" Postdramatic! Theatre" (141))" as" based" on" coU
presence,"Lehmann"approaches"it"via"Karl"Heinz"Bohrer’s"conception"of"an"“aesthetics"of"
fright”,"reminding"us"that"concepts"like"“fright”"or"“shock”"have"become"a"“fundamental"
motif" within" contemporary" theories" of" art" and" theatre”(143) 128 ." Lehmann" himself"
introduces" a" slightly" weaker" term" in" speaking" of" an" “aesthetic" of" startling”" (143),"
describing" the" effect" of" being" startled" as" “independent" of" an" object”" and" thus" as"
something"that"is"not"contained"in"a"representational"framework:"
"
In"the"dimension"of"theatre"aesthetics,"however,"we"must"recognize"the"structure"of"a"
shock"whose"arousal"is"independent"of"an"object"–"not"a"fright"occasioned"by"a"story"or"
an" event" but" a" fright" about" fright" itself," so" to" speak." It" can" be" illustrated" by" the"
experience" of" being" startled" when" we" suddenly" realize" we" are" missing" something" or"
cannot"remember"something"[...]."The"present,"which"in"this"way"is"an"experience"that"
is" not" suspended" or" suspendable," is" the" experience" of" a" lack" or" of" having" missed"
something."(143)"
"
While"Lehmann"again"describes"an"effect"that"he"considers"specific"to"theatre,"his"
description" of" the" startling" effect" of" (postdramatic?129)" theatre" is" structurally" similar" to"
Ulmer’s" description" of" the" Beuysian" object" as" producing" “the" effect" of" reference," but"
without"referring"to"anything”."For"both"Lehmann"and"Ulmer,"this"“primary"effect”"(of"not"
understanding," of" having" missed" something)" motivates" a" process" of" reflection." The"
difference" is" that" Lehmann," in" contrast" to" Ulmer," does" not" specify" when" or" if" at" all" this"
process"of"reflection"produces"an"understanding."It"could"happen"in"an"instance,"it"could"
never"happen,"but"it"demands"a"specific"kind"of"“involvement”"in"the"performance:"
"
The" performance" addresses" itself" fundamentally" to" my" involvement:" my" personal"
responsibility" to" realize" the" mental" synthesis" of" the" event;" my" attention" having" to"

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128
"Lehmann"here"refers"to"authors"like"Walter"Benjamin,"Theodor"W,"Adorno,"or"Bertolt"Brecht,"and"even"
though" he" also" mentions" more" contemporary" sources" like" JeanUFrançois" Lyotard" or" Heiner" Müller," the"
selection"of"references"belies"his"statement"that"it"is"“contemporary"theories”"he"is"here"engaging."
129
"Because" he" keeps" reUframing" the" context" he" refers" to" throughout," it" is" difficult" to" keep" track" of" which"
particular"practices"Lehmann"is"making"claims"for"at"any"given"point.""
65"
"
 remain" open" to" what" does" not" become" an" object" of" understanding;" my" sense" of"
participation"in"what"is"happening"around"me;"my"awareness"of"the"problematic"act"of"
spectating"itself."(143)"
"
Lehmann" here" does" not" describe" the" activity" of" any" given" spectator;" instead," he"
outlines" what" could" be" described" as" an" ethics" of" spectatorship," based" on" the"
“responsibility”"(143)"the"work"demands"from"the"spectator."Rather"than"generalising"an"
individual’s" experience" of" an" artwork" (as" Ulmer" to" some" extent" does" in" describing" the"
effect"Beuys’s"works"supposedly"have),"Lehmann"describes"a"specific"attitude"or"position"
towards"the"work"that"might"not"be"taken"by"all"spectators."In"a"very"general"sense,"this"
attitude"could"also"be"taken"up"by"spectators"of"lecture"performance"work."Yet"what"I"find"
more"interesting"in"this"context"is"the"question"of"how"the"aesthetic"experience"relates"to"
the" intentions" of" the" artist." Even" given" the" “right”130"attitude" or" position" towards" the"
work,"the"resulting"experience"has"to"be"thought"of"in"terms"of"what"Jacques"Rancière"(in"
his"text"‘The"Emancipated"Spectator’,"which"will"be"an"important"reference"in"chapter"3"of"
this"thesis)"describes"as"a"“dissociation”"of"“cause"and"effect”"(Rancière"2009:"14U15)"in"
the"perception"of"an"art"work."This"brings"us"back"to"the"figure"of"evidence"that,"insofar"as"
it" occurs" in" “the" eye" of" the" beholder”," is" beyond" the" grasp" of" intentionality." Put"
differently," even" if" all" efforts" are" directed" at" its" production," evidence" cannot" be"
deliberately" produced." Similarly," the" artistic" attempt" not" simply" to" produce" an" effect" of"
shock,"but"to"produce"through"this"effect"a"motivation"for"reflection,"might"or"might"not"
be"successful."The"spectators"of"How!to!Explain!Pictures!to!a!Dead!Hare,"by"being!forced"
to"watch"the"action"from"the"outside"through"the"gallery"window,"will"necessarily"have"an"
“experience" of" a" lack" or" of" having" missed" something”," but" the" “aftereffect”" of"
understanding"might"fail"to"manifest."In"contrast"to"the"model"of"the"“shock”"that"creates"
an" “aftereffect”," “evidence”" (“the" event" of" a" synchronisation" between" showing" and"
understanding" that" is" experienced" as" the" presence" of" that" which" is" to" be" shown”)" is"
described" as" the" production" of" an" immediate" rather" than" a" deferred" understanding."
However," is" it" always" understanding" or" the" production" of" evidence" that" the" lecture"
performance,"like"the"lecture,"aims"at?"Or,"in"other"words,"is"Gardner’s"prejudice"about"
lecture"performances"as"being"merely"concerned"with"the"passing"on"of"“straightforward"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
130
"Instead,"spectators"might"be"distracted,"they"might"be"indifferent,"but"these"attitudes"might"in"turn"also"
produce" interesting" results" or" experiences" (on" the" role" of" distraction" in" a" lecture" see" for" instance" Peters"
2011:"35).""
"
66"
"
expertise”" apt?" I" propose" that," in" contrast," the" lecture" performance" shows" that" the"
communication" of" knowledge" or" expertise" is" never" straightforward" (considering," for"
instance," how" allegedly" “nonUdiscursive”" elements" are" shown" to" participate" in" the"
production"of"meaning)."And"while"it"would"be"easy"to"point"out"that"not"all"elements"in"
lecture" performance" work" appeal" primarily" to" a" rational" understanding" or" aim" at" the"
production"of"evidence"(and"there"will"be"examples"for"such"elements"in"the"case"studies"
of" the" following" chapters131)," what" is" more" important" is" that" the" lecture" performance"
shows"that"emotional"and"rational"responses"–"experience"and"understanding,"aesthetic"
perception"and"reflection"–"are"not"necessarily"asynchronous"processes."In"other"words,"
understanding" can" come" as" much" as" a" shock" as" not" understanding," and" a" deferred"
understanding" might" not" replace" what" Peggy" Phelan" calls" the" “affective" force" of" the"
performance"event”"(Phelan"1997:"12)."In"short,"the"lecture"performance"challenges"the"
notion"that"performance"is"primarily"experienced"affectively"inasmuch"as"it"challenges"the"
notion" that" a" lecture’s" content" remains" unaffected" by" the" live" situation" in" which" it" is"
presented.""
"
The#world#out#there#again#
"
Phelan"conjures"the"“affective"force"of"the"performance"event”"in"considering"how"
to" write" about" performance" in" retrospect," after" the" actual" event." This" leads" us" to" the"
question"of"how"the"“present"of"performance”"relates"to"its"possible"“aftereffects”"from"
yet" another" perspective." In" Then! Again," his" introduction" to" the" book" Perform! Repeat!
Record:!Live!Art!in!History,"Adrian"Heathfield"develops"a"different"model"of"the"aesthetic"
perception"of"live"performance"characterised"by"a"complex"synchronicity"of"“experience”"
and"“thought”:"
"
The" witnessed" event" appears" to" assert" qualities" of" experience" that" are" singular,"
irreducible," unrepresentable," and" yet" there" is" cognizance" even" in" ‘the" heat’" of" the"
event"that"the"event"will"be"repeated,"albeit"differently,"in"thought,"memory,"historical"
record." The" understanding" of" a" performance" proceeds" through" a" temporal" paradox"
between" the" ‘specificity" of" knowledges" [...]" in" a" live" performance" event’" and" their"

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131
"One"example"for"instance"will"be"the"very"particular"use"of"a"sheriff"star"in"WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s!The!
Encyclopaedia!of!Performance!Art!that"I"will"discuss"in"chapter"3.""
67"
"
 subsequent" and" no" less" specific" revision" in" other" instances" of" knowing." Experience"
cannot"be"detached"from"thought."(Heathfield"2012:"31U32)132"
"
The"lecture"performance,"in"appropriating"the"form"of"the"lecture"where"it"is"not"at"
all" unusual" to" assume" that" “the" event" will" be" repeated”," can" prove" insightful" in"
readdressing"the"idea"of"performance’s"liveness"and"ephemerality."The"lecture"is"a"form"
that,"at"least"in"Goffman’s"conception,"values"its"repetition"as"text"over"its"manifestation"
as"event,"a"form"that"has,"as"Peters"points"out,"usually"existed"as"text"before"becoming"
event"and"then"circulates"again"as"text."A"central"debate"in"performance"studies"in"recent"
years" has" focused" on" performance’s" liveness" and" its" relation" to" the" document," to" the"
written" or" the" recorded." Because" the" lecture" performance" participates" in" two" contexts"
that" place" a" very" different" value" on" liveness," this" debate" is" also" central" to" the" present"
research"project,"and"I"will"address"it"throughout"the"thesis,"in"particular"in"chapter"3"in"
the"context"of"an"analysis"of"how"lecture"performances"negotiate"their"relation"to"existing"
performance"work.""
In" the" context" of" Goldberg’s" assessment" that" performance" is" by" default" radical," I"
asked" with" which" “conventions" of" established" art”" the" lecture" performance" breaks."
Rather" than" breaking" with" conventions," the" lecture" performance" challenges" established"
ideas" about" how" both" the" lecture" and" performance" produce" meaning." While" Peters"
almost"exclusively"focuses"on"the"first"of"these"two"aspects,"the"premise"of"this"thesis"is"
that"it"is"equally"important"for"an"understanding"of"the"lecture"performance"to"analyse"its"
relation" to" the" context" of" artistic" performance." Not" only," as" Peters" stresses," does" the"
lecture" performance" (in" contrast" to" Goffman’s" conception" of" the" lecture)" highlight" the"
importance"of"its"status"as"live"event,"it"also"constantly"refers"the"audience’s"attention"to"
something"outside"of"the"event."
The"media"studies"scholar"Dieter"Mersch"writes"about"the"art"of"the"1960s"and"70s"
(and"thus"about"the"context"in"which"performance"art"emerged)"that"its"“medium"is"no"
longer" the" frame," the" fixed" place," duration" or" the" continuous" presentation," but" the"
temporality" of" the" execution" itself," its" temporal" limitation," its" nonUrepeatability.” 133"
(Mersch" 2005:" 35)" The" aesthetics" of" performance" are" for" him" characterised" by" a"

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132
"Heathfield" here" quotes" from" Amelia" Jones’s" important" essay" Presence! in! absentia:! Experiencing!
Performance!as!Documentation"(1997).""
133
"“[...]" Medium" ist" nicht" länger" der" Rahmen," der" feste" Ort," die" Dauer" oder" die" anhaltende" Präsentation,"
sondern"die"Zeitlichkeit"des"Vollzugs"selber,"dessen"temporale"Beschränkung,"seine"Nichtwiederholbarkeit.“"
68"
"
“progression" of" art" into" social" and" public" space“134"(39)," i.e." the" work" of" art" no" longer"
appears" separated" from" “the" world" out" there“." However," this" focus" on" “the" execution"
itself”"brings"with"it"the"danger"of"introducing"a"different"kind"of"frame"by"privileging"the"
presence" at" the" event" over" other" kinds" of" encounters" with" performance." If," as"
Masschelein"and"Simons"propose,"the"lecture"is"a"form"that"asks"its"audience"to"“be"here"
as" well" as" there”," to" both" participate" in" the" event" and" via" the" subject" matter" focus" its"
attention"on"the"“world"out"there”,"then"the"lecture"performance"–"in,"as"Peters"suggests,"
addressing"“concrete"artistic,"scientific"or"social"concerns”"–"might"also"divert"some"of"the"
audience’s"attention"from"the"here"and"now,"from"the"“present"of"performance”"that"has"
been"so"important"in"theories"of"performance."It"might"divert"it"to"something"beyond"the"
spatioUtemporal" frame" of" the" performance" event," to" the" “world" out" there”" of" which"
performance,"in"Mersch’s"conception,"is"always"also"a"part.""
If"the"lecture"performance,"as"I"have"pointed"out,"can"potentially"be"about"anything,"
and"thus"does"not"necessarily"have"to"engage"with"performance"on"a"thematic"level,"to"
what" extent" can" it" then" be" described" as" a" ‘metaUperformance’" (in" the" same" way" that" it"
serves"as"a"‘metaUlecture’"by"being"what"Bourdieu"refers"to"as"a"“lecture"on"the"lecture”)?"
While" many" lecture" performance" are" actually" about" other" performances," what" is"
important"to"note"is"that"all"lecture"performances"are"presenting"something"that"extends"
beyond" the" spatioUtemporal" frame" of" the" singular" event," and" part" of" what" they" thus"
present"is"always"already"the"documentation"of"a"process"(an"artistic"process"as"well"as"a"
research" process)." Lecture" performances" thus" always" hint" at" their" previous" and" future"
existence"outside"of"their"manifestation"as"event"(as"preparation,"as"text,"as"document),"
and" while" their" subject" matter" might" or" might" not" be" related" to" performance," they" are"
always" also" about" performance." Or," in" other" words," lecture" performances" participate" in"
the" contexts" of" lecturing" and" performing" and" at" the" same" time" provide" a" context" that"
allows"both"for"the"consideration"of"a"“common"topic”"and"for"a"reflection"on"the"form"in"
which"this"topic"is"presented."
"
"
"
"
"
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134
"“Übertritt"der"Kunst"in"den"sozialen"und"öffentlichen"Raum“."
69"
"
Chapter#3#
CONTEXTS#OF#MAKING#AND#WATCHING#PERFORMANCE#
#
Shooting#Shoot135#
"
On" November" 19," 1971," in" the" F" Space" Gallery" in" Santa" Ana," California," the" artist"
Chris"Burden"was"shot."A"friend"of"the"artist"fired"a"22"calibre"rifle"from"a"distance"of"15"
feet,"aiming"for"the"bullet"to"just"scratch"Burden’s"left"arm."Instead,"the"bullet"went"right"
through"the"arm,"leaving"what"Burden"later"described"as"“a"smoking"hole”"(Burden"1993:"
19)"–"apparently"because"Burden"made"a"decision"to"move"his"arm"just"in"the"second"that"
his"friend"fired"the"rifle."Photographs"taken"of"Burden"after"the"performance"show"both"
the"entrance"and"the"exit"wounds"in"his"arm,"and"a"small"streak"of"blood"running"down"his"
arm"where"the"bullet"had"entered."Although"there"were"not"many"more"than"10"people"
present" for" Burden’s" performance," Shoot" has" since" become" one" of" the" iconic" pieces" of"
performance" art." Burden" himself" attributes" this" continuous" fascination" with" the"
performance"to"the"realness"of"the"shot:"“[...]"I"think"the"reason"that"the"piece"works,"or"
continues" to" work," is" that" you" see" it" on" television" and" in" films" over" and" over," and" it’s"
always" fake" if" you" actually" see" people" being" shot" on" television." Actually," being" shot" is"
quite" different.”" (20)" It" seems" without" doubt" that" this" realness" is" what" is" remarkable"
about" Shoot;" yet" a" similarly" heroic" gesture," Yves" Klein’s" Leap! into! the! Void" (1960)," has"
gained"comparable"recognition"and"fame"despite"the"fact"that"the"photograph"depicting"
Klein" hurling" himself" off" the" ledge" of" a" building" with" no" one" there" to" catch" his" fall" is"
actually"a"fake,"an"image"composed"of"a"shot"of"Klein’s"Leap"that"was"caught"by"a"group"of"
friends" holding" a" tarpaulin" and" another" one" of" the" empty" street" where" the" Leap" had"
taken"place.136""
In"another"interview,"Burden"juxtaposes"the"fictional"representations"of"violence"on"
television" with" the" actual" violence" that" was" occurring" in" Vietnam" at" the" time" of" the"
performance:"
"
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135
"Parts" of" the" following" description" of" Chris" Burden’s" Shoot" in" relation" to" its" documentation" appear" in" a"
more"or"less"literal"translation"into"German"in"an"essay"I"have"written"with"Esther"Pilkington,"entitled"Die!
Kunst!des!NichtAdaASeins"(Ladnar"and"Pilkington"2013)."
136
"The" comparison" between" Leap! into! the! Void" and" Shoot" is" also" the" starting" point" for" Philip" Auslander’s"
discussion"of"‘The"Performativity"of"Performance"Documentation’"(2006)"to"which"I"will"return"later"in"this"
chapter.""
70"
"
 Vietnam"had"a"lot"to"do"with"Shoot."It"was"about"the"difference"between"how"people"
reacted" to" soldiers" being" shot" in" Vietnam" and" how" they" reacted" to" fictional" people"
being"shot"on"commercial"TV."There"were"guys"my"age"getting"shot"up"in"Vietnam,"you"
know?"But"then"in"nearly"every"single"household,"there"were"images"of"people"being"
shot"in"TV"dramas."The"images"are"probably"in"the"billions,"right?"It’s"just"amazing."So"
what" does" it" mean" not" to" avoid" being" shot," that" is," by" staying" home" or" avoiding" the"
war,"but"to"face"it"head"on?"I"was"trying"to"question"what"it"means"to"face"that"dragon."
(Burden"2006:"76)"
"
Burden"here"disregards"the"fact"that"the"violence"in"Vietnam,"though"not"fictional,"
was" also" the" object" of" mediated" representations" on" television," in" newspapers" or"
magazines" of" the" time.137"Interestingly," it" is" exactly" these" media" that" played" a" role" in"
establishing" the" notoriety" of" Shoot:" Although" Burden" says" he" forgot" how" Esquire"
magazine"got"hold"of"the"photos"of"Shoot,"in"1973"they"were"included"in"an"article"in"the"
magazine"with"the"title"‘Proof"That"The"70s"Have"Finally"Begun’.%And"they"had,"and"with"
them" the" emergence" of," in" Carlson’s" words," “performance" and" performance" art" [...]" as"
major" cultural" activities" in" the" United" States" as" well" as" in" Western" Europe" and" Japan“,"
which" I" have" discussed" in" the" previous" chapter." With" the" publication" of" the"
documentation"of"Shoot"in"Esquire"and"an"article"written"about"the"piece"in"the"New"York"
Times,"Burden"himself"had"become"famous,"as"he"recounts"in"an"anecdote"of"a"visit"to"–"
of"all"places"–"a"photo"store:"“I"remember"going"to"the"photo"store,"and"the"man"at"the"
photo"store"had"seen"the"magazine."He"said,"‘Oh,"you’re"famous"now’.”"(Burden"1993:"18)"
The"photographs"of"Shoot,"published"in"Esquire"magazine,"did"not"only"serve"as"proof"that"
the" seventies" had" finally" begun," or" that" Chris" Burden" had" arrived" in" the" art" world," their"
status"as"“proof”"also"and"more"importantly"describes"the"relation"of"these"photographs"
to"the"original"performance"event."Burden"himself"was"very"aware"of"the"importance"of"
documentation" for" his" work," and" the" following" statement" shows" that" he" carefully"
considered"its"use:"“The"combination"of"the"dispassionate,"dry"written"statement"with"the"
still" image," like" a" police" documentation," was" really" important." There" would" be" no"
explanation"as"to"why"these"things"had"happened,"or"what"it"meant.”"(17)"
Shoot,"for"instance,"was"described"by"Burden"as"follows:"“At"7.45"pm"I"was"shot"in"
the" left" arm" by" a" friend." The" bullet" was" a" copper" jacket" 22" long" rifle." My" friend" was"
standing"about"fifteen"feet"from"me.”"(in"Ward"2012:"83)"

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137
"Think,"for"instance,"of"a"photograph"even"more"notorious"than"those"of"Burden’s"Shoot,"Eddie"Adams’s"
PulitzerUPrizeUwinning"photograph"of"the"execution"of"a"Viet"Cong"prisoner"by"General"Nguyen"Ngoc"Loan"in"
1968.""
71"
"
 The"style"of"documentation"that"Burden"chose"referenced"a"documentary"aesthetic"
familiar"from"newspaper"reportage."Like"most"early"performance"documentation"that,"as"
Tracey"Warr"has"pointed"out,"“cultivated"a"deliberately"raw"aesthetic,"resembling"crime"
reportage”" (Warr" 2003:" 32)," it" played" with" photography’s" indexicality" and" with" a"
perceptual" mode" in" which" photography" is" considered" a" proof" and" an" objective"
representation"of"an"event:"
"
The" photograph" as" document" usually" assumes" authenticity" and" authority," yet" it" is"
neither"objective,"necessarily"factual"nor"a"complete"record."The"creativity,"selectivity"
and" filter" of" the" photographers" and" subsequent" editors" frequently" remain" invisible."
The"photograph"has"a"compromised"status"as"evidence"and"proof."There"is"plenty"that"
the"photograph"leaves"out"(sound,"time,"space,"often"the"audience)."The"photograph"
frames," composes" and" constructs." Lengthy," complex" performances" with" audience"
participation"are"reduced"to"just"one"image"–"the"‘good’"image"from"a"picture"editor’s"
point"of"view"[...]"(32)"
"
Despite" the" photograph’s" necessarily" reductive" representation" of" a" performance"
event" critiqued" here" by" Warr," photography" (and" also" other" means" of" documentation)"
have" been" used" extensively" to" document" early" performance" art" work," and" these"
representations"have"shaped"the"reception"of"and"discourse"around"performance"art,"as"
artist" Hayley" Newman" describes" in" the" introductory" statement" to" her" project"
Connotations!–!Performance!Images138:"
"
As" a" form," performance" is" often" mediated" through" the" documentary" image," video,"
film,"text"or"by"word"of"mouth"and"rumour."[...]"it"is"the"image"and"its"supporting"text"
that" is" given" privilege" in" publications" on" the" subject," creating" a" handful" of" historical"
performances"that"have"become"notorious"through"their"own"documentation,"leaving"
others"behind"that"have"not"made"the"transition"into"the"single"image."(Newman"2001:"
39)"
"

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138
"Connotations! –! Performance!Images! is" composed" of" a" number" of" staged" photographs" accompanied" by"
short" texts" providing" fictional" information" on" performances" that" the" photographs" allegedly" document." By"
employing" a" representational" structure" that" is" very" often" used" in" performance" documentation," the"
combination" of" text" and" image," Newman" shows" how" a" document" can" frame" what" it" documents" as" a"
performance" event," even" if" the" event" never" happened," at" least" not" in" the" way" that" the" documentation"
claims."
72"
"
 Both" Warr’s" and" Newman’s" statements" are" mainly" concerned" with" how"
performance" remains" through" documentation 139 "and" with" the" dissemination" of" this"
documentation."A"more"fundamental"but"equally"common"critique"of"documentation"and"
its" relation" to" performance" is" not" so" much" concerned" with" the" adequacy" of" the"
representation," but" with" the" representational" nature" of" documentation" itself." Here," as"
Philip"Auslander"outlines,"“[...]"the"common"assumption"is"that"the"live"event"is"‘real’"and"
that"mediatized"events"are"secondary"and"somehow"artificial"reproductions"of"the"real”"
(Auslander"1999:"3)140"–"or,"in"Burden’s"terms:"“Actually,"being"shot"is"quite"different”.141"
This" position" has" been" most" famously" formulated" by" Peggy" Phelan" in" her" oftenUquoted"
definition"of"the"ontology"of"performance"as"being"based"on"disappearance:""
"
Performance's" only" life" is" in" the" present." Performance" cannot" be" saved," recorded,"
documented," or" otherwise" participate" in" the" circulation" of" representations" of"
representations:"once"it"does"so,"it"becomes"something"other"than"performance"[...]."
Performance's"being"[...]"becomes"itself"through"disappearance."(Phelan"1996:"146)142"
"
In" contrast" to" Phelan," Auslander" stresses" the" coUdependency" of" performance" and"
documentation"by"describing"how"performance"documentation"“produces"an"event"as"a"
performance”"(Auslander"2006:"5):"“[...]"it"is"not"the"initial"presence"of"an"audience"that"
makes"an"event"a"work"of"performance"art:"it"is"its"framing"as"performance"through"the"
performative"act"of"documenting"it"as"such.”"(7)"

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139
"In" her" essay" Performance! Remains," Schneider" proposes" that" performance" “remains" differently”"
(Schneider"2001:"101),"i.e."not"only"through"documentation"but,"for"instance,"in"the"embodied"memories"of"
performers"and"audience.""
140
"HansUFriedrich" Bormann" also" refers" to" this" perspective" in" the" beginning" of" his" essay" ‘Der" unheimliche"
Beobachter:"Chris"Burden,"1975:"Performance"als"Dokument’"(‘The"uncanny"observer:"Chris"Burden,"1975:"
Performance" as" Document’):" “According" to" a" common" understanding" the" mode" in" which" the" art" of"
performance" takes" place" is" that" of" the" event." Singularity" and" processuality" serve" as" terminological"
delineations"against"the"art"work"as"object"and"thus"secure"the"coherence"of"the"art"historical"perspective."
In"this"context"documents"and"artefacts"are"considered"as"a"secondary,"deficient"manifestation"to"which"the"
immaterial"action"should"be"preferred.”"(Bormann"2001:"403)"[“Nach"einer"geläufigen"Vorstellung"findet"die"
Kunst" der" Performance" im" Modus" des" Ereignisses" statt." Singularität" und" Prozessualität" dienen" als"
begriffliche" Abgrenzungen" zum" Kunstwerk" als" Objekt" und" sichern" so" die" Kohärenz" der" kunsthistorischen"
Perspektive." Vor" diesem" Hintergrund" gelten" Dokumente" und" Artefakte" als" sekundäre," defizitäre"
Erscheinungsform,"der"die"ungegenständliche"Aktion"selbst"vorzuziehen"wäre.“]""
141
"As" I" have" outlined" above," Burden’s" concern" here" seems" to" be" more" with" an" opposition" between"
fictionality"and"realness"than"between"representation"and"realness.""
142
"In" the" ongoing" debate" around" performance" documentation," subsequent" positions" have" almost" always"
been"formulated"as"critical"responses"to"Phelan’s"statement"(see,"for"instance,"Jones"1997,"Auslander"1993,"
Schneider"2001).""
73"
"
 And" it" is" with" this" in" mind" that" it" seems" legitimate" to" propose" that" the" Shoot"
referred"to"in"the"title"of"Burden’s"performance"was"also,"and"probably"more"importantly"
(considering"Burden’s"statement"that"the"piece"“continues"to"work”),"a"photo"shoot.""
"
“You’re#not#seeing#the#actual#experience...”#
"
In"addition"to"the"photographs,"there"is"also"film"footage"of"Shoot."The"film"is"about"
8"seconds"long,"starting"when"Burden’s"friend"is"already"aiming"with"the"rifle."Burden"is"
holding"his"left"arm"at"a"slight"angle"from"his"body,"while"his"right"arms"remains"relaxed."
The"friend"fires"the"rifle,"we"see"a"sudden"tremor"going"through"Burden’s"body"when"the"
bullet"hits,"then"Burden"walks"towards"his"friend,"touching"the"arm"where"the"bullet"has"
hit," slightly" pulling" up" the" sleeve" of" his" tUshirt" to" look" at" the" wound," and" then" the" film"
ends."This"is"all,"and"the"effect"is"much"less"dramatic"than"that"of"the"photographs."While"
on" the" photographs" –" depicting" the" result" of" the" shot" rather" than" the" actual" event" –"
Burden" looks" somewhat" pale" and" shocked," demanding" the" viewer’s" empathy," here" the"
mood"seems"almost"cheerful."And"it"is"over"very"quickly"(one"of"the"shortest"performance"
pieces"ever),"while"the"photograph"commands"the"viewer’s"attention"for"much"longer.""
Considering"the"effectiveness"of"the"photographic"documentation"in"contrast"to"the"
film" footage" of" Shoot," Burden’s" choice" of" photography" as" the" primary" medium" for"
documenting" his" performance" work" seems" appropriate." Yet" it" is" his" scepticism" towards"
releasing"the"film"and"video"footage"of"his"performances"that"has"led"to"a"piece"that"is"of"
great"interest"in"the"context"of"a"discussion"of"how"performance"documentation"can"be"
explored"in"lecture"performance"work:"the"video"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A
1974! (1975)." For" Peters," who" considers" the" piece" a" “video" lecture”" (an" appropriate"
classification," even" though" the" piece" was" not" originally" labelled" as" such)," this" video" is" a"
prime" example" of" a" lecture" performance" work" that" reUarticulates" and" reUcontextualises"
documentation"of"previous"performance"works:""
"
As" a" first" and" prototypical" lecture" performance" of" this" type" one" should" probably"
mention" the" by" now" legendary" video" lecture" in" which" Chris" Burden" once" again"
presents" his" transgressive" performances" of" the" Seventies." This" video" lecture" can" be"
considered" prototypical" primarily" because" it" has" demonstrated" –" or," one" could" say:"
taught" –" that" the" lecture" offers" possibilities" to" present" inadequate" documentary"
material" in" a" way" that" its" lack" becomes" productive:" exactly" the" deficiency" of" the"

74"
"
 documents"[...]"provokes"the"reflective"lecture"commentary,"which"in"turn"makes"the"
lack"of"the"material"appear"as"traces"of"performances,"as"evidence."143"(123)"
"
While" this" very" accurately" describes" the" structure" of" Burden‘s" Documentation! of!
Selected!Works!1971A1974,"I"think"it"is"worthwhile"to"look"at"the"piece"in"more"detail"to"
fully"understand"how"the"perception"of"a"lack"in"the"documentation"is"articulated"in"the"
piece.""
The" video" is" about" 36" minutes" long." The" first" 5" minutes" are" taken" up" by" an"
introduction"by"Burden,"not"a"carefully"scripted"declaration,"but"what"seems"to"be"an"ad!
hoc" statement" for" camera.144"We" see" Burden’s" face," almost" filling" the" screen," looking"
mostly" directly" at" the" camera," while," after" introducing" himself" (“I’d" like" to" introduce"
myself."My"name"is"Chris"Burden,"and"today,"on"this"tape,"I’m"gonna"show"you"excerpts"or"
visual"records"from"11"different"pieces"that"I’ve"done"starting"in"1971"into"1974.”"(Burden"
1975))"145,"he"starts"to"reflect"on"the"nature"of"the"documentation"of"his"work"that"we"are"
about"to"see."HansUFriedrich"Bormann,"in"an"essay"that"takes"Burden’s"video"as"a"starting"
point"for"a"discussion"of"the"relation"of"performance"art"and"documentation,"has"pointed"
out" the" similarities" between" how" Burden" presents" himself" here," looking" directly" at" the"
camera"and"by"extension"at"the"audience,"to"the"framing"of"reporters"or"commentators"in"
television"broadcasts"(Bormann"2001:"405)."Yet"there"are"also"differences"to"the"cultural"
performance"that"according"to"Bormann"seems"to"be"referenced"in"the"video:"Burden"is"
almost"too"close,"the"camera"has"zoomed"in"so"that"his"chin"and"the"top"of"his"head"are"
cut"off,"and"we"cannot"look"anywhere"but"directly"at"his"face"or"the"fragment"of"his"face"
that" we" are" seeing." This" suggests" that" we" are" invited" to" develop" a" more" intimate" or"
personal"relation"to"the"“presenter”"than"we"would"in"a"news"broadcast."There"is"nothing"
there"to"distance"the"viewer"(other"than"that"what"we"are"watching"is"a"video)"–"not"even"
makeUup." Burden" comes" across" as" shy" and" somewhat" hesitant." With" his" “stuttering,"

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143
"“Als"erste"und"prototypische"LectureUPerformance"dieser"Art"ware"vielleicht"jener"mittlerweile"legendäre"
Videovortrag" zu" nennen," in" dem" Chris" Burden" seine" transgressiven" Performances" der" 70er" Jahre" noch"
einmal"präsentiert."Als"prototypisch"kann"dieser"Videovortrag"vor"allem"deshalb"gelten,"weil"er"vorgeführt,"
ja," man" könnte" sagen:" gelehrt" hat," dass" die" Lecture" Möglichkeiten" bietet," mangelhaftes"
Dokumentationmaterial"so"zu"präsentieren,"dass"gerade"diese"Mangelhaftigkeit"produktiv"wird:"Gerade"die"
Unzulänglichkeit" der" Dokumente," sei" sie" nun" prinzipieller" oder" ganz" kontingenter" Art," fordert" den"
reflektierenden"Vortragskommentar"heraus,"der"wiederum"gerade"die"Mängel"des"Materials"als"Spuren"von"
Performances,"als"Evidenzen,"zur"Erscheinung"bringt.“"
144
"It"is"thus"an"example"of"what"Goffman"describes"as"“fresh"talk”"(Goffman"1981:172)."
145
"This"and"the"following"quotes"by"Burden"are"–"unless"referenced"otherwise"–"taken"from"my"transcript"of"
the"video"recording!of!Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974.!"
75"
"
pauses," repetitions” 146 "(Bormann" 2001:" 406)" Burden" not" only" “follows" the" media’s"
conventions"of"presentness"and"authenticity"of"a"speech"in"front"of"a"camera”147"(406),"his"
mumbling"also"corresponds"to"the"doubts"he"is"about"to"convey."He"articulates"two"main"
concerns,"firstly,"that"the"works"collected"here"present"an"arbitrary"selection,"“almost"a"
haphazard" selection" of" works”" (Burden" 1975)," dependent" on" the" contingencies" and"
limitations" of" documenting" live" work" where" sometimes" artistic" concerns" and" at" other"
times"technical"difficulties"prevent"works"from"being"documented,"and"secondly,"that"the"
documents"do"not"do"justice"to"the"original"performances:"
"
[...]" another" thing" is" that" I’ve" been" hesitant" to" release" these" because" of" the" sort" of"
arbitrary"nature"of"how"they’ve"come"about,"but"more"than"that"it’s"because"film"and"
tape"are"taken"as"reality"[...]"while"you"the"viewer"or"anybody"is"watching"them,"so"for"
the"most"part"I"recorded"most"of"my"pieces"with"still"photographs"because"they’re"so"
oldUfashioned" that" they’re" taken" very" abstractly" and" they’re" taken" symbolically" but" I"
guess"at"this"time"I"feel"that"there’s"maybe"[...]"enough"energy"in"the"pieces"or"in"the"
films"that"it’s"important"to"show"them"and"that"some"of"that"will"filter"through"but"I"
want"you"to"try"to"–"although"I"know"a"lot"of"you"will"forget"it"–"to"remain"aware"that"
you’re"not"seeing"the"actual"experience"[...]"(Burden"1975)"
"
Again,"Burden"articulates"his"preference"for"photographic"documentation,"i.e."he"is"
not"per!se"sceptical"of"documentation,"but"mostly"of"film"or"video,"interestingly"because"
they" are" in" his" view" “taken" as" reality”" while" at" the" same" time" not" being" “the" actual"
experience”." Photography," it" seems," does" not" invite" this" kind" of" misunderstanding" that"
Burden"is"cautious"about,"because"it"is"taken"“abstractly”"and"“symbolically”,"i.e."it"invites"
a" different" kind" of" engagement" from" a" viewer148," it" cannot" be" as" easily" confused" with"
reality." A" viewer" is" more" aware" of" its" representational" nature;" it" allows" distance," as"
Bormann"points"out:"“In"contrast,"the"quality"of"the"photograph"is"that"it"has"to"be"read;"it"
perpetuates"the"difference"in"medium"between"action"and"document"and"thus"activates"
the" spectator’s" imagination”149"(Bormann" 2001:" 408)." Nonetheless," Burden" hopes" that"
something" will" still" “filter" through”" in" the" films," that" the" “energy”" of" the" pieces" will"

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146
"“Stottern,"Pausen,"Wiederholungen”."
147
"“folgt"den"medialen"Konventionen"der"Gegenwärtigkeit"und"Authentizität"einer"Rede"vor"Kamera”."
148
"In" discussing" the" photographic" documentation" of" another" one" of" Burden’s" performances," TransAfixed"
(1974)," Tracey" Warr" outlines" photography’s" ability" to" simultaneously" invite" empathy" and" to" distance" the"
viewer:" “The" photograph" has" a" distance" and" a" detachment" at" the" same" time" as" it" allows" an" empathetic,"
imaginative"entry”"(Warr"2003:"34)."
149
"“Im" Gegensatz" dazu" zeichnet" sich" das" Foto" dadurch" aus," dass" es" gelesen" werden" muss;" es" hält" die"
mediale" Differenz" zwischen" Aktion" und" Dokument" aufrecht" und" aktiviert" so" zugleich" die" Imagination" des"
Zuschauers”."
76"
"
somehow"still"be"communicated."Yet"he"does"obviously"not"trust"the"films"on"their"own,"
without"his"contextualising"statement"reminding"the"viewers"to"“remain"aware”"of"what"
is"lacking"from"what"they"are"seeing."Because"the"films"are"so"removed"from"the"“actual"
experience”"but"at"the"same"time"so"successful"in"simulating"this"experience,"they"need"to"
be" removed" even" more;" the" viewer" needs" to" be" repeatedly" made" aware" of" their" lack."
Bormann"here"concludes"that"Burden"aims"to"activate"the"“experiential"potential"of"the"
documents”150"(Bormann"2001:"410)"by"focussing"on"their"fragmentary"nature"rather"than"
aiming" to" reconstruct" an" original" event:" “The" documentation" shows" the" spectator" that"
there"is"nothing"to!see.”151"(408)"Bormann"implies"that"Burden"aims"to"emulate"the"way"in"
which"photographic"documentation"is"perceived"differently"to"film"and"video"(it"activates"
a"viewer’s"imagination"and"thus"invites"an"experience)"by"foregrounding"their"lack"in"his"
presentation" of" the" footage." While" Bormann" here" accurately" describes" the" perceptive"
mechanisms" that" Burden’s" combination" of" documentation" and" comment" triggers,"
Burden’s"statement"still"shows"a"commitment"to"the"original"event"–"he"is"concerned"with"
an"experience,"with"what"“filters"through”"of"the"original"event.""
Bormann"stresses"the"blurring"of"different"roles"–"artist,"commentator,"observer"–"
that" Burden" takes" on" in" the" video" (405)," which" leads" him" to" identify" a" “doubling" of" the"
spectator" position” 152 "(Bormann" 2001:" 413)" as" one" of" its" central" features." I" would"
however" argue" that" this" doubling" is" prevented" exactly" by" the" different" positions" that"
Burden"speaks"from."He"is"never"merely"an"observer,"but"always"one"that"speaks"from"a"
position" of" authority" about" what" has" actually" happened" (without," however," assuming"
authority" over" how" what" has" happened" is" supposed" to" be" read)." While" Burden’s"
introductory"statement"aims"to"distance"the"viewer"from"the"experience"of"watching"the"
films"–"and"this"would"be"the"exact"opposite"of"how"he"would"want"them"to"experience"
his" performance" pieces," which" is" manifest" in" his" statement" about" the" realness" of" the"
experience" of" Shoot" in" contrast" to" the" representations" of" film" and" television" –" in" the"
remaining"parts"of"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974"his"comments"take"on"a"
very" different" role." Again," they" provide" contextualising" information." Yet" here" these"

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150
"“The" strategy" of" this" documentation" is" not" to" make" the" ‘original" event’" comprehensible" in" a" mediated"
transformation," but" it" is" about" the" attempt" to" unlock" the" experiential" potential" of" the" documents"
themselves.”" (Bormann" 2001:" 410)" [“Die" Strategie" dieser" Dokumentation" besteht" gar" nicht" darin," das"
‘ursprüngliche" Ereignis’" in" einer" medialen" Transformation" nachvollziehbar" zu" machen," sondern" es" handelt"
sich"vielmehr"um"den"Versuch,"das"Erfahrungspotential"der"Dokumente"selbst"zu"erschließen.”]""
151
"“Die"Dokumentation"gibt"dem"Zuschauer"zu"sehen,"dass"es"nichts"zu!sehen!gibt.”"
152
"“Dopplung"der"Beobachterposition”."
77"
"
contextualisations,"now"in"the"form"of"voiceUover"comments"rather"than"of"him"speaking"
directly" into" the" camera," aim" to" provide" some" additional" information" about" the" audioU
visual"material,"to"give"the"viewer"a"clearer"idea"of"what"actually"happened,"concentrating"
very" much" on" the" facts" and" only" sometimes" approaching" an" anecdotal" tone." All" that"
Burden" says" to" introduce" the" film" and" audio" recording" of" Shoot," for" instance," is" the"
following:"
"
In"Shoot,"I"am"shot"in"the"upper"left"hand"arm"by"a"friend"of"mine"with"a".22"rifle."The"
only" visuals" I" have" of" this" piece" is" a" very" short" film" clip" about" 8" seconds" long" so" I’m"
going" to" begin" the" piece" with" an" audio" tape" that" was" made" during" the" actual"
performance." In" the" audio" tape," some" of" the" things" to" listen" for" are" ‘Do" you" know"
where"you’re"going"to"stand,"Bruce?’"[actually,"it"says:"‘Know"where"you’re"gonna"do"
this,"Bruce?]"and"later,"right"before"the"film"clip"happens,"you’ll"hear"me"say"‘Are"you"
ready?’,"then"you’ll"hear"the"clicking"of"the"super"8"camera."Later,"after"the"clip"is"over,"
another" thing" to" listen" for" is" the" sound" of" the" empty" shell" dropping" on" the" concrete"
floor."Ok,"so"I"think"we"could"go"right"into"the"audio"tape."(Burden"1975)153"
"
Then"we"hear"the"audio,"the"screen"remains"black,"sometimes"words"are"inserted"to"
identify"the"sounds"on"the"tape"that"Burden"has"already"commented"on,"then"we"see"the"
8" second" film," and" the" screen" goes" black" again" for" the" remaining" bit" of" audio." The" text"
“EMPTY"SHELL"DROPPING"ON"CONRETE"FLOOR”"is"inserted"when"we"hear"the"equivalent"
sound,"then"the"screen"goes"black"again.154"Twice"we"are"thus"pointed"at"the"sound"of"the"
empty"shell"hitting"the"floor,"once"in"Burden’s"introductory"comments"as"a"“thing"to"listen"
for”," then," when" we" hear" the" sound," through" the" inserted" text" identifying" it." The"
emphasis" on" a" minute" detail" of" the" action" achieved" by" repeatedly" calling" the" viewer’s"
attention"to"it"(to"make"absolutely"sure"it"is"not"missed)"again"only"serves"to"make"evident"
the"supposed"lack"of"the"documentary"material."In"making"his"contextualising"comments,"
Burden"supplements"the"supplement"that"the"film"footage"constitutes"with"regard"to"the"
original" performance," thus" pointing" to" the" supplementary" nature" of" the" documentation"
itself."Yet"it"is"also"in"this"figure"of"the"supplement"that"a"clear"opposition"between"the"
live" and" the" recorded," between" the" original" performance" event" and" its" documentation,"
begins" to" appear" uncertain." In" analysing" the" opposition" between" the" voice" and" writing,"
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153
"Burden’s"commentary"about"other"pieces"is"sometimes"more"impressionistic,"more"personal,"not"purely"
descriptive;" also," as" Bormann" elaborates," some" of" the" original" pieces" already" explore" questions" of" the"
relation" between" live" event" and" mediatisation" (Bormann" 2001:" 410U412)," an" aspect" that" I" unfortunately"
have"to"ignore"here"given"the"focus"of"my"study.""
154
"Right"before"the"recording"of"the"next"piece,"Bed!Piece"(1972),"starts,"Barbara"Burden"is"credited"–"again"
in"writing"–"with"having"shot"the"film"footage"of"Shoot."
78"
"
Jacques" Derrida" identifies" an" “indefinite" process" of" supplementarity" [that]" has" always"
already" infiltrated" presence," always" already" inscribed" there" the" space" of" repetition”"
(Derrida"1997:"163)"–"there"is"no"pure"presence,"representation"is"always"already"at"work."
Derrida’s" figure" of" the" supplement" is" taken" up" by" Amelia" Jones" in" her" discussion" of" the"
role"of"documentation"in"body"art:""
"
The"‘unique’"body"of"the"artist"in"the"body"artwork"only"has"meaning"by"virtue"of"its"
contextualization" within" the" codes" of" identity" that" accrue" to" the" artist’s" body" and"
name." [...]" Seemingly" acting" as" a" 'supplement'" to" the" 'actual'" body" of" the" artistUinU
performance,"the"photograph"of"the"body"art"event"or"performance"could"[...]"be"said"
to"expose"the"body"itself"as"supplementary,"as"both"the"visible"'proof'"of"the"self"and"
its"endless"deferral."(Jones"1997:"14)""
"
The" “indefinite" process" of" supplementarity”" that" Derrida" speaks" about" becomes"
evident" in" the" way" performance" documentation" is" yet" again" supplemented" in" Burden’s"
video." If" Jones’s" statement" about" body" art" is" applied" to" performance" in" more" general"
terms," it" could" then" be" argued" that" documentation" does" not" only" serve" as" a"
representation" of" a" performance" event," but" that" it" also" exposes" the" representational"
character"of"performance"art"itself.155""
It" is" such" an" understanding" of" the" interrelation" between" performance" and" the"
document"that,"as"I"will"argue"in"this"chapter,"provides"the"basis"for"a"reUarticulation,"reU
contextualization"or"reUevaluation"of"previous"performances"that"has"become"a"common"
feature"in"lecture"performance"work.""
This"can"already"be"seen"in"Burden’s"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974."
Considered"by"Peters"as"a"“prototypical"lecture"performance”,"and"thus"as"an"art"work"in"
its"own"right,"Burden’s"video"could"also"be"understood,"especially"given"the"understated"
nature" of" his" presentation," as" a" mere" compilation" of" visual" recordings" of" Burden’s"
performances" with" some" contextualising" comments." Burden" himself" does" never" in" the"
video" call" it" anything" other" than" a" “selection”" of" works," and" an" “arbitrary”" and"
“haphazard”" selection" at" that;" he" does" not" claim" for" it" to" be" a" work," a" piece;" the" only"
claims" he" makes" are" for" its" lack.# However," because" many" contemporary" lecture"
performances" articulate" a" similar" relationship" to" documentary" material," it" is" possible" to"
consider"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974!as"a"piece"that"prefigures"some"of"

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155
"By" a" different" route," Bormann" comes" to" a" similar" conclusion" in" his" analysis" of" Burden’s" video:"
mediatisation"“has"always"already"begun”"(Bormann"2001:"412)"[“immer"schon"begonnen”]."
79"
"
the" lecture" performances" I" will" discuss" later" in" this" chapter." This" is" the" case" because" a"
lecture"performance"will"always"on"some"level"make"use"of"“secondary”,"supplementary"
material;"it"is"always"about"something."It"cannot"make"the"same"claims"for"immediacy"and"
authenticity"that"a"performance"art"piece"like"Shoot"could"still"make156"–"not"because"it"is"
ontologically" different" to" the" performance" art" piece," but" because" the" lecture"
performance’s" representational" structure" can" become" immediately" evident" due" to" its"
reference"to"or"appropriation"of"the"lecture"form.""
#
A#recycling#system#
#
I" have" so" far" ignored" an" important" aspect" in" my" discussion" of" Burden’s"
Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974:"it"is"not"a"lecture"performance"–"because"it"
is" strictly" speaking" no" performance" at" all," but" a" video" recording.157"In" discussing" how"
lecture" performances" explore" documentation" of" previous" performance" work," what" is" at"
stake" is" not" only" the" importance" of" the" original" performance’s" liveness," but" that" of" the"
lecture" performances" themselves." Auslander" builds" his" argument" against" an" ontological"
difference" between" live" performance" and" mediatisation" on" the" observation" that" live"
performance"can"incorporate"mediatised"representations,"which"is"one"important"facet"in"
the" blurring" of" the" opposition" between" the" live" and" the" recorded" that" Auslander"
observes:"
"
Live" performance" has" thus" become" the" means" by" which" mediatised" representations"
are"naturalized,"according"to"a"simple"logic"that"appeals"to"our"nostalgia"for"what"we"
assumed" was" the" imUmediate:" if" the" mediatised" image" can" be" recreated" in" a" live"
setting,"it"must"have"been"‘real’"to"begin"with."This"schema"resolves"(or"rather"fails"to"
resolve)"into"an"impossible"oscillation"between"the"two"poles"of"what"once"seemed"a"
clear" opposition:" whereas" mediatised" performance" derives" its" authority" from" its"
reference"to"the"live"or"the"real,"the"live"now"derives"its"authority"from"its"reference"to"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
156
"While"in"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974,!Burden"aims"to"avoid"making"many"comments"on"
his"work"beyond"describing"what"actually"happened,"he"can,"however,"not"avoid"commenting"on"the"role"of"
documentation" in" his" work;" and" even" when" he" is" merely" trying" to" describe" what" occurred," it" becomes"
evident" that" it" is" through" this" “dispassionate”" (a" term" he" chooses" to" describe" his" use" of" captions" for"
photographs"of"his"performances)"description"that"the"relation"between"the"documentary"material"and"the"
original"performance"pieces"is"being"reUnegotiated."Burden’s"comments,"while"distancing"the"viewer"from"
an"assumed"“actual"experience”"of"the"original"performance,"enable"a"different"experience"of"the"material,"
in"which"its"assumed"lack,"as"Peters"(and"Bormann)"propose,"“becomes"productive”.""
157
"The" video" recording" does" not" only" incorporate" audioUvisual" documentation" of" Burden’s" performance"
work" but" also" documents" the" secondary" performance" of" Burden’s" comments" and" reflections" in" the" same"
medium."
80"
"
 the" mediatised," which" derives" its" authority" from" its" reference" to" the" live," etc."
(Auslander"1999:"38U9)"
"
Lecture"performances"that"incorporate"or"investigate"performance"documentation"
could" be" described" as" participating" in" this" “impossible" oscillation”" between" the" live" and"
the"mediated"that"Auslander"sketches"here,"and"I"would"argue"that"such"an"oscillation"is"
already" predicated" on" their" appropriation" of" the" lecture" form" itself." I" have" noted" in" the"
previous"chapter"that"a"different"value"is"placed"on"the"notion"of"the"live"in"lectures"than"
it" is" in" performance:" a" lecture" is" commonly" understood" as" something" that" might" just" as"
well" be" encountered" as" a" text," and" their" live" rendition" is" only" one" momentary"
manifestation" of" the" ideas" or" of" the" knowledge" expressed" in" a" lecture." Moreover," as" I"
have"described"with"reference"to"Peters’s"research"on"the"lecture,"lectures"usually"exist"as"
texts" first," and" after" their" presentation" again" exist" as" text." I" have" further" argued" that"
lecture" performances" foreground" and" aesthetically" explore" the" lecture’s" status" as" live"
events,"as"performances."This"aspect"is"also"of"importance"to"Mike"Pearson’s"conception"
of"the"lecture"as"a"kind"of"a"“secondUorder"performance”"(Pearson"and"Shanks"2001:"59):""
"
The"lecture"is"a"basic"form"of"archaeological"exposition."[...]"We"might"take"such"extant"
forms," regard" them" as" performed" events" and" further" theatricalise" them" with" an"
extended" range" of" heightened" performance" techniques" –" oratorical" devices," gestural"
engagements" –" and" technologies" –" multiUscreen" projection," video," soundtrack."
(Pearson"and"Shanks"2001:"66)"
"
While" in" the" case" of" performance" art," the" primacy" of" the" singular" live" event"
remained" unquestioned" for" a" long" time" (a" position" that" resonates" in" Burden’s"
introductory" statement" in" Documentation! of! Selected! Works! 1971A1974)," in" lectures" it"
was"the"idea"of"a"primacy"of"the"text"that"presented"the"norm"for"an"understanding"of"a"
lecture."Both"these"conceptions"are"challenged"through"the"lecture"performance"form"–"
because"it"can"rearticulate"documentation"in"a"live"setting,"but"also"because"it"illustrates"
how"representation"and"mediatisation"are"always"already"at"work"in"the"live"event"itself."
It" is" because" it" participates" in" two" genres" simultaneously" that" the" lecture" performance"
challenges"established"ideas"about"each"of"these"genres"–"the"importance"of"the"lecture’s"
character" as" a" live" event" and" the" performance’s" representational" structure" are"
immediately" evident" because" they" are" conventionally" associated" with" the" respective"
other"form."

81"
"
 Because" of" its" potential" to" incorporate" “all" other" formats" in" a" live" act”158"(Peters"
2006:" 123)," Peters" refers" to" the" lecture" performance" as" a" “recycling" system”159"(123)."
While"the"idea"of"a"“recycling"system”,"like"that"of"a"“secondUorder"performance”,"implies"
a" somehow" secondary" nature" of" the" lecture" performance" with" regard" to" an" “original”"
performance"event"or"an"artistic"process,"both"concepts"involve"a"reUpresentation"or"reU
actualisation#of"the"work"or"particular"aspects"of"that"work"in"a"live"setting.""
This" secondary" character" of" the" lecture" performance," however," only" applies" to" its"
temporary" succession" –" the" lecture" performance" presents" documentation" of" a" past"
process," or," in" the" case" of" the" performances" I" will" discuss" in" this" chapter," it" follows"
another" performance." Jones" says" about" performance" documentation" in" general" that" an"
experience" of" a" live" event" should" not" be" privileged" over" an" encounter" with" a" work"
through" its" documentation" –" despite" the" differences" between" these" two" modes" of"
encounters:" “[...]" while" the" experience" of" viewing" a" photograph" and" reading" a" text" is"
clearly"different"from"that"of"sitting"in"a"small"room"watching"an"artist"perform,"neither"
has"a"privileged"relationship"to"the"historical"'truth’"of"the"performance"[...].”"(Jones"1997:"
11).#The"lecture"performances"that"I"will"discuss,"by"turning"documentary"material"into"an"
event,"invite"yet"another"kind"of"experience"–"one"where"it"becomes"even"more"difficult"
to"determine"whether,"as"Burden"has"it,"we"are"“seeing"the"actual"experience”.""
However," despite" Burden’s" insistence" on" the" importance" of" the" experiential"
qualities"of"his"work,"on"the"“actual"experience”,"which"at"first"sight"seems"very"much"in"
tune" with" early" performance" art’s" “opposition" to" logical" and" discursive" thought" and"
speech”" (Carlson" 2004:" 110)" that" I" have" referred" to" in" the" previous" chapter,"
Documentation! of! Selected! Works! 1971A1974" shows" Burden’s" interest" in" the"
dissemination" of" his" works" beyond" the" original" event:" “The" most" important" part" of" my"
performances" is" that" they" are" disseminated" as" thought.”" (Burden" 2006:" 76)." This"
statement,"as"well"as"Burden’s"overall"very"considered"use"of"documentation,"illustrates"
how" from" the" onset," and" despite" many" statements" that" attest" to" the" contrary,"
performance"art"has"always"already"addressed"what"Warr"refers"to"as"“the"audiences"of"
posterity”"(Warr"2003:"31)."In"the"lecture"performances"I"will"discuss"in"this"chapter,"the"
present"audience"is"always"simultaneously"also"such"an"“audience"of"posterity”."

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158
"“aller"anderen"Formate"in"einen"LiveUAct“."
159
"“RecyclingUSystem“.""
"
82"
"
 While"I"have"started"this"chapter"by"considering"the"relation"between"performance"
and"documentation,"an"aspect"that"is"central"to"all"the"lecture"performances"I"will"discuss"
in"this"chapter,"the"thematic"and"formal"scope"of"these"performances"is"not"limited"to"an"
exploration"of"this"relation."In"engaging"with"past"performances"and"their"documentation,"
these" lecture" performances" explore" a" wider" context" of" making" and" watching"
performance," each," of" course," with" their" own" respective" focus" and" agenda." In" The!
Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art! (ongoing" since" 2001)," WagnerUFeiglUForschung" –" the"
artists"Otmar"Wagner"and"Florian"Feigl"–"present"their"project"of"compiling"an!index!of"all"
materials" and" their" uses" in" all" performance" art" works" ever" made;" in"A! spectator" (2009),"
Jérôme" Bel’s" reflects" on" past" experiences" he" has" made" as" a" spectator;" in" The! Last!
Performance!(A!Lecture)"(2004),"Bel"revisits"his"earlier"performance"The!Last!Performance;"
and" in" Make! Me! Stop! Smoking" (2006)," Rabih" Mroué" presents" his" personal" archive" of"
materials"that"he"intends"to"use"for"making"performance"work"in"the"future.""
"
The%Encyclopaedia%of%Performance%Art#
"
In" 1971," Burden" was" shot." In" 1975," he" documented" Shoot" by" assembling" film"
footage," an" audio" recording" and" a" voiceUover" commentary" as" part" of" Documentation! of!
Selected! Works! 1971A1974." Thirty" years" later," this" short" excerpt" from" Documentation! of!
Selected! Works! is" screened" in" WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s" lecture" performance" series" The!
Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art160," among" a" multitude" of" other" pieces" of" audioUvisual"
performance"documentation."But"WagnerUFeigl’s"lecture"performances"also"classify"Shoot"
as"one"of"many"performance"art"pieces"involving"the"action"of"shooting"or"incorporating"
automatic"weapons"as"materials"–"the"artists"show"slides,"among"others,"of"Niki"de"Saint"
Phalle" producing" one" of" her" Tirs" (early" 1960s)," of" Dick" Higgins" and" an" assistant"
“composing”"one"of"his"1000!Symphonies!(1968U1998,"unfinished)"and"of"Dieter"Maier’s"
This!Man!Will!Not!Shoot"(1971)."To"achieve"this"kind"of"contextualisation"by"cataloguing"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
160
"As" I" will" outline," The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art! is" presented" as" an" ongoing" project" (started" in"
2001)"of"which"the"lecture"performances"are"only"one"manifestation."My"writing"about"The!Encyclopaedia!
of!Performance!Art!is"based"on"video"documentation"of"two"performances,"one"in"Frankfurt"in"2006"as"part"
of" the" Unfriendly" Takeover" series" of" lecture" performances" and" one" in" Giessen" as" part" of" the" Performing!
Science" event" in" 2007." These" are" two" of" a" series" of" lecture" performances" based" on" the" Encyclopaedia"
project"which,"although"different"in"some"respects,"also"have"recurring"features."In"addition,"I"am"referring"
here"to"a"text"also"entitled"‘The"Encyclopaedia"of"Performance"Art’"(WagnerUFeiglUForschung"2006)"which"is"
in" large" parts" identical" with" parts" of" the" lecture" performance" texts." As" this" text" is" in" English," I" am" here"
mostly"quoting"from"this"source"rather"than"from"the"German"lecture"performance"texts.""
83"
"
all" materials" and" actions" ever" used" in" performance" art" is" the" ambition" behind" The!
Encyclopaedia!of!Performance!Art,"as"WagnerUFeiglUForschung"outline"in"a"manifesto"from"
2001:"
"
The" ENCYCLOPAEDIA" OF" PERFORMANCE" ART" is" not" another" History" of" Performance"
Art." Its" empirical" and" utterly" materialist" approach" aims" towards" a" complete" and"
systematic" overview" of" the" materials" and" practices" of" performance" art," as" well" as"
action"and"its"special"qualities"within"performance"art.""
Its" analytical" approach" on" a" ‘molecular’" level" –" emphasizing" each" singular"
material/action"being"used"–"is"developed"into"a"systematic"catalogue"that"shows"the"
singular"element"in"its"relationship"with"every"other"element"in"the"catalogue."Besides"
the"complete"list"and"mere"overview"on"material"and"action,"THE"ENCYCLOPAEDIA"OF"
PERFORMANCE" ART" aims" towards" a" threeUdimensional" map" that" offers" a" deeper"
understanding" of" the" everUincreasing" complexity" of" a" singular" material" and/or" action"
within" the" field" of" performance" arts." The" fact" that" potentially" every" material," tool,"
‘thing’"one"could"imagine,"and"the"different"ways"of"behaviour"and"uses"of"it,"will"(at"
least" possibly)" appear" in" the" Encyclopaedia" shows" the" wide" horizon" of" the" project:" it"
will" be" no" more" or" less" than" a" catalogue" of" the" world," its" use" and" possibilities."
(WagnerUFeiglUForschung"2006:"58)"
"
The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art! is" not" merely" a" title" for" a" series" of" lecture"
performances," but" refers" to" an" ongoing" research" project" whose" existence" outside" the"
lecture"performances"in"which"it"is"presented"nonetheless"remains"doubtful"(Peters"2011:"
201)." The" only" indication" of" the" uncertain" status" of" the" Encyclopaedia" is" the" allU
encompassing"scope"of"the"project"and"the"fact"that"its"achievability"is"never"called"into"
question."The"artists"present"the"Encyclopaedia"and"thus"the"idea"of"creating"a"complete"
record"of"all"actions"and"materials"of"performance"art"very"matterUofUfactly"in"the"lecture"
performances," and" it" is" the" lecture" form" that" allows" them" to" take" up" a" seemingly"
objective," scientific" tone." The" lecture" performances" utilise" many" elements" of" traditional"
lectures:" different" kinds" of" projection" (slide" projection" to" show" photographic"
documentation" of" performance" pieces;" an" overhead" projector" to" show" graphic"
representations"of"the"organisation"of"the"Encyclopaedia;"video"projection"again"to"show"
performance" documentation);" handUouts" illustrating" the" Encyclopaedia’s" taxonomic"
structure;" demonstrations" of" actions" (for" instance" the" actions" of" slapping" and" being"
slapped);" the" live" rendition" of" a" prepared" theoretical" text" sketching" the" project" and" its"
ambitions;"and,"not"least,"men"in"suits.""
There" are" also," as" in" many" examples" of" lecture" performances," instances" where"
things" are" taken" too" far" (i.e." where" the" boundaries" of" lecturing" are" stretched," creating"
84"
"
what" Goffman" describes" as" a" “frame" break”)" –" here" for" instance" is" the" minute" detail" in"
which" the" Encyclopaedia’s" taxonomy" is" outlined," using" the" example" of" the" tomato" in"
performance"art:"
"
This" way" of" representing" a" singular" material" of" performance" art" has" various"
advantages."It"shows"how"each"object"is"already"embedded"in"the"immense"context"of"
the" material" world" and" implies" very" complex" processes" of" differentiation." Thus" it"
identifies" the" special" qualities" (it" is" a" tomato" and" not" an" orange)" and" dynamics" (a"
tomato"can"be"squeezed,"thus"producing"tomato"juice"–"in"opposition"to"squeezing"a"
stone,"for"example)"inherent"in"each"singular"object"or"material."On"the"other"hand"this"
method" of" organization" in" no" way" precludes" the" other" necessary" tool" of" a" true"
encyclopaedia;" the" Alphabetical" Index" (which" will" be" contained" in" a" different" set" of"
volumes"from"the"systematic"contents)."As"each"level"of"differentiation"bears"in"front"a"
different" character," sign" or" number," the" tomato" can" be" represented" as" well" as" the"
material" with" the" cipher" ‫א‬αIX.§2par.1F.k.Nr.5.(1.U4.)." (The" numbers" in" brackets" show"
how" many" types" of" tomatoes" are" listed." Thus" to" represent" the" plum" tomato," a" plain"
Arabic" numeral" 3" refers" to" the" specified" type" of" tomato" is" used" [sic!])." As" each"
character,"sign"or"number"stands"for"another"step"in"the"process"of"differentiation,"the"
representation" of" materials" as" cipher" codes" creates" an" immediate" awareness," when"
looking"them"up"in"the"Alphabetical"Index,"of"the"highly"complex"relationships"inherent"
in"a"specific"material."Besides"the"obvious"possibility"of"locating"a"singular"material"in"
the" systematic" overview," it" allows" the" experienced" user" to" get" a" quick" overview" of"
related"materials"as"well."(WagnerUFeiglUForschung"2006:"61)"
"
It"seems"almost"impossible"that"the"absurd"complexity"of"the"index"presented"here"
(which" is" outlined" in" even" more" detail" elsewhere" in" the" performance" text)" can" be"
comprehended" if" only" heard" once," yet" it" is" nevertheless" presented" as" creating" an"
“immediate" awareness”" and" allowing" a" “quick" overview”" (even" if" one" has" to" be" an"
“experienced"user”)."In"an"academic"lecture,"this"discrepancy"would"be"read"as"a"failure"to"
communicate" the" intended" meaning;" here," it" makes" evident" the" questionable" nature" of"
the"Encyclopaedia"project"in"particular,"but"also"of"any"taxonomy"more"generally."Rather"
than" questioning" if" documentation" can" give" a" “true”" account" (in" the" sense" of" the"
“historical" ’truth’”" that" Jones" writes" about)" of" a" performance" event," it" is" WagnerUFeiglU
Forschung’s" own" “scientific”" approach" to" using" documentary" material" that" is" called" into"
question." By" extension," such" a" strategy" of" the" lecture" performance," as" Peters" outlines"
using"The!Encyclopaedia!of!Performance!Art!as"one"example,"makes"evident"the"role"that"
science"and"academia"play"in"producing"their"subjects:"“The"archives"and"documents"that"
these" lectures" refer" to" are" situated" on" the" border" of" fiction," mark" this" border" and"
transport" in" their" actualisation" the" possible" variations" and" paradoxes" of," respectively,"

85"
"
archival" and" historicalUscientific" knowledge" production” 161 "(Peters" 2006:" 126)." The"
question" of" fictionality," however," here" only" applies" to" the" archive" itself," the"
Encyclopaedia," never" to" the" documents" that" are" being" presented" or" to" the" historical"
performances"that"are"being"discussed.""
How"serious"then"are"the"artists"in"what"they"are"claiming"in"the"tone"of"academic"
seriousness?"There"is"no"straightforward"answer"to"this"question."While"it"is"possible"to"
identify" elements" of" parody" in" the" presentation" of" the" lecture," the" artists" on" the" other"
hand"put"forward"concerns"and"express"an"agenda"that"cannot"easily"be"discarded."One"
focus" of" their" critique" for" instance" is" the" reception" of" performance" art" in" academic"
discourse:"
"
Theoretical"analysis"often"relates"itself"to"certain"aspects"or"focuses"on"a"few"selected"
performances"that"are"either"extensively"documented"or"personally"witnessed"by"the"
scholars." This" is" for" various" reasons:" often" performances" are" reviewed" and" analysed,"
because" a)" they" are" well" documented," and/or" b)" they" are" supported" by" aggressive"
strategies" of" marketing" and" publicity" (for" example" the" spectacular" selfUmarketing" of"
singular"artists"and/or"the"investments"of"art"producers"with"a"sense"of"trends),"and/or"
c)" they" are" benefitting" from" artist/scientist" alliances," which" grow" out" of" friendship"
networks," and/or" d)" theoreticians" and" scientists" are" referring" to" their" own" system" of"
references," which" means" that" they" are" copying" each" other." Another" aspect" of" this"
repetitive" reference" towards" the" same" selected" performances" is" the" exclusiveness" of"
theory"and"analysis."The"principle"of"exclusiveness"shows"off"on"three"different"levels:"
a)"exclusive"selfUlimitation"on"few"mediated"performances"(for"artUhistorical"reasons"or"
because" of" certain" trends)," b)" exclusive" discussion" of" exclusively" seen" performances,"
and" c)" exclusive" mediation" (secret" science" for" the" initiated)." In" opposition" to" such"
approaches,"‘The"Encyclopaedia"of"Performance"Art’"aims"at"a"complete"collection"of"
all"performances"ever"performed."(WagnerUFeiglUForschung"2006:"65)""
"
According" to" this" statement," the" Encyclopaedia" is" conceived" in" direct" response" to"
what" is" perceived" as" an" exclusive" discourse" around" performance" art." This" discourse" is"
portrayed"as"exclusive"on"two"levels:"on"the"one"hand"because"it"is"seen"to"only"speak"to"
“the" initiated”," but" more" importantly" because" it" for" various" reasons" privileges" certain"
examples" of" performance" art" over" other" performances." This" last" aspect" is" particularly"
important" in" this" context" as" it" directly" regards" the" role" of" documentation" in" the"
perception" and" dissemination" of" performance." Wagner" and" Feigl" share" Newman’s"
concern" that" specific" performances" are" neglected" because" they" are" not" as" wellU
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
161
"“Die" Archive" und" Dokumente," auf" die" sich" diese" Vorträge" beziehen," stehen" auf" der" Grenze" zur" Fiktion,"
markieren" diese" Grenze" und" transportieren" dabei" in" ihrer" Aktualisierung" die" Spielräume" und" Paradoxien"
archivarischer"beziehungsweise"historischUwissenschaftlicher"Wissensproduktion.“"
86"
"
documented" as" others" (or" because" they" are" not" marketed" as" aggressively)," but" their"
critique" goes" beyond" this" point," as" they" also" portray" the" live" encounter" with" a"
performance" as" potentially" exclusive." This" aspect" has" not" been" overlooked" in" academic"
discourse"–"Jones,"for"instance,"develops"her"thoughts"on"performance"documentation"in"
‘‘Presence’"in"absentia:"Experiencing"Performance"as"Documentation’"on"the"premise"of"
not" having" been" present" at" seminal" performance" art" events" (“I" was" not" three" years" old"
[...]" when" Carolee" Schneeman" performed" Meat" Joy" at" the" Festival" of" Free" Expression" in"
Paris" in" 1964”" (Jones" 1997:" 11)162)," making" a" case" for" the" possibility" of" writing" about"
performance" despite" her" absence" at" the" initial" event." Yet" what" is" noteworthy" about"
WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s" approach" is" that," rather" than" discussing" the" question" if"
performance"can"be"represented,"their"concern"is"with"how"performance"art"participates"
in" a" representational" system" (i.e." academic" discourse)." The" specific" quality" of" the"
experience"of"a"live"performance"is"never"evoked"in"their"lecture"performances,"at"least"
not"in"relation"to"their"discussions"of"documentation."From"this"perspective,"both"the"live"
event" and" the" documentation" can" have" an" exclusive" quality." Instead," WagnerUFeiglU
Forschung" propose" a" nonUhierarchical 163 "approach" by" focussing" on" the" materials" and"
actions" of" “all" performances" ever" performed”," claiming" that" this" approach" enables," by"
way"of"reUcontextualisation,"a"new"perspective"also"on"iconic"performances"like"Shoot:"
"
By" focusing" on" formal" aspects" as" well" as" emphasizing" its" history" and" contexts" as" a"
specific" performative" practice," ‘Shoot’" can" be" revived" again" and" fed" back" into" the"
circulations" of" a" contemporary" performance" art" practice." The" achievement" of" ‘The"
Encyclopaedia"of"Performance"Art’"is"to"reUcontextualize"‘Shoot’"through"formal"as"well"
as" aesthetic" aspects" (material:" automatic" weapon;" performative" practice:" to" shoot)"
within" a" wide" field" of" performances" with" similar" approaches" [...]." (WagnerUFeiglU
Forschung"2006:"64U5)"
"
Beyond"opening"a"new"perspective"on"existing"works,"the"idea"here"is"that"a"work"
thus" contextualized" can" again" appear" as" “contemporary”," i.e." as" part" of" what" is" already"
described"to"be"in"circulation"(the"“circulation"of"representations"of"representations”"that"
Phelan" describes" as" something" that" performance" art" resists)." The" focus" is" thus" shifted"

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162
"Interestingly,"Jones"also"reflects"on"the"role"that"personal"relationships"with"artists"have"for"the"writing"
about"performance"(Jones"1997:"11)."
163
"“’The" Encyclopaedia" of" Performance" Art’" is" not" judgemental" in" the" sense" of" creating" simple" values" or"
hierarchies."All"events"from"the"field"of"performance"art"are"annotated"and"documented.”"(WagnerUFeiglU
Forschung"2006:"65)"
87"
"
from" an" original," “primary”" experience" of" performance" to" the" question" how" a"
performance"–"by"way"of"its"materials"and"actions"–"can"be"used"or"reUused.#"
This"position"is"strikingly"similar"to"what"Nicolas"Bourriaud"has"described"as"artistic"
practices"of"“postproduction”:"
"
These"artists"who"insert"their"work"into"that"of"others"contribute"to"the"eradication"of"
the" traditional" distinction" between" production" and" consumption," creation" and" copy,"
readymade"and"original"work."The"material"they"manipulate"is"no"longer"primary."It"is"
no" longer" a" matter" of" elaborating" a" form" on" the" basis" of" a" raw" material" but" working"
with" objects" that" are" already" in" circulation" on" the" cultural" market," which" is" to" say,"
objects"already"informed"by"other"objects."(Bourriaud"2007:"13)"
"
It"is"noteworthy"in"this"context"that"objects"and"their"use"have"an"important"status"
in" the" Encyclopaedia" project" (and" not," for" instance," the" experiential" quality" of"
performance)."Having"already"described"the"Encyclopaedia"as"a"“catalogue"of"the"world,"
its"use"and"possibilities”"in"their"manifesto,"it"is"this"focus"on"objects"and"their"use"that"
allows" WagnerUFeiglUForschung" to" expand" their" scope" from" a" concentration" on"
performance"art"to"the"“material"world”"as"a"whole:"“’The"Encyclopaedia"of"Performance"
Art’"with"its"description"of"the"materials"and"practices"of"performance"art,"and,"as"such,"of"
the" material" world" itself," allows" the" gathered" and" systematically" organized" data" to"
reverberate"and"thus"makes"the"material"world"the"real,"everUexpanding"Encyclopaedia.”"
(WagnerUFeiglUForschung"2006:"65)"
The"world"is"the"real"encyclopaedia"–"this"statement"encapsulates"the"paradox"of"all"
encyclopaedic" endeavours. 164 "Here," however," it" also" envisions" the" world" (including"
performance"art)"as"something"to"be"used."The"focus"is"expanded"from"how"performance"
art"participates"in"a"representational"system"to"how"performance"art"participates"in"and"
makes"use"of"the"world"and"its"materials"(making"it,"in"WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s"terms,"
“a"truly"universal"science"of"the"world”"(66))."This"position"is"mirrored"in"Bourriaud’s"idea"
of"an"art"of"postproduction:"
"
In" Postproduction," I" try" to" show" that" artists’" intuitive" relationship" with" art" history" is"
now" going" beyond" what" we" call" ‘the" art" of" appropriation’," which" naturally" infers" an"
ideology"of"ownership,"and"moving"toward"a"culture"of"the"use"of"forms,"a"culture"of"
constant"activity"of"signs"based"on"a"collective"ideal:"sharing."The"Museum"like"the"City"

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164
"Peters" compares" WagnerUFeiglUForschung’s" Encyclopaedia" to" the" map" that" is" as" big" as" the" territory" it"
represents"in"Jorge"Luis"Borges’s"story"On!Exactitude!in!Science"(Peters"2011:"206).""
88"
"
 itself"constitute"a"catalog"[sic!]"of"forms,"postures,"and"images"for"artists"–"collective"
equipment"that"everyone"is"in"a"position"to"use,"not"in"order"to"be"subjected"to"their"
authority"but"as"a"tool"to"probe"the"contemporary"world."(Bourriaud"2007:"9)"
"
Other" than" the" artistic" practices" that" Bourriaud" describes," WagnerUFeigl’s" The!
Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art" seems" less" concerned" with" using" materials" already" in"
circulation"(performance"art"documents)"than"with"making"them"available"for"future"use,"
with"providing"the"tools"for"future"performance"practice"and"discourse;"with"“sharing”,"as"
Bourriaud" puts" it.# At" this" point" the" question" whether" the" Encyclopaedia" actually" exists"
outside"of"the"lecture"performances"again"becomes"pertinent."One"does"not"have"to"refer"
to" any" actual" Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art! to" use" the" tools" that" WagnerUFeiglU
Forschung" provide." The" Encyclopaedia" functions" more" as" a" model" for" how" to" deal" with"
performance" and" its" documents" than" as" an" actual" catalogue;" and" in" any" case," the" real"
encyclopaedia,"as"we"have"learned,"is"the"material"world"–"which"is"accessible"to"anyone.##
What," then," is" the" status" of" The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art" as" a" live"
performance" (or" a" series" of" live" performances)?" As" I" have" outlined," their" focus" on" how"
performance"and"its"documents"can"be"used"allows"the"artists"to"exclude"a"negotiation"of"
the" experiential" qualities" of" performance" art" or" performance" documentation" from" their"
discussion"–"it"is"however"not"excluded"from"the"performances"themselves."On"the"one"
hand,"this"question"is"investigated"through"the"exploration"of"the"performative"qualities"
of"the"lecture"form."Furthermore,"there"is"the"showing"of"documents,"like"an"excerpt"from"
Kirby" Dick’s" film" SICK:! The! Life! &! Death! of! Bob! Flanagan,! Supermasochist," showing"
Flanagan" hammering" a" nail" through" his" penis" (introduced" as" an" example" for" the" use" of"
hammers" in" performance" art):" here," the" audience" is" told" before" the" screening" of" the"
footage" that" they" can" close" their" eyes" (and" thus" blank" out" what" is" perceived" to" be" an"
extreme"viewing"experience"even"on"video"documentation)."But"most"importantly,"there"
is" one" action" that" remains" unexplained" in" the" discursive" elements" of" the" lecture"
performances:"at"the"beginning"of"the"piece,"both"Wagner"and"Feigl"remove"their"jackets,"
unbutton"their"shirts,"and"both"pin"a"sheriff"star"to"their"naked"chests."They"then"put"their"
shirts"and"jackets"back"on;"and"while"we"do"not"see"a"trace"of"their"action"after"the"image"
of"two"men"dressed"in"suits"is"restored,"we"know"throughout"the"performance"that"this"
sheriff"star"is"still"piercing"their"skin."Shortly"before"the"end"of"the"performance,"the"star"is"
removed"again.""

89"
"
 That"this"action"remains"uncommented"in"the"piece"itself"is"coherent"with"its"status"
in"the"Encyclopaedia:"beyond"showing"the"artists’"commitment"to"the"practices"they"are"
discussing," and" beyond" illustrating" the" Encyclopaedia’s" possible" uses" (it" has" to" be"
assumed"that"there"is"a"category"for"the"sheriff"star’s"use"in"performance"art),"the"action"
indicates" a" blind" spot" in" the" Encyclopaedia," indicates" that" there" is" something" beyond"
categorisation.# At" the" same" time," it" suggests" how" this" blind" spot" can" be" accessed" –" a"
thought" again" formulated" in" the" lecture" text:" “Through" the" ongoing" activity" of" the"
performance" artist," engaged" in" the" materials" and" practices" of" performance" art," further"
potential" meanings," contexts" and" implications" are" added." Thus" performance" art" can" be"
regarded" as" a" door" to" worlds" beyond" the" world.”" (WagnerUFeiglUForschung" 2006:" 65U6)"
This"“ongoing"activity”"is"not"only"facilitated"by"the"Encyclopaedia,"but"is"also"enacted"and"
thus"demonstrated"in"the"lecture"performance"itself."#
"
A%Spectator%
"
Compared" to" The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art," Jérôme" Bel’s" 2009" lecture"
performance" A! Spectator" presents" an" in" almost" all" respects" different" approach" to"
reflecting" on" past" performance" events" in" the" context" of" a" lecture" performance." Bel’s"
piece,"originally"advertised"under"a"different"tile"(27!performances)"as"an"“intimate"hourU
long" talk”" (Sadler’s" Wells" 2009)" rather" than" a" lecture" performance," consists" only" of" Bel,"
alone"on"the"stage"of"an"empty"black"box"theatre"and"equipped"with"a"small"notebook"(an"
actual" analogue" notebook," not" a" computer)," talking" the" audience" through" a" number" of"
dance"and"theatre"performances"he"has"witnessed,"recounting"what"he,"as"a"spectator"of"
these"performances,"has"learned"about"spectating"and"about"theatre"in"general."There"is"
no" documentation," nothing" to" objectify" his" account," only" Bel" talking" about" the"
performances." On" a" few" occasions" and" very" tentatively" he" hints" at" a" reUenactment" of" a"
specific"gesture"or"movement"vocabulary"from"one"of"the"performances"he"talks"about."
Yet" the" only" reason" why" I" am" commenting" on" these" minute" instances" is" the" absence" of"
any"other"elements"in"the"performance"where"anything"happens"but"Bel"addressing"the"
audience" with" his" verbal" accounts" of" performances" he" has" seen." There" is," however," a"
structure"to"Bel’s"accounts165."He"first"presents"examples"of"what"constitutes"the"activity"

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165
"This" account" of" the" structure" of" Bel’s" performance" is" based" on" notes" written" down" collectively" after"
seeing"A!Spectator"in"London"in"2009,"by"Adrian"Kear,"Gareth"Llŷr"Evans,"Esther"Pilkington"and"myself.""
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"
of" the" spectator," for" each" performance" example" concentrating" on" one" specific"
spectatorial" activity" –" hearing," seeing," clapping," for" instance" (here" Bel" discusses," among"
others," works" by" Trisha" Brown)." He" goes" on" to" consider" –" again" through" talking" about"
individual" spectatorial" experiences" –" what" constitutes" an" appropriate" behaviour" for" a"
spectator," for" example" by" citing" his" own" experience" of" enjoying" a" particular" piece" only"
because" he" enjoyed" watching" one" specific" performer" in" it" –" labelling" himself" as" a" “bad"
spectator”" in" this" instance" (here" Bel" furthermore" mentions" a" performance" by" Jan" Fabre"
and" a" stage" production" of" Three! Sisters)." He" then" concentrates" on" how" specific"
performances" made" him" consider" aspects" of" life" or" contemplate" on" philosophical"
questions"–"i.e."how"theatre"reveals"something"outside"of"itself,"outside"of"the"theatrical"
event" (via" discussions" of," among" others," Pina" Bausch’s" Palermo" and" pieces" by" Raimund"
Hoghe"and"Eva"MeyerUKeller),"before"going"on"to"reflect"on"spectatorial"experiences"that"
revealed" theatre" as" a" communal" event" (Bel" here" refers" to" pieces" by" Alain" Platel," Steve"
Paxton"and"Peter"Zadek,"but"also"to"a"visit"to"the"Carnival"in"Rio"de"Janeiro)."In"his"choice"
of"examples"Bel"thus"concentrates"on"dance"but"also"extends"his"focus"beyond"it.166"Bel’s"
selection"of"examples"is"incidental,"i.e."he"does"not"aim"to"establish"a"canon"of"works"that"
have" inspired" him" (although" it" becomes" evident" in" some" instances" that" specific" works"
have"served"as"a"model"for"and"have"informed"his"practice,"for"instance"in"Bel’s"remarks"
on" Steve" Paxton’s" exploration" of" everyday" movements" like" walking)." In" contrast," Bel’s"
choice" of" examples" suggests" that" any" performance" or" theatre" piece" –" regardless" of" its"
aesthetic"or"artistic"merit"–"can"potentially"lead"a"spectator"to"an"insight"(about"theatre,"
but" also" about" their" own" lives)" worth" sharing" with" another" audience" –" potentially" even"
despite"the"work’s"intentions"or"concerns."This"suspension"or"“dissociation”"of"cause"and"
effect," of" intended" and" perceived" meaning," is" what" Jacques" Rancière" has" described" as"
elemental"in"conceiving"of"an"“emancipated"spectator”"–"and"I"am"quoting"here"at"length"
because"I"will"return"to"Rancière’s"concept"at"several"points"throughout"this"thesis:""
"
To" this" identity" of" cause" and" effect," which" is" at" the" heart" of" stultifying" logic,"
emancipation" counterUposes" their" dissociation." [...]" It" will" be" said" that," for" their" part,"
artists"do"not"wish"to"instruct"the"spectator."[...]"But"they"always"assume"that"what"will"
be" perceived," felt," understood" is" what" they" have" put" in" their" dramatic" art" or"
performance." They" always" presuppose" an" identity" between" cause" and" effect." This"
supposed" equality" between" cause" and" effect" is" itself" based" upon" an" inegalitarian"
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166
"Unfortunately"my"memory"fails"me"when"trying"to"give"a"more"detailed"account"of"the"pieces"Bel"talks"
about"and"of"what"he"has"used"them"as"examples"for"(despite"our"collective"notes)."
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 principle:"it"is"based"on"the"privilege"that"the"schoolmaster"grants"himself"–"knowledge"
of"the"‘right’"distance"and"ways"to"abolish"it."But"this"is"to"confuse"two"quite"different"
distances." There" is" the" distance" between" artist" and" spectator," but" there" is" also" the"
distance"inherent"in"the"performance"itself,"in"so"far"as"it"subsists,"as"a"spectacle,"an"
autonomous"thing,"between"the"idea"of"the"artist"and"the"sensation"or"comprehension"
of"the"spectator."In"the"logic"of"emancipation,"between"the"ignorant"schoolmaster"and"
the"emancipated"novice"there"is"always"a"third"thing"–"a"book"or"some"other"piece"of"
writing"–"alien"to"both"and"to"which"they"can"refer"to"verify"in"common"what"the"pupil"
has" seen," what" she" says" about" it" and" what" she" thinks" of" it." The" same" applies" to"
performance."It"is"not"the"transmission"of"the"artist’s"knowledge"or"inspiration"to"the"
spectator." It" is" the" third" thing" that" is" owned" by" no" one," but" which" subsists" between"
them,"excluding"any"uniform"transmission,"any"identity"of"cause"and"effect."(Rancière"
2009:"14U15)"
"
The"emancipation"of"the"spectator"goes"hand"in"hand"with"an"emancipation"of"the"
work"from"the"artist's"intentions"–"the"performance"“is"owned"by"no"one”."What"Rancière"
here"constructs"is"a"scenario"of"autonomies:"of"the"artist"on"the"one"hand,"the"spectator"
on"the"other"and"the"art"work"somewhere"inUbetween."In"order"to"discuss"the"validity"of"
this" scenario," I" will" try" to" follow" its" logic" a" little" further." The" symmetry" in" Rancière’s"
scenario"is"striking;"but"how"does"it"reflect"the"actual"configuration"of"artists,"spectators"
and"art"work"in"a"theatre"or"performance"event?""
In" the" case" of" Bel’s" A! Spectator," it" is" possible" to" identify" a" single" artist" appearing"
both"as"author"and"performer"of"the"piece"(yet"this"also"means"ignoring"the"role"of,"for"
instance,"programmers,"assistants,"technicians,"ushers"or"cleaning"staff)."This"means"also"
that" it" is" immensely" difficult" to" draw" the" line" between" the" U" in" Rancière’s" view" U"
autonomous" “third" thing”," the" performance," and" the" artist" embodying" and" enacting" it"
(and" at" the" same" time," according" to" Rancière," being" “alien”" to" it)." This" distinction"
becomes" even" more" complex" if" there" is" a" collective" or" group" of" artists" or" producers"
involved"in"the"creation"of"a"performance,"some"maybe"acting"as"performers"and"others"
working"behind"the"scenes."On"the"other"side"of"Rancière’s"scenario,"as"is"the"case"in"Bel’s"
A! Spectator" (but" not" necessarily" in" all" theatre" and" performance" events)," there" is" an"
auditorium"of"spectators"engaging"in"the"activity"of"“composing"their"own"poem”:"“They"
are"thus"both"distant"spectators"and"active"interpreters"of"the"spectacle"offered"to"them."
[...]"spectators"see,"feel"and"understand"in"as"much"as"they"compose"their"own"poem,"as,"
in"their"way,"do"actors"or"playwrights,"directors,"dancers"or"performers.”"(Rancière"2009:"
13)""

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"
 As" Adrian" Kear" has" pointed" out" in" an" emailUconversation" about" A! Spectator" which"
we"conducted"and"which"was"later"presented"as"a"paper"entitled"‘We"other"spectators’167:"
“In"a"theatre"we"have"spectators"–"plural"–"but"Bel's"title"suggests"that"their"experience"is"
singular;"or,"perhaps,"that"the"singularity"of"their"response"is"the"condition"of"the"'being"
together'" as" a" public" [...]" audience.”" (Kear" 2009)" It" is" this" singularity" of" the" spectator’s"
experience"that"allows"Rancière"to"construct"his"symmetrical"scenario:"
"
The"collective"power"shared"by"spectators"does"not"stem"from"the"fact"that"they"are"
members" of" a" collective" body" or" from" some" specific" form" of" interactivity." It" is" the"
power"each"of"them"has"to"translate"what"she"perceives"in"her"own"way,"to"link"it"to"
the"unique"intellectual"adventure"that"makes"her"similar"to"all"the"rest"in"as"much"as"
this"adventure"is"not"like"any"other."This"shared"power"of"the"equality"of"intelligence"
links" individuals," makes" them" exchange" their" intellectual" adventures," in" so" far" as" it"
keeps"them"separate"from"one"another,"equally"capable"of"using"the"power"everyone"
has"to"plot"her"own"path."(Rancière"2009:"16U17)""
"
Because"they"each"compose"their"“own"poem”,"Rancière"can"project"the"individual"
spectator"(rather"than"a"collective"or"community"of"spectators,"an"audience"or"a"public)"as"
the" artist’s" counterpoint" in" the" scenario" outlined" above. 168 "Yet" is" it" not" exactly" the"
symmetry"in"this"scenario"that"disguises"an"asymmetry:"where"does"the"spectator’s"“own"
poem”" feature" here?" If" the" performance" is" the" “third" thing”," what" place" does" the"
spectator’s" “poem”" have" within" Rancière’s" model?" Within" the" relation" of" artist" and"
spectator," the" spectator’s" activity," regardless" of" how" highly" it" is" regarded169," remains"
suspended" in" potentiality" and" is" hardly" ever" actualised:" When" do" spectators" get" to"

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167
"The"paper"was"presented"at"the"symposium"Archive/Practice"organised"by"Tanzarchiv"Leipzig"in"2009.""
168
"If"the"focus"is"thus"not"on"individual"performance"or"theatre"events,"but"on"an"individual’s"experience"as"
a" spectator" of" these" events," what" relationship" does" Bel" establish" to" the" performances" that" he" is" talking"
about" in" A! Spectator?" Kear" comments" on" the" logic" of" the" example" employed" in" A! Spectator:" “Telling" the"
story"of"an"event,"isolating"its"specificity"and"significance"is,"as"Benjamin"told"us,"to"interrupt"its"context"and"
rupture"the"very"form"which"it"would"serve"to"exemplify."Every"example"is,"then,"an"example"of"singularity"
rather"than"generic"normality."The"very"act"of"'giving"an"example'"performs"this"action"whether"intended"or"
not." The" example" that" way" becomes" exception," exceptional;" even" if" its" serves" to" draw" attention" to" the"
generic,"the"quotidian."So"every"example"in"A!Spectator"ceases"to"be"an"example"of"how"theatre"operates"
'normally'," becoming" instead" an" exemplification" of" the" generic" logic" of" theatre" at" its" root" through" the"
articulation" of" singular" instances" of" structural" genericity." That" is," of" course," its" radicality" and" epistemic"
brilliance;"but"also"follows"the"logic"of"theatre"in"disappearing"at"the"moment"of"its"utterance;"the"work"of"
the" example" being" as" fleeting" and" ephemeral" as" the" experience" of" spectating.”" (Kear" 2009:" no" page"
number)"
169
"Pragmatically"speaking,"while"the"activity"of"the"artist"results"in"the"accumulation"of"symbolic"capital"and"
the"artist"is"awarded"the"spectator’s"attention,"the"spectator"does"not"participate"or"does"not"participate"on"
equal"terms"in"this"accumulation,"and"is"not"awarded"the"same"kind"of"attention."
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applaud" their" “own" poems”" (or" is" this" what" they" always" do)?" To" what" extent" can" the"
spectator,"though"per!se"active,"become"a"producer?"
In"A!Spectator,"Bel"creates"a"situation"in"which"the"activity"of"the"spectator"is"both"
presented" and" continuously" exemplified," and," more" importantly," it" is" presented" and"
exemplified" as" production." Here" it" becomes" important" that" Bel" ends" his" piece" with" an"
invitation"to"each"spectator"to"think"of"performances"they"have"seen"and"the"lessons"they"
have" drawn" from" these" experiences:" any" spectator," not" just" Bel," could" engage" in" the"
activity"in"which"Bel"is"engaging."Bel"thus"enables"a"doubling"of"the"spectatorial"position:"
firstly"the"audience,"via"Bel,"becomes"an"audience"not"only"of"A!Spectator"but"of"the"other"
performances"that"Bel"is"describing;"secondly,"and"more"importantly,"the"audience"is"put"
into" a" position" to" constantly" contrast" and" compare" their" own" spectatorial" experience"
(both" in" general" and" right" now," while" watching" Bel" perform)" with" the" experiences"
described" by" Bel." Not" only" is" Bel" addressing" the" audience" directly," but" his" activity" is"
addressing" their" activity:" the" spectators" are" watching" someone" practise" the" intellectual"
and" affective" activity" they" are" also" engaged" in.170"When" Bel" is" talking" about" enjoying" a"
performance" piece" for" the" wrong" reasons," about" being" a" “bad" spectator”" because" he"
enjoys" watching" one" performer" rather" than" appreciating" the" performance" as" such," the"
spectators"listening"to"his"account"might"in"turn"ask"themselves"how"Bel’s"personality"or"
charisma"affect"their"perception"of"the"performance"they"are"seeing."Ignoring"the"role"of"
the"performer(s)"in"this"constellation,"Rancière"asks"in"‘The"Emancipated"Spectator’:"“[...]"
what" exactly" occurs" among" theatre" spectators" that" cannot" happen" elsewhere?" What" is"
more"interactive,"more"communitarian,"about"these"spectators"than"a"mass"of"individuals"
watching" the" same" television" show" at" the" same" hour?”" (Rancière" 2009:" 16)." In" A!
Spectator,"the"live"situation"of"the"lecture"performance,"though"stripped"down"almost"to"
its" bare" minimum" (a" person" on" an" empty" stage" addressing" an" audience)," allows" for" a"
complex"system"of"simultaneous"mimetic"processes,"of"performing"spectating,"to"evolve"
between" stage" and" auditorium" in" which" it" becomes" increasingly" difficult" to" identify" any"
autonomous"positions."And"this"is"also"why"here"the"spectator’s"account"can"become,"or"
can" at" least" be" envisioned" as," a" performance" upon" similar" terms" as" the" events" this"
account"represents."When"Bel"ends"his"performance"with"an"invitation"to"the"spectators"

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170
"Bormann,"as"I"have"mentioned,"also"identifies"a"“doubling”"of"the"spectatorial"position"in"his"discussion"
of"Burden’s"Documentation!of!Selected!Works!1971A1974."His"analysis,"however,"can"only"partly"be"applied"
to"A!Spectator"as"Bormann"very"much"concentrates"on"the"mediumUspecific"aspects"of"Burden’s"video.""
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to" do" what" he" has" just" done," this" appears" possible" because" they" have" already" done" it"
while"watching"his"performance,"or"in"other"words:"because"he"has"just"done"what"they"
have" done." But" has" he" not" done" more" by" translating" his" spectatorial" experiences" into" a"
performance?"Or,"to"pose"the"question"differently:"Is"there"not"a"difference"between"–"in"
Rancière’s"terms"–"being"a"spectator"composing"one’s"own"poem"and"the"virtuosity"and"
skill"involved"in"actually"articulating"or"performing"this"poem?""
Bel’s" performance" in" A! Spectator" seems" to" call" into" question" the" demand" for"
skilfulness"and"virtuosity."As"one"review"of"the"piece"has"it"(and"has"it"wrong):"“He"does"
not"perform."He"does"not"dance,"except"in"occasional"snatches."Instead,"he"offers"a"series"
of"haphazard"thoughts"about"the"nature"of"theatre"[...]."Bel"does"not"deliver"a"coherent"
speech," he" simply" wanders" about," carrying" a" small" notebook" as" an" aideUmemoire.”"
(Thompson" 2009)" While" I" would" disagree" with" the" assessment" of" Bel’s" performance" as"
altogether" haphazard" and" incoherent" (it" is" on" the" contrary" at" times" very" eloquent" and"
persuasive"–"but"this"is"only"a"value"judgement),"what"is"more"important"here"is"that"this"
assessment"seems"to"articulate"what"Bel"himself"proposes:"that"anyone"could"do"what"he"
does." Any" actual" clumsiness" and" incoherence" on" Bel’s" part" therefore" has" to" be" read" as"
consistent"with"this"overall"thesis."I"would"however"argue"that"the"impression"articulated"
in"the"review"is"maybe"due"to"the"form"in"which"Bel"presents"his"remarks"rather"than"to"
either"content"or"delivery."By"delivering"a"more"or"less"improvised"speech"based"only"on"a"
few"notes,"Bel"chooses"a"form"that,"as"Paolo"Virno"has"pointed"out,"constitutes"a"mode"of"
virtuosity"that"everyone"has"access"to:"“Each"one"of"us"is,"and"has"always"been,"a"virtuoso,"
a"performing"artist,"at"times"mediocre"and"awkward,"but,"in"any"event,"a"virtuoso."In"fact,"
the"fundamental"mode"of"virtuosity,"the"experience"which"is"at"the"base"of"the"concept,"is"
the"activity"of"the"speaker.”"(Virno"2004:"55)171"
There"is"a"prejudice"which"I"have"often"encountered"in"conversations,"namely"that"
lecture" performances" are" somehow" easy" to" make 172 "(compared" to" writing" a" “proper"
paper”"or"making"a"“proper"performance”)."This"might"be"because"there"is"no"other"skill"
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171
"Virno"goes"on:"“This"is"not"the"activity"of"a"knowledgeable"and"erudite"locator,"but"of"any"locator."Human"
verbal"language"[...]"has"its"fulfilment"in"itself"and"does"not"produce"(at"least"not"as"a"rule,"not"necessarily)"
an" ‘object’" independent" of" the" very" act" of" having" been" uttered.”" (Virno" 2004:" 55)" It" is" important" to" note,"
however,"that,"despite"defining"it"as"“the"special"capabilities"of"a"performing"artist”"(52),"Virno"understands"
virtuosity"not"so"much"in"terms"of"a"specific"skill"but"as"a"mode"of"production"in"which,"in"Karl"Marx’s"words,"
“the"product"is"not"separable"from"the"act"of"producing”"(in"Virno"2004:"52).""
172
"Peters," too," speaks" of" lecture" performance"as" something"that" can" be"“quickly"produced”"(Peters" 2006:"
123)"[“schnell"zu"produzieren”],"but"does"so"in"explaining"how"lecture"performances"can"be"used"to"present"
ongoing"artistic"projects"or"enquiries,"i.e."there"is"already"something"that"provides"the"substance;"there"is"
already"extensive"work"and"research"involved.""
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required"than"the"“virtuosity"of"the"speaker”,"which,"according"to"Virno"“is"the"prototype"
and"apex"of"all"other"forms"of"virtuosity”"(56)"(and"this"basic"nature"of"the"“activity"of"the"
speaker”"might"explain"the"impression"that"Bel"“does"not"perform”)."In"A!Spectator,"the"
reliance"on"the"activity"of"speaking,"of"telling"of"past"performances,"makes"Bel’s"invitation"
to"the"other"spectators"present"with"him"at"this"performance"to"also"engage"in"this"kind"of"
telling"plausible;"moreover,"in"this"case"the"telling"coincides"with"a"showing:"Bel"does"not"
only" talk" about" the" activity" of" the" spectator," he" himself" exemplifies" and" embodies" it." In"
doing" so," he" creates" a" kind" of" feedback" loop" between" stage" and" auditorium:" his"
demonstration" of" the" activity" of" spectating" constantly" feeds" back" into" the" activity" of"
spectating"that"the"audience"is"engaged"in,"and"vice"versa.""
"
The%Last%Performance%(A%Lecture)#
"
While" in" A! Spectator" Bel" presents" accounts" of" performances" he" has" seen" as" a"
spectator,"in"a"previous"lecture"performance,"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)!(2004),"he"
revisits"his"own"piece"The!Last!Performance"(1998)."In"doing"so,"he"does"not"simply"reflect"
on"a"piece"he"has"developed"six"years"earlier,"but"this"reflection"in"the"form"of"a"lecture"
performance"takes"the"place"of"the"original"performance"in"Bel’s"repertoire."He"decides"to"
show"it"instead"of"the"original"performance,"because"he"feels"that"this"performance"has"
often"been"misunderstood:"
"
Invited"at"the"same"time"by"the"Hebbel"Theater"in"Berlin,"the"TanzUquartier"in"Vienna"
and"the"Centre"National"de"Dance"in"Paris"to"perform"'The"last"performance'"(1998)"I"
decided,"instead"of"presenting"the"piece,"to"make"a"lecture"about"its"issues."I"have"the"
feeling" that" this" difficult" piece" hasn't" been" really" understood." Maybe" the" piece" was"
bad."But"I"believe"that"the"issues"of"this"piece"were"relevant,"that"is"why"I"would"like"to"
change"my"medium"and"use"the"tool"of"the"lecture"to"try"to"articulate"better"the"stakes"
of"'The"last"performance'."(Bel"2004)173"
"
Compared" to" A! Spectator," not" only" does" Bel" here" speak" from" a" different" position"
(that"of"the"author"instead"of"the"spectator),"this"change"of"position"furthermore"seems"
to"entail"a"fundamentally"different"attitude"towards"the"significance"of"the"intentions"of"
the"piece’s"author"(because"they"are"now"his"intentions),"towards"the"relation"between"

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173
"This"and"all"the"following"quotes"from"the"performance"text"are"transcripts"of"the"subtitles"to"the"video"
of"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)."I"have"occasionally"adjusted"the"punctuation.""
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“cause" and" effect”" that" Rancière" describes." While" in" A! Spectator," Bel’s" reading" of" a"
particular"performance"often"ignores"or"contradicts"the"intentions"behind"that"piece,"and"
Bel" seems" to" celebrate" the" spectator’s" freedom" to" do" so," The! Last! Performance! (A!
Lecture)"–"at"least"at"first"glance"–"takes"the"opposite"approach."As"Una"Bauer"remarks"in"
an"interview"with"Bel:"“It"seems"to"me"that"you"are"rather"protective"of"the"interpretation"
of" your" work." The" opening" lines" of" the" lecture/performance" The! Last! Performance" are"
along" the" lines" of" ‘It" seems" very" few" people" have" understood" the" piece" The! Last!
Performance."Let"me"tell"you"why"this"piece"is"interesting.’”174"(Bauer"2008:"45)"It"is"the"
form" of" the" lecture" that" according" to" Bel" allows" him" to" “articulate" better”" what" he" had"
intended" to" articulate" with" The! Last! Performance" –" but" does" this" not" also" constitute" an"
attempt"to"restore"the"“integrity"of"cause"and"effect”"that,"according"to"Rancière,"“is"at"
the"heart"of"stultifying"logic”?"Because"what"he"had"intended"to"articulate"with"The!Last!
Performance!had"not"been"understood,"Bel"decides"to"say"it"again,"differently,"to"explain"
it"in"a"lecture."This"approach"is"reminiscent"of"what"Rancière"describes"as"the"“explicative"
order”" (Rancière" 1991:" 4)" in" his" book" The! Ignorant! Schoolmaster! (on" which" ‘The"
Emancipated"Spectator’"is"based):"
"
Consider," for" example," a" book" in" the" hands" of" a" student." The" book" is" made" up" of" a"
series"of"reasonings"designed"to"make"a"student"understand"some"material."But"now"
the" schoolmaster" opens" his" mouth" to" explain" the" book." He" makes" a" series" of"
reasonings" in" order" to" explain" the" series" of" reasonings" that" constitute" the" book." But"
why" should" the" book" need" such" help?" Instead" of" paying" for" an" explicator," couldn’t" a"
father"simply"give"the"book"to"his"son"and"the"child"understand"directly"the"reasonings"
of"the"book?"And"if"he"doesn’t"understand"them,"why"would"he"be"any"more"likely"to"
understand"the"reasonings"that"would"explain"to"him"what"he"hasn’t"understood?"Are"
those"reasonings"of"a"different"nature?"And"if"so,"wouldn’t"it"be"necessary"to"explain"
the"way"in"which"to"understand"them?"
So"the"logic"of"explication"calls"for"the"principle"of"a"regression"ad"infinitum:"there"is"no"
reason"for"the"redoubling"of"reasonings"ever"to"stop."What"brings"an"end"to"regression"
and"gives"the"system"its"foundation"is"simply"that"the"explicator"is"the"sole"judge"of"the"
point"when"the"explication"is"itself"explicated."(Rancière"1991:"4)"
"

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174
"While"I"cannot"be"sure"that"Bel"never"opens"the"performance"with"these"words,"he"never"uses"them"in"
the"video"of"the"performance"on"which"I"am"basing"my"analysis"(Bel"2004.)"
97"
"
 Explication" according" to" Rancière" submits" the" one" to" whom" the" explanation" is"
addressed" to" a" “hierarchical" world" of" intelligence”" (8)," resigning" him" or" her" to" an"
“understanding"[...]"that"he"doesn’t"understand"unless"he"is"explained"to”"(8).175""
This" raises" the" question" to" what" extent" The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)," and"
lecture"performances"in"general,"participate"in"this"“explicative"order”."To"take"the"idea"of"
a" dissociation" of" cause" and" effect" seriously," however," also" means" to" look" beyond" Bel’s"
articulation"of"his"intentions"behind"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)"at"what"he"actually"
says"and"does"(and"how"he"says"and"does"it)"in"the"piece"itself.""
Bel"delivers"his"lecture"from"behind"a"small"table,"occasionally"looking"at"the"screen"
of"a"laptop;"we"have"to"assume"he"is"looking"at"notes"he"has"made."In"the"course"of"his"
about" 80UminuteUlong" lecture," he" shows" two" excerpts" from" the" video" of" The! Last!
Performance." Once," he" gets" up" to" demonstrate" a" scene" he" has" witnessed" of" a" dancer"
tripping"in"a"ballet"performance"at"the"Paris"Opera,"but"apart"from"this"he"remains"seated"
behind"the"table,"talking:"about"his"initial"ideas"for"the"performance,"about"theories"and"
art" works" that" have" informed" him" in" the" process" (from" Julia" Kristeva’s" concept" of"
“intertextuality”"to"Maurizio"Cattelan’s"copy"of"a"show"by"Carsten"Höller),"and,"of"course,"
about" the" piece" itself." While" he" has" clearly" prepared" notes," and" a" loosely" structured"
narrative" develops," his" presentation" still" has" all" the" characteristics" of" an" impromptu"
speech;" sentences" remain" unfinished," and" not" all" the" thoughts" and" ideas" are" clearly"
developed" –" in" short," what" Bel" performs" is" a" thinking" inUprocess." By" delivering" his" text"
extemporaneously," Bel" in" his" performance" takes" up" a" mode" of" lecturing" that," as" Peters"
shows," has" evolved" around" 1800," and" that" she" describes" in" terms" of" a" “performance" of"
thinking”:" “In" so" far" as" the" lecture" presents" thinking" in! actu" and" thus" at" the" same" time"
elicits" thinking," it" becomes" a" performance" of" thinking.”176"(Peters" 2011:" 52)" As" Peters"
points" out," this" understanding" of" lecturing" can" also" be" found" in" early" 19th" century"
schoolmaster" Joseph" Jacotot’s" concept" of" “universal" teaching”" that" Rancière" describes,"
where" it" was" “an" essential" exercise" [...]" to" learn" to" speak" on" any" subject," off" the" cuff”"
(Rancière"1991:"43)"–"the"focus"here"being"on"the"lecturing"or"speaking"itself"rather"than"
on"its"content"(Peters"2011:"53)."As"Peters"summarizes:"“As"a"performance"of"thinking"the"

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175
"The"full"quote"reads"as"follows:"“But"the"child"who"is"explained"to"will"devote"his"intelligence"to"the"work"
of" grieving:" to" understanding" [...]" that" he" doesn’t" understand" unless" he" is" explained" to." He" is" no" longer"
submitting"to"the"rod,"but"rather"to"a"hierarchical"world"of"intelligence.”"(Rancière"1991:"8)"
176
"“Insofern"der"Vortrag"das"Denken"in!actu!vorführt"und"damit"zugleich"zum"Denken"verführt,"wird"er"zu"
einer"Performance"des"Denkens.“"
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lecture"stops"being"a"scene"of"instruction"and"instead"becomes"a"scenario"of"intellectual"
perception.”" (54) 177 "–" or," in" Rancière’s" words:" “One" always" learns" when" listening" to"
someone"speaking.”"(Rancière"1991:"102)"But"what"is"thus"learned"is"not"only"necessarily"
a"specific"content"–"that"which"is"being"explained"or"said"–"but"thinking"itself,"or"thinking"
as" process." While" he" reflects" on" the" “misunderstandings”" around" his" piece," Bel"
nevertheless" appears" to" be" still" struggling" with" this" understanding" himself," either" with"
appropriately"articulating"his"ideas,"or"even"with"developing"them."Not"only"does"Bel"give"
an"account"of"the"process"of"making"The!Last!Performance,"he"also"presents"this"account"
as"a"thinking"inUprocess."I"would"argue"that"this"approach"is"a"way"for"him"to"reUopen"this"
process," to" go" back" from" a" finished" piece" –" a" piece" he" had" called" The! Last! Performance"
because"he"had"imagined"it"would"allow"him"to"make"no"further"performances"–"into"the"
process"of"enquiry"of"which"that"piece"was"one"articulation.""
But"what"is"the"object"of"this"enquiry?"Bel’s"account"largely"focuses"on"two"aspects:"
the" relationship" between" author," performer" and" spectator" (between" making" and"
watching)" on" the" one" hand," and" on" the" other" hand" the" idea" of" the" liveness" of"
performance"in"relation"to"questions"of"repetition"and"copying."These"aspects,"of"course,"
are"also"at"the"heart"of"the"performance"he"is"talking"about,"The!Last!Performance."The"
basis"of"this"piece"are"a"series"of"reenactments,"or"copies,"by"Bel"and"the"three"dancers"
with"whom"he"is"working,"of"one"of"Susanne"Linke’s"choreographies,"Wandlung"(the"title"
would"most"appropriately"be"translated"as"“transformation”)."Each"of"these"reenactments"
is" introduced" by" the" performer" reenacting" the" dance" with" the" words" “Ich" bin" Susanne"
Linke”"(“I"am"Susanne"Linke”)."Based"on"his"account"in"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture),"
it"is"this"idea"of"copying"an"existing"choreography"he"admired"that"stood"at"the"beginning"
of"his"process,"and"it"is"this"aspect"of"the"piece"that"his"account"focuses"on"–"he"does"not"
even" mention," except" for" one" brief" contextualising" statement" during" the" second" video"
excerpt" that" he" shows," that" also" other" figures" besides" Linke" are" being" copied" in" the"
performance:" Calvin" Klein," Hamlet" (which" he" never" mentions" at" all" in" his" account)" and"

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177
"“Als" Performance" des" Denkens" hört" der" Vortrag" auf," eine" Szene" der" Unterweisung" zu" sein" und" wird"
stattdessen"zu"einem"Szenario"der"intellektuellen"Anschauung.“"As"I"have"quoted"above,"Rancière"describes"
the"importance"of"what"he"refers"to"as"a"“third"thing”,"for"example"“a"book"or"some"other"piece"of"writing”"
or" possibly," as" we" have" seen," a" performance," to" establish" a" relationship" of" equality" between"
schoolmaster/artist" and" novice/spectator." But" he" also" allows" for" the" possibility" that" the"
artist/teacher/professor"himU"or"herself"can"become"this"third"thing:"“[...]"a"professor"is"a"thing,"less"easily"
handled"than"a"book,"undoubtedly,"but"he"can"be"learned:"he"can"be"observed,"imitated,"dissected,"put"back"
together;"his"person,"available"for"observation,"can"be"tested.”"(Rancière"1991:"102)"See"also"Peters"2011:"
53"for"this"aspect.""
99"
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Andre"Agassi"(“I"am"Hamlet,"Andre"Agassi,"Calvin"Klein”)."Bel"therefore"does"clearly"not"try"
to" give" an" exact" account" of" everything" that" happens" in" The! Last! Performance," but"
concentrates"on"what"he"considers"important"for"the"issues"he"raises.""
For" Bel," there" are" three" “functions”" that" are" constitutive" for" any" theatre" or"
performance" event:" the" author," the" performer" and" the" spectator." “If" one" of" these"
functions"is"missing,"there"is"no"theatre”"(Bel"2004),"Bel"says."Yet"it"becomes"evident"from"
Bel’s"account"that"he"considers"it"possible"to"move"between"those"functions."He"says"that"
he" has" approached" making" The! Last! Performance" not" as" a" choreographer," but" as" a"
spectator," with" the" intention" of" presenting" a" “best" of”" (Bel" 2004)" of" choreographies" he"
has" seen." In" doing" this," he" emphasizes" the" importance" of" an" historical" context" within"
which"he"is"participating"with"his"work:"
"
If"there"is"no"quotation,"no"reference"possible,"there"is"no"history."I"must"start"again,"
from"scratch"once"again."The"prevailing"idea"in"dance"at"the"time"[...]"was"that"if"you"
want"to"become"a"choreographer"the"people"around"you"and"in"the"profession"say"‘Do"
something"original,"new"and"authentic’"–"another"problematic"term"–"meaning,"‘forget"
the" rest’." I" believe" that’s" complete" nonsense." You" can" only" produce" something" by"
relying"on"and"referring"to"past"knowledge."[...]"You"refer"to"it"implicitly."(Bel"2004)"
"
The" position" that" Bel" describes" here" (and" which" to" him" is" opposed" to" the" art" or"
dance" market’s" demands" for" originality," authenticity" and" newness)" can" be" compared" to"
that" of" a" spectator," who," in" Rancière’s" words," “[...]" observes," selects," compares,"
interprets."She"links"what"she"sees"to"a"host"of"other"things"she"has"seen"on"other"stages,"
on"other"kinds"of"place.”"(Rancière"2009:"13)178"It"is"this"position"that"Bel"articulates"in"The!
Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)."While"the"“implicit”"reference"to"other"works,"practices,"to"
“past"knowledge”"that"Bel"refers"to"in"the"above"quotation"is"already"made"explicit"in"the"
reenactments" (or," as" Bel" refers" to" them," without" settling" on" a" definite" term," copies" or"
quotations" of" dances)" that" are" at" the" heart" of" The! Last! Performance," The! Last!
Performance!(A!Lecture)"in"turn"takes"this"logic"of"making"explicit"a"referential"system,"a"
historical"and"discursive"context"in"which"the"work"participates,"one"step"further,"in"so"far"
as"here"an"explication"of"this"context"becomes"a"work"in"its"own"right"and"quite"literally"
takes"the"place"of"the"original"performance."Instead"of"merely"watching"a"performance,"
the" spectators" of" The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)" also" become" spectators" of" both" a"
process" and" a" context" of" making" and" watching," and" of" various" manifestations" of" this"
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178
"This"position"is"also"taken"up"by"Bel"in"A!Spectator."
100"
"
process,"i.e."of"the"lecture"performance"itself"but"also"of"the"documentation"of"The!Last!
Performance." The" first" video" excerpt" from" the" performance" that" Bel" shows" is" of" two"
consecutive"reenactments,"the"first"one"by"dancer"Claire"Haenni,"the"second"one"by"Bel"
himself,"of"Linke’s"Wandlung."The"second"clip"is"from"later"in"the"performance,"when"the"
spectators" have" already" seen" each" performer" reenact" the" dance." It" is" the" final"
reenactment"in"The!Last!Performance,"but"this"time,"the"dancer"reenacting"the"dance"is"
hidden"behind"a"black"sheet"that"two"other"dancers"are"holding,"moving"along"with"the"
dancer," but" concealing" his" dance" from" the" gazes" of" the" spectators" (who" can" only"
occasionally"catch"glimpses"on"the"side"of"the"sheet)."Bel"comments:"
"
We" clearly" see" the" strategy" function." It’s" very" simple." We" take" away" the" model," the"
figure"of"identification,"in"other"words,"the"dancer"or"the"actor."“Ich"bin"nicht"Susanne"
Linke”." We" take" him" away." He’s" hidden" behind" the" curtain." What" remains?" The"
Spectator."[...]"The"idea"with"this"strategy"of"hiding"Susanne"Linke"was"to"reactivate"the"
spectator." My" idea" was," the" spectator" sees" the" first" part" four" times" the" same" dance."
Here,"we"offer"it"once"again,"but"it’s"taken"out"of"sight."We"just"see"small"clues"on"the"
sides."We"have"the"same"music."My"idea"was"for"you"spectators"[now]"to"interpret"the"
dance."In"other"words,"to"reconstruct"it"mentally."I"don’t"ask"you"to"dance"it"but"to"try"
to" remember" it." And" therefore" to" perform" it." To" be" more" active." I" don’t" know" if" it"
worked"but"it"was"quite"interesting."[...]"Therefore,"as"I"said"before"identifying"myself"
with"the"spectator."I"had"abandoned"my"prerogatives"as"a"choreographer"to"position"
myself"as"a"spectator."With"this"setUup"I"ask"the"spectator"to"become"a"choreographer,"
to"reconstruct"this"dance."We"clearly"see"there"is"an"exchange"of"functions."(Bel"2004)"
"
Bel" speaks" of" this" “exchange" of" functions”" in" terms" of" an" “activation”" of" the"
spectator." In" a" schematic" comparison" of" Brecht" and" Artaud," Rancière" identifies" two"
opposing"“attitudes”"with"regard"to"the"idea"of"an"activation"of"the"spectator:"
"
Such"are"the"basic"attitudes"encapsulated"in"Brecht’s"epic"theatre"and"Artaud’s"theatre"
of" cruelty." For" one," the" spectator" must" be" allowed" some" distance;" for" the" other," he"
must" forego" any" distance." For" one," he" must" refine" his" gaze," while" for" the" other," he"
must" abdicate" the" very" position" of" viewer." Modern" attempts" to" reform" theatre" have"
constantly" oscillated" between" these" two" poles" of" distanced" investigation" and" vital"
participation,"when"not"combining"their"principles"and"their"effects."(Rancière"2009:"4U
5)"
"
There"is"a"distancing"involved"in"the"strategy"that"Bel"describes,"but"this"distancing"
does" not" invite" the" spectator" to" become" a" “scientific" investigator" or" experimenter”" (4),"
but,"in"Bel’s"words,"to"“become"a"choreographer”,"i.e."to"take"Bel’s"position,"while"he"in"

101"
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his"account"has"already"taken"the"position"of"spectator."Bel"therefore"asks"nothing"else"of"
the" spectator" but" what," according" to" Rancière," any" spectator" always" already" does," i.e."
composing"his"or"her"“own"poem”,"or,"in"this"case"more"specifically,"his"or"her"own"dance."
Because" Bel" speaks" of" a" strategy" he" employs," we" can" assume" that" with" this" strategy" he"
aims" to" elicit" a" specific" response" or," more" accurately," to" facilitate" a" certain" kind" of"
engagement"that"the"spectator"should"have"with"his"work"–"in"Rancière’s"terms,"he"hopes"
to"produce"a"specific"“effect”."Rancière,"however,"also"speaks"of"“attitudes”."This"choice"
of"words"is"relevant"because"it"leaves"open"how"(and"if"at"all)"a"specific"attitude"actually"
manifests"in"the"performance"itself."If"we"accept"the"premise"that"a"dissociation"of"cause"
and"effect"occurs"whenever"a"performance"work"meets"an"audience,"can"a"critique"of"an"
“attitude”" ever" be" translated" into" a" critique" of" an" aesthetic" practice" that" supposedly"
expresses"this"attitude?"In"the"case"of"The!Last!Performance,"we"only"know"of"the"specific"
effects" that" Bel" had" hoped" to" produce" through" his" account" in" the" lecture" performance"
about" this" performance." This" lecture" performance," however," does" not" aim" to" replicate"
these"effects."That"he"lets"the"spectators"in"on"what"he"had"hoped"to"achieve"in"The!Last!
Performance" does" not" mean" that" Bel" gives" them" any" indication" about" how" to" read" this"
other" performance," the" one" they" are" actually" watching." Nevertheless," it" is" relevant" that"
the" performance" they" are" watching" is" about" and" contains" video" documentation" of"
another" performance" and" that" the" spectators" are" also" asked" to" engage" with" that"
performance"via"the"documentation"and"Bel’s"account."
So"what"is"the"status"of"the"documentation"in"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)?"Bel"
uses"it"to"illustrate"the"points"he"makes"about"the"performance,"thus"very"much"following"
the" conventions" of" the" lecture" format" he" is" using." This" means" that" what" he" shows," the"
video,"will"be"read"against"and"compared"to"what"he"says"about"the"performance,"and"we"
have" to" assume" that" his" aim" is" to" produce" evidence," which" Peters," as" quoted" before,"
describes"as"“the"event"of"a"synchronisation"between"showing"and"understanding"that"is"
experienced"as"the"presence"of"that"which"is"to"be"shown”"(Peters"2007:"38)."However,"it"
seems" appropriate" to" assume" that" the" spectators" at" this" point" are" looking" at" least" as"
much" for" why" this" effect" that" Bel" had" hoped" for" has" not" been" achieved" in" the"
performance"itself,"i.e."for"why"he"feels"the"need"to"supplement"the"performance"with"his"
explanations,"as"they"are"looking"to"reconstruct"the"effect"he"is"talking"about,"i.e."to"have"
or" comprehend" the" experience" that" Bel" intended" for" the" audience" of" the" original"
performance." Furthermore," at" several" points" throughout" The! Last! Performance! (A!
102"
"
Lecture)," Bel" stresses" the" importance" of" performance’s" liveness," with" a" repeated"
reference" to" Phelan’s" definition" of" the" ontology 179 "of" performance" as" based" on"
disappearance." What" is" of" particular" relevance" to" Bel’s" argument" is" the" question" of"
repeatability," because" he" of" course" talks" about" a" performance" consisting" of" repeated"
reenactments"of"an"existing"choreography."Other"than"Phelan,"whose"subject"is"body"art,"
Bel" thus" talks" about" a" practice" for" which" the" notion" of" repeatability" is" integral;"
choreography" implies" an" ideal" movement" that," in" each" performance," the" dancers" try" to"
actualise,"again"and"again"(Bel"speaks"of"trying"to"“produce"an"ideal"of"the"performance”)."
The"differences"between"these"actualisations,"between"each"performance,"then"have"to"
be"understood"as"deviations"from"this"ideal,"which"however"never"exists"outside"of"them."
It"is"these"differences"that"Bel"hopes"to"foreground"by"showing"various"reenactments"of"
the" same" choreography" in" one" performance;" in" The! Last! Performance," the" difference"
between" various" enactments" of" a" choreography" is" no" longer" merely" incidental," but" it"
becomes" an" intentional" gesture. 180 "And" it" is" in" these" differences" between" various"
enactments" of" a" choreography" that" Bel" sees" the" main" difference" between" live"
performance"and"“a"DVD”"–"a"video"recording"to"him"is"always"the"same,"a"performance"
always"different,"“it"will"never"happen"the"same"way"again”."But"because"his"performance"
consists"of"several"enactments"of"the"same"choreography,"the"difference"between"these"
enactments" is" translatable" to" video," and" the" spectators" of" The! Last! Performance! (A!
Lecture)!are"in"a"position"to"identify"these"differences"also"in"the"video"excerpts"that"Bel"
shows" them." Nevertheless," they" are" aware" that" Bel" has" chosen" these" excerpts," maybe"
between"various"existing"video"recordings"of"the"show,"specifically"to"illustrate"his"points."
While" the" notion" of" an" “ideal" performance”" that" Bel" evokes" implies" that" every"
actualisation" of" a" choreography" involves" an" element" of" (at" least" potential)" failure," the"
spectators" can" assume" that" Bel" has" chosen" a" video" of" a" performance" that" comes" as"
closely"as"possible"to"this"ideal;"they"are"safe"to"expect"that,"unlike"in"the"instance"of"a"
dancer"slipping"at"the"Paris"Opera"that"Bel"reenacts,"at"no"point"in"the"video"will"a"dancer"
make" a" serious" mistake." Many" people" before" Bel" have" proposed" that" performance’s"

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179
"In"the"subtitles"to"the"video,"ontology"is"mistakenly"transcribed"as"“anthology”"(Bel"2004)."
180
"If" a" performance" which" is" based" on" choreography" is" always" only" an" approximation" to" an" ideal" which"
never"manifests,"the"live"itself"has"to"be"understood"as"being"always"already"a"supplement"to"this"ideal.""
103"
"
realness"becomes"evident"in"the"performer’s"mistakes181;"Bel"arrives"at"this"conclusion"by"
way" of" another" connection" that" has" often" been" made" with" regard" to" performance’s"
liveness:" that" between" theatre" and" death." Bel" explains" the" audience’s" fascination" with"
theatre"(in"contrast"to"other"art"forms)"via"Heiner"Müller’s"famous"quote"as"being"based"
on" the" possibility" that" an" actor" might" actually" die" on" stage.182"The" mistake" for" him" is" a"
variation"of"this"“potential"death”"(Bel"2004)."This"emphasis"on"the"possibility"of"mistakes"
and"the"death"of"the"actor"I"think"is"striking"in"the"context"of"Bel’s"lecture"performance"
because," although" the" performance" explicitly" concerns" his" authorial" intentions," he" here"
identifies" something" as" constitutive" for" the" audience’s" fascination" with" performance"
which" lies" completely" outside" of" the" reach" of" these" intentions" –" both" because" it" is"
generally" against" the" intentions" to" make" a" mistake" (although," as" I" have" tried" to" outline,"
Bel"aims"to"foreground"the"differences"between"various"enactments"of"a"choreography"–"
the" repeated" “failure" to" become" Susanne" Linke”" –" in" his" performance)" and" because" he"
speaks"of"generic"qualities"of"theatre"and"performance,"i.e."of"something"that"is"true"for"
every"performance"regardless"of"the"piece’s"specific"concerns."“For"instance,"If"I"were"to"
die" now”," he" says" in" The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)," “it" would" obviously" be" the" best"
performance"you"have"ever"seen."Wouldn’t"it?”"(Bel"2004)."If"it"were,"however,"it"would"
have"nothing"to"do"with"the"performance"as"it"was"conceived"or"imagined."If"we"follow"
Bel’s" proposition," this" means" that" because" of" the" contingencies" of" a" live" situation," the"
authorial"intentions"are"always"already"suspended"in"performance."What"does"this"mean"
then"for"Bel’s"decision"to"show"video"excerpts"of"the"original"performance"in"this"lecture"
performance,"to"supplement"the"performance"not"only"with"another"performance"but"to"
include"video"documentation"in"it"–"as"a"further"element"in"the"“chain"of"supplements”?"
Rather" than" constituting" an" attempt" to" gain" control" over" how" this" first" performance" is"
read," i.e." to" save" it" from" the" contingencies" of" the" live," I" propose" that" it" is" exactly" this"
reading," this" process" of" making" sense" of" the" performance," that" is" again" submitted" to"
these"contingencies:"the"spectators"are"invited"to"make"sense"of"Bel"trying"to"make"sense"
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181
"“I"know"that"I"often"talk"about"mistakes"in"performance"[...]”,"Tim"Etchells"starts"a"paragraph"of"his"essay"
‘Doing" Time’" (2009)" entitled" “Mistakes”" (in" a" footnote," the" essay" is" identified" as" a" script" to" a" lecture"
performance,"but"there"is"no"further"indication"of"why"it"is"thus"categorised)."Etchells"describes"how"despite"
his"insistence"on"the"importance"of"the"“liveness"and"dynamic"force"(of"rupture)”"(Etchells"2009:"75)"created"
by" errors" and" mistakes," the" work" of" his" company" Forced" Entertainment," here" compared" to" a" kids’"
pantomime,"actually"aims"to"be"“very"stageUmanaged"and"on"top"of"the"game”"(75)."His"reflections"illustrate"
how"the"mistake,"if"it"becomes"an"aesthetic"feature"of"the"work,"does"not"necessarily"have"to"work"against"
the"intentionality"of"its"producers.""
182
"Lehmann"uses"the"same"quote"in!Postdramatic!Theatre:"“And"the"specificity"of"theatre"is"precisely"not"
the"presence"of"the"live"actor"but"the"presence"of"the"one"who"is"potentially"dying.”"(in"Lehmann"2006:"144)"
104"
"
of"his"performance."Thus,"it"is"not"only"the"performance"itself,"but"the"whole"process"of"
making" and" watching" the" performance," of" both" its" conception" and" reception," that" is"
opened" up" again" for" negotiation." In" addition" to" the" contingencies" of" the" live" event," the"
spectators" are" here" confronted" with" the" contingencies" of" the" processes" of" making" and"
watching,"with"different"ways"the"performance"could"have"been"or"has"been"understood,"
with"different"forms"it"could"have"taken;"in"short,"with"its"potentiality."
At"this"point,"it"needs"mentioning"that"Bel’s"main"theoretical"reference"in"reflecting"
on" the" relationship" between" spectator" and" author" in" The! Last! Performance" is" Roland"
Barthes’s" ‘The" Death" of" the" Author’" –" although" Bel" never" makes" an" explicit" connection"
between" his" reflections" on" the" potential" actual" death" of" the" performer" and" the"
metaphorical" death" that" Barthes" talks" about." The" applicability" of" Barthes’s" text" to" a"
theatre" or" performance" event" however" seems" questionable," as" Barthes" bases" his"
argument"on"qualities"specific"to"writing,"which"he"calls"“that"neutral,"composite,"oblique"
space"where"our"subject"slips"away,"the"negative"where"all"identity"is"lost,"starting"with"
the"very"identity"of"the"body"writing.”"(Barthes"1977:"142)"It"is"the"separation"from"the"
author"which"characterises"all"writing"that"allows"Barthes"to"state"that"“a"text’s"unity"lies"
not"in"its"origin"but"in"its"destination”"(148),"i.e."in"the"reader."In"his"brief"reflections"on"
Barthes’s" text," Bel" does" not" consider" this" difference" between" writing" and" performance,"
where"such"a"separation"does"not"take"place"because"even"if"the"author"(or"director"or"
choreographer)" might" not" be" present," there" is" still" the" performer" to" consider." He" does,"
however," reflect" on" the" role" of" the" performer," which" for" him" most" importantly" is"
characterised"by"an"“inalienable"subjectivity”"(Bel"2004)."He"identifies"this"subjectivity"in"
the"necessary"variations"between"the"different"reenactments"of"Linke’s"choreography"by"
different" performers" in" The! Last! Performance," in" which," each" time," this" difference"
becomes" visible" as" an" “irreducible" part”" that" “resists" transformation”" (Bel" 2004)." This"
presence" of" the" performer" for" Bel" seems" to" be" in" the" way" of" an" “activation”" of" the"
spectator:"“We"take"away"the"performer"–"what"remains"–"the"spectator”"(Bel"2004),"Bel"
says" at" one" point" in" the" lecture" performance," and" at" another" point:" “I" took" away" the"
author" to" reactivate" the" spectator”" (Bel" 2004). 183 "This" activation" to" Bel" seems" to" be"

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183
"A"statement"Bel"made"in"an"interview"with"Gerald"Siegmund"in"2002"clarifies"Bel’s"position"with"regard"
to"the"lack"of"a"distinction"between"author"and"performer"in"the"above"quotes"from"The!Last!Performance!
(A!Lecture);"Bel"here"speaks"of"the"“authorUactor's"attempt"to"disappear”"(Jérôme"Bel"2013)"U"the"actor"in"
this"case"standing"in"for"the"author"(“as"Flaubert"said"‘Emma"Bovary"is"me’,"I"can"say"‘Frédéric"Seguette"is"
me’,"the"principal"actor"in"all"my"productions"up"to"The"Show"Must"Go"On”%(Jérôme"Bel"2013)."
105"
"
synonymous" with" Barthes’s" idea" of" a" “birth" of" the" reader”," for" which," according" to"
Barthes,"the"“death"of"the"Author”"(Barthes"1977:"148)"is"the"precondition."Interestingly,"
Bel"misquotes"Barthes"here:"“That’s"why"he"[Barthes]"opposes"the"death"of"the"author"to"
the" birth" of" the" spectator.”" (Bel" 2004)" While" for" Barthes," writing’s" dissociation" from" its"
origin" is" what" brings" about" the" “death" of" the" Author”,184"in" theatre" and" performance,"
where"such"a"dissociation"does"not"take"place,"the"“birth"of"the"spectator”,"if"we"follow"
Bel’s" argument," is" something" that" needs" to" be" achieved" –" by" subtraction," by" “taking"
away”" the" author/performer. 185 "While" spectators" for" Bel" are" “coUproducers”" of" the"
performance,"it"seems"they"nevertheless"need"to"be"made"aware"of"this"role."Bel"appears"
to"insist"that"in"performance"there"are"certain"factors"(like"the"presence"of"the"performers"
in"their"“inalienable"subjectivity”)"that"prevent"the"spectators"from,"to"again"paraphrase"
Rancière," composing" their" own" performance." In" a" way," although" Bel" never" explicitly"
makes" this" connection," it" is" the" anticipation" of" an" actual" death" that" he" has" mentioned"
earlier"in"the"piece"that"stands"in"the"way"of"the"metaphorical"death"of"the"author;"which,"
in" turn," leads" Bel" to" adopt" in" his" work" the" logic" of" trying" to" subtract" the" author" via"
subtracting" the" performer," or," in" the" case" of" the" one" scene" from" The! Last! Performance"
that"he"shows"a"video"of,"the"performance"itself."This"logic"is"continued"in"another"way"in"
The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)."Again,"yet"differently,"Bel"“takes"away”"something,"this"
time"the"performance"as"a"whole,"and"substitutes"it"with"a"lecture"performance."In"doing"
this," however," he" not" only" foregrounds" the" spectators’" role" as" coUproducers" of" the" one"
performance"event,"but"enables"them,"albeit"retrospectively,"to"take"on"this"role"for"what"
I"have"described"as"the"processes"of"making"and"watching"that"surround"the"work.""
"
Make%Me%Stop%Smoking%
"
The" final" lecture" performance" I" will" discuss" in" this" chapter" is" Rabih" Mroué’s" Make!
Me! Stop! Smoking" (2006)." Like" The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)," Mroué’s" lecture"
performance"focuses"on"the"processes"of"making"performance;"like"The!Encyclopaedia!of!
Performance! Art" and" A! Spectator" it" engages" with" an" archive" or" a" selection" of" materials"
related" to" performance." Unlike" these" other" lecture" performances," however," it" does" not"
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184
"According" to" Rancière," in" contrast," distance" is" “the" normal" condition" of" any" communication”" (Rancière"
2009:"11),"i.e."there"is"always"a"dissociation"of"cause"and"effect."
185
"This"disappearance,"or"subtraction,"for"Bel"is"the"precondition"for"the"spectator,"as"Bel"goes"on"to"say,"to"
“become"aware"of"[her]"role”"which"is"that"of"“a"voyeur"with"nothing"left"to"see”"(Jérôme"Bel"2013)."
106"
"
speak" of" performances" that" have" happened;" there" is" no" finished" piece" or" body" of" work"
upon" which" the" lecture" performance" reflects" in" hindsight." The" archive" that" Mroué"
presents"in"Make!Me!Stop!Smoking!is"intended"to"provide"materials"and"ideas"for"future"
art"work,"as"Mroué"describes"early"on"in"the"performance:"
"
Since"1986,"the"year"I"started"working"in"theater"and"visual"arts,"I"have"been"collecting"
various" materials:" cut" outs" from" local" newspapers," photographs," interviews," news"
stories,"excerpts"from"television"programs,"written"ideas,"proposals"for"performances,"
objects,"press"articles"and"other"things;"material"from"the"past"and"still"waiting"to"be"
used"in"the"future."From"time"to"time,"I"return"to"this"material"to"see"if"any"of"it"can"be"
used"in"the"present;"a"piece"of"news,"an"image,"an"idea"worth"working"on"which"might"
develop"into"an"art"project"to"present"in"the"future."It"will"then"speak"of"the"present,"I"
mean," the" present" of" that" future:" material" from" the" past," as" potential" for" future"
artworks"to"talk"about"the"present."(Mroué"2012:"278)"
"
Whilst"I"have"described"how"Bel"in"The!Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)!aims"to"return"
from"a"finished"performance"to"the"process"that"led"to"it"and"thus"to"the"potentiality"of"
this"process,"Mroué"in"Make!Me!Stop!Smoking"confronts"his"audience"with"a"potentiality"
that" has" not" yet" been" realized," with" documents" that" might" be" used" in" making" a"
performance"rather"than"with"the"documentation"of"a"past"performance"or"the"“making"
of”"of"this"performance."The"archive"is"presented"as"potentiality,"as"something"that"will"
only"reveal"its"meaning"in"the"future"–"which"brings"to"mind"Derrida’s"characterization"of"
the" archive" in" Archive! Fever:" “It" is" a" question" of" the" future," the" question" of" the" future"
itself,"the"question"of"a"response,"of"a"promise"and"of"a"responsibility"for"tomorrow."The"
archive:" if" we" want" to" know" what" that" will" have" meant," we" will" only" know" in" times" to"
come.”" (Derrida" 1995:" 37)" While" in" Derrida’s" formulation" the" meaning" of" the" archive"
seems"to"be"indefinitely"deferred"into"the"future"(it"“will"have"meant”"something),"Mroué"
emphasises"this"future"as"a"present,"or"more"precisely,"he"insists"that"the"material"from"
the" archive," “from" the" past”," will" not" only" speak" about" the" past" and" what" it" “will" have"
meant”,"but"it"will"in"the"present"speak"“of"the"present”."The"question"that"this"raises"is"
whether" this" present" has" yet" arrived," or" in" other" words," whether" by" presenting" the"
archive"to"an"audience"in"Make!Me!Stop!Smoking!its!potentiality"is"realised"or"whether"it"
still"remains"to"be"realised"in"the"future."While"Mroué"uses"the"materials"in"his"archive"to"
make"his"lecture"performance,"in"this"lecture"performance"he"nevertheless"still"speaks"of"
their" potential" future" use" –" which" is" for" instance" evident" when" he" lists" the" different"
“types”"of"material"that"he"has"collected"in"his"“personal"archive”:"
107"
"
 "
After" 20" years" of" collecting" bits" and" pieces," I" can" say" that:" Today" I" possess" what"
resembles" an" archive." I" call" it:" my" personal" archive." My" personal" archive" consists" of"
four"different"types"of"collected"material:""
"
1)" Documentation" of" the" projects" I" made" and" already" presented…" All" the" papers,"
writings,"preparations,"drawings,"photographs,"etc"...""
2)" A" journalistic" archive" related" to" my" work." Everything" written" about" my" projects,"
articles,"interviews,"and"publicity."
3)"Proposals"that"I"wrote,"ideas"for"upcoming,"and"unfinished"projects."
4)" A" general," nonUpersonal" archive" from" newspapers" televisions," radio" and" other"
sources," relating" to" the" public" sphere." Part" of" this" material" I" collected" myself," while"
others"I’ve"got"them"from"friends."I’ve"worked"on"parts"of"this"material,"and"there"are"
still"parts"I’ve"no"clue"what"to"make"out"of"them.""
"
Personally,"I"am"interested"in"the"last"two"types"of"material."The"first"two"types"do"not"
interest"me"in"the"least."Maybe"because"they"relate"to"the"past."Unlike"the"other"two,"
which"relate"to"the"future?"(Mroué"2012:"279)"
"
Mroué’s"assertion"that"he"has"“no"clue”"as"yet"of"the"use"of"some"of"the"materials"in"
his" archive" implies" that" their" use" lies" outside" of" the" present" performance," that" despite"
them" being" presented" in" this" performance" their" appropriate" future" use" is" still" to" be"
discovered." On" the" other" hand," it" becomes" clear" in" the" course" of" the" performance" that"
some"of"the"projects"to"which"Mroué"here"refers"as"“upcoming”"or"“unfinished”"would"be"
more" appropriately" characterised" as" abandoned" projects," i.e." their" future" realisation"
seems"very"unlikely."He"speaks,"for"instance,"of"a"project"he"pursued"for"a"while,"which"
consisted" of" photographing" manhole" covers" in" cities" all" over" the" world," and" which" he"
abandoned"after"coming"across"a"book"in"which"this"had"already"been"done."This"in"turn"
means" that" this" lecture" performance" is" very" likely" the" only" context" in" which" these"
photographs"will"ever"be"presented"to"an"audience,"implying"that"they"have"found"their"
use"exactly"by"being"presented"in"the"context"of"this"piece.""
It"is"the"form"of"the"lecture"performance"which"allows"Mroué"to"maintain"and"play"
with"this"ambivalence:"maybe"more"than"any"other"form,"lecture"performances"oscillate"
between"being"a"product"(a"performance),"and"being"the"presentation"of"a"process"that"

108"
"
has" no" definitive" end" point.186"Peters" makes" the" following" observations" about" lecture"
performances"based"on"a"discussion"of"Le"Roy’s"Product!of!Circumstances,"but"they"can"
just" as" well" be" used" to" describe" the" ambivalent" nature" of" Mroué’s" Make! Me! Stop!
Smoking:"
"
But"while"the"lecture"performance,"in"the"sense"of"a"direct"realisation"of"an"inquiry"or"
of" the" enactment" of" a" concept" or" of" the" documentary" configuration" of" a" series" of"
rather" precarious" stations" of" artistic" experimentation" and" searching," seems" to" reject"
the"conventional"end"product,"it"simultaneously"stands"for"the"becoming"ubiquitous"of"
the"demand"for"product"and"presentation.187"(Peters"2006:"124)"
"
This" dynamic" is" also" at" work" in" Make! Me! Stop! Smoking," in" which" Mroué" presents"
materials"to"be"used"in"future"performances"and"reflects"on"how"this"process"of"archiving"
relates"to"making"work,"while"at"the"same"time"of"course"also"using"these"materials"and"
thus" turning" this" process" into" a" product," into" the" performance" that" the" audience" is"
currently"watching."This"performance,"however,"in"its"constant"reference"to"future"works,"
operates" in" the" mode" of" a" promise" of" “an" optimum" yet" to" be" achieved”188"(124)." If" we"
consider"Virno’s"description"of"the"activity"of"the"virtuoso"as"one"“[...]"which!finds!its!own!
fulfilment! (that! is,! its! own! purpose)! in! itself," without" objectifying" itself" into" an" end"
product,"without"settling"into"a"‘finished"product,’"or"into"an"object"which"would"survive"
the"performance”"(Virno"2004:"52),"then"it"could"be"argued"that"all"performances,"not"just"
lecture"performances,"to"some"extent"share"this"logic"of"a"productivity"which"is"never"fully"
resolved"in"the"performance;"in"performance,"productivity"always"appears"as"process,"yet"
this" process" necessarily" transcends" the" performance" itself." However," the" lecture"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
186
"In" an" essay" about" Mroué’s" lecture" performances" that" focuses" largely" on" his" investigation" of" images,"
Maaike" Bleeker" reflects" on" how" Mroué" invites" his" audience" into" a" “process" of" investigation”," taking" his"
performance"Who’s!Afraid!of!Representation?!(2005)!as"a"starting"point:"“In"this"performance"as"well"as"in"
his" other" lectureUperformances," Mroué" takes" the" audience" along" in" a" process" of" investigating" and"
questioning," and" demonstrates" the" potential" of" performance" for" such" an" investigation." His" lectureU
performances" are" not" merely" alternative" modes" of" accounting" for" the" results" of" his" investigations"
(alternative,"that"is,"to"a"journalistic"or"academic"mode"of"reporting)."More"than"that,"the"medium"of"the"
lectureUperformance" presents" Mroué" with" an" alternative" mode" of" producing" knowledge" [...].”" (Bleeker"
2012:"186U188)"The"production"of"knowledge"that"Bleeker"here"describes"takes"the"form"of"an"openUended"
process" in" which" the" audience" is" involved;" the" lecture" performance" is" not" only" a" presentation" of" the"
“results”"of"an"inquiry,"it"is"where"the"inquiry"takes"place."I"have"however"shown"in"the"previous"chapter"
that"this"could"be"said"of"the"performance"of"any"lecture,"and"that"lecture"performances"only"foreground"
the"potential"of"the"lecture"as"an"event"that"produces"rather"than"merely"“reports”"knowledge."
187
"“Doch" ebenso" wie" die" LectureUPerformance" im" Sinne" der" Direktumsetzung" einer" Recherche" oder" des"
Enactments"eines"Konzepts"oder"der"dokumentarischen"Zusammenstellung"einer"Reihe"von"eher"prekären"
Stationen"künstlerischen"Experimentierens"und"Suchens"das"klassische"Endprodukt"zu"verweigern"scheint,"
steht"sie"doch"im"gleichen"Zug"auch"für"das"UbiquitärUWerden"von"Produkt"und"Präsentationszwang.“""
188
"„erst"noch"zu"erzielenden"Optimums“."
109"
"
performance"form"allows"artists"to"not"only"present"the"results"of"a"process"but"to"reflect"
on" and" make" present" the" process" itself." Like" the" other" lecture" performances" I" have"
discussed"here,"Make!Me!Stop!Smoking"functions"both"as"product"and"the"deferral"of"a"
product.""
This"deferral"is,"according"to"Peters,"the"logic"of"the"business"presentation."I"wish"to"
argue,"however,"that"it"is"exactly"this"structural"resemblance"to"the"logic"of"the"business"
presentation" that" allows" Mroué" to" turn" this" logic" on" its" head." While" the" performance"
could"on"the"one"hand"be"read"as"a"“portfolio"turned"into"a"performance”"(Peters"2006:"
124)189,"it"also"presents"an"account"of"the"various"failures"and"setbacks"that"accompany"
artistic" production." As" in" the" example" of" the" photographs" of" manhole" covers," Make! Me!
Stop!Smoking"in"many"instances"speaks"(often"with"great"wit)"of"a"productivity"that"comes"
to"nothing,"that"has"no"impact,"no"outlet,"that"does"not"produce"anything."Paradoxically,"
the" performance" itself" at" the" same" time" provides" this" outlet," provides" a" space" for" this"
surplus"generated"by"failure."This"is"for"instance"evident"in"another"set"of"materials"which"
Mroué"presents"in"the"performance:"the"proposal"for"a"play"he"never"realised,"which"was"
to"be"entitled"“The"poster”,"and"which"in"turn"is"based"on"a"photograph/poster"showing"
assassinated"Lebanese"prime"minister"Harriri"standing"behind"his"son"that"was"displayed"
before"the"election"following"the"assassination."Mroué"projects"pages"from"the"proposal"
and" an" accompanying" letter" to" the" Lebanese" Ministry" of" Culture" with" which" he" had"
applied"for"funding"(23,000"US"dollars),"while"reflecting"on"the"work"he"had"intended"to"
make" (“I" still" have" this" proposal," although" I" forgot" all" its" details," and" can’t" remember"
anything"concerning"the"text."I"forgot"why"I"was"so"excited"about"it.”"(Mroué"2012:"283))"
and" on" the" proposal" itself," discarding" parts" of" it" as" “Bla" blab" la" …" nonsense" …”" (Mroué"
2012:"284),"thus"ridiculing"the"process"of"proposal"writing"(and"with"this,"one"of"the"four"
categories"he"had"identified"for"the"contents"of"his"personal"archive)."He"ends"his"account"
of" this" particular" project" as" follows:" “Four" years" after" I" submitted" the" proposal," I" was"
notified"by"the"Ministry"of"Culture"that"I"had"been"awarded"$1,000"for"having"produced"
and" presented" my" successful" play:" The! Poster," the" play" which" in" fact" I" had" neither"
produced"nor"presented."Of"course"I"kept"the"money.”"(Mroué"2012:"284)"The"absurdity"
of" this" procedure" is" evidently" amusing;" but" the" anecdote" also" raises" the" more" general"
question"of"how"to"measure"the"financial"value"of"artistic"production,"especially"if,"as"in"

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189
"“in"eine"Performance"verwandelte"[...]"Bewerbungsmappe”."
110"
"
this" case," it" produces" no" product." The" productivity" that" comes" to" nothing" is" contrasted"
with"Mroué’s"characterisation"of"the"archive"as"a"burden,"as"a"demand"to"be"productive:"
"
Every"element"of"my"archive"is"waiting"to"take"its"place"in"a"work"that"I"will"make."The"
problem," however," is" that" I" have" kept" many" things," I" don’t" know" if" I" will" live" long"
enough" to" use" them" all." It’s" depressing." The" same" feeling" I" have," each" time" I" go" to" a"
library"and"look"at"all"the"books"standing"on"the"shelves;"I"ask"myself:"How"many"life(s)"
do"I"need"in"order"to"read"all"these"books."It’s"really"depressing."(Mroué"2012:"279)"
"
Beyond"expressing"a"specific"personal"disposition,"Mroué’s"account"raises"the"more"
general" question" of" how" to" deal" with" materials" and" objects" from" the" past," and" thus"
implicitly" also" with" memory" and" history;" however," this" question" is" never" completely"
dissociated" from" the" (perhaps" only" seemingly)" more" pragmatic" question" of" how" to" use"
these"materials,"a"question"that"ultimately"concerns"the"present."Here,"Mroué’s"approach"
to" the" archive" is" similar" to" the" one" offered" in" The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art" by"
WagnerUFeiglUForschung," in" which" the" question" of" how" to" use" the" archive" is" also"
foregrounded." In" both" pieces," the" artists" reflect" on" how" to" use" an" archive" while" at" the"
same"time"presenting"one"or"many"possible"uses"of"this"archive,"thus"enacting"their"ideas"
while"developing"them"for"the"audience."This"does,"however,"not"mean"that"showing"and"
telling" merely" collapse" in" Make! Me! Stop! Smoking:" on" one" level" Mroué" simply" shows"
materials"from"his"archive"in"a"PowerPoint"presentation"whilst"telling"the"audience"about"
the" materials" and" the" process" of" using" these" materials" in" his" work;" on" another" level,"
however,"the"combination"of"showing"and"telling"constitutes"another"showing,"because"in"
it"the"process"of"making"a"work"from"archival"materials"is"enacted.""
This" is" already" evident" in" the" very" beginning" of" the" performance," where" Mroué"
contemplates"the"process"of"giving"a"title"to"a"work"and"discusses"the"relation"between"
the" work" and" its" title." “Since" I" started" doing" videos" and" performances," I" have" been"
obsessed" with" titles”" (277)" is" the" first" sentence" in" the" performance." Mroué" goes" on" to"
explain"that"at"first"the"process"of"picking"a"title"was"very"difficult"for"him,"as"he"wanted"
the" title" not" only" to" encapsulate" the" work" but" also" to" “sound" light" but" intellectual,"
beautiful" and" at" the" same" time" intelligent;" deep" and" catchy." A" title," that" is" easy" to"
memorize,"easy"on"the"ear"and"easy"on"the"tongue.”"(277)"He"describes"how"his"“relation"
with"titles"and"names"has"changed”"(277):""
"

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 I"used"to"believe,"as"we"say"in"Arabic,"a"letter"is"understood"from"its"title."It"took"me"a"
long"time"to"understand"a"title"doesn’t"have"to"be"related"to"the"work."The"moment"a"
title"or"name"is"given,"it"acquires"its"meaning,"its"dimension."[…]"With"time"I"found"a"
solution"to"this"problem:"A"list"of"good"titles."Any"phrase"or"sentence"or"words"that"I"
thought"could"make"a"good"title,"I"would"write"it"down"in"a"special"notebook."This"way,"
I" created" some" lists" of" titles" for" my" unknown" projects." Titles" of" works" I" have" no" idea"
what"they"are"yet."I"will"show"you"one"of"these"lists:"[…]."(277)"
"
And" he" goes" on" to" do" just" that:" with" one" slide" per" title" he" projects" a" long" list" of"
potential"titles"for"works,"from"Switzerland!is!no!longer!Lebanon"to"Life!is!short,!although!
the!day!is!long"to"My!wife!and!I!love!Al!Pacino,!but!she!loves!him!even!more"to"the"title"of"
the"performance"we"are"watching,"Make!Me!Stop!Smoking."Some"titles"in"the"list,"such"as"
Who’s!afraid!of!representation?,"are"titles"of"works"that"Mroué"has"actually"made"(which"
of" course" raises" the" question" whether" he" has" actually" picked" them" from" this" list" or" has"
included"them"in"the"list"retrospectively),"and"some"refer"to"the"“unfinished”"projects"he"
will"go"on"to"talk"about,"such"as"I,!the!undersigned."He"does"not"only"show"the"titles"he"
has"collected"to"be"used"for"future"projects,"and"he"does"not"only"tell"about"the"process"of"
selecting" titles." The" performance" itself" with" its" somewhat" random" title," Make! Me! Stop!
Smoking," serves" to" illustrate" further" what" Mroué" presents" through" showing" and" telling,"
i.e." that" there" is" always" another" level" on" which" the" performance" itself" exemplifies" the"
processes"described"by"Mroué.""
Mroué"presents"all"the"projects"and"materials"in"his"lecture"performance"in"a"tone"
that" combines" anecdote" and" –" often" poetic" –" reflection;" there" is," however," a"
dramaturgical" development" that" also" necessitates" a" shift" in" emphasis" from" anecdote"
towards" reflection," from" the" lightUhearted" and" humorous" tone" that" characterises" the"
beginning"of"the"piece"to"a"more"serious"tone"towards"the"end."This,"I"believe,"has"largely"
to" do" with" the" subject" matter:" in" the" beginning" of" the" performance," Mroué" talks" more"
generally" about" and" presents" materials" from" projects" he" has" done" or" intended" to" do,"
projects" that" have" remained" unfinished" or" were" abandoned," and" the" materials" he"
presents"are"often"things"he"has"made"or"texts"he"has"written"himself."Towards"the"end"
though" he" shifts" his" focus" towards" documentary" materials" that" relate" to" issues" of" the"
Lebanese"Civil"War"and"terrorism."Among"the"final"materials"shown"are"a"video"from"“the"
Mount" Lebanon" battles" that" [...]" took" place" between" the" Lebanese" Druze" and" the"
Lebanese"Maronites"in"1983”"(291),"and"the"video"testimony"of"a"female"suicide"bomber."

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 The" video" of" the" battle" presents" an" exception" to" the" materials" Mroué" shows" in"
Make!Me!Stop!Smoking."He"explains"that"he"has"come"into"the"possession"of"this"video"
because"people"have"started"giving"him"materials"to"use"in"his"work:"
"
After" I" presented" Looking! for! a! Missing! Employee" in" Beirut," a" performance" based" on"
documents" from" Lebanese" newspapers" and" in" which" I" tell" a" true" story," with" the" real"
names" of" the" people" involved," many" people" started" giving" me" actual" files" and"
documents" to" work" on." The" people" felt" that" these" were" worthwhile" topics," so" they"
collected" information" and" presented" it" to" me," to" archive" and" work" on" in" the" future."
That"is"how"I"got"my"hand"on"a"video"that"I"will"now"show"you."(291)"
"
So" while" he" was" given" the" video" as" something" “to" work" on" in" the" future”," Mroué"
never" clearly" states" his" intention" to" actually" do" so;" instead," his" concern" is" with" the"
question"of"whether"he"should"show"it"at"all:"
"
When"I"played"the"video,"I"was"shocked."I"saw"corpses"strewn"across"fields,"under"cars,"
everywhere,"piled"on"top"of"each"other;"rotting"corpses,"cut"into"pieces,"burnt,"split"in"
half,"mutilated."If"it"were"not"for"the"teeth,"we"might"not"be"able"to"identify"them"as"
human." I" watched" this" tape" once," and" was" afraid" to" go" near" it" again," but" the" images"
were" burnt" into" my" mind." Moreover," I" know" that" the" tape" is" still" at" my" house." I"
hesitated" a" lot" about" whether" I" should" show" you" this" video," so" you" may" see" how"
images"can"burn"the"eyes."I"hesitated"and"finally"decided"that"yes,"I"will"not"show"it"to"
you." This" belongs" to" my" censored" archive…" but" I" will" show" you" a" part" of" it," where" a"
group" of" Druze" militiamen" are" saluting" the" unknown" cameraman." By" the" way," the"
Druze"won"this"particular"battle."(291)"
"
When"Mroué"finally"shows"the"video"of"soldiers"preparing"for"battle,"the"audience"
will" of" course" imagine" the" violence" that" Mroué" has" described" but" has" decided" not" to"
show."So"whilst"there"is"obviously"a"process"of"framing"involved"–"the"video"is"framed"by"
Mroué’s"introductory"comments"as"well"as"by"the"performance"as"a"whole"the"audience"is"
asked"to"watch"it"as"a"historical"document,"i.e."the"criteria"for"making"sense"of"it"are"not,"
or"not"primarily,"of"an"aesthetic"nature."After"showing"the"video,"Mroué"concludes:"
"
I" have" been" collecting" material" for" 20" years." Basically," this" material" is" worthless."
Something"anyone"can"find."As"long"as"you"make"the"effort"to"collect"it"and"keep"it"for"
the" future," until" this" material" acquires" some" kind" of" value." It" could" be" a" historical,"
anthropological,"scientific"value."That"is"how"the"idea"of"the"archive"is"constituted."The"
danger" lies," I" believe," in" the" archive" becoming" the" property" of" one" side" that" can"
manipulate" it" as" it" pleases." In" the" sense" that" that" side" will" decide" what" is" worth"
archiving" and" what" is" not;" what" should" be" made" available" to" the" public," and" what"

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 shouldn’t;" what" remains" hidden," and" what" should" be" destroyed." The" archive," in" this"
sense,"is"an"authority"over"historians."
I" think" that" one" of" the" signs" of" democracy" appears" when" every" citizen," with" no"
exceptions,"will"have"the"right"to"see"all"the"contents"of"any"archive"that"belong"to"any"
side,"wherever"it"could"be."(292)"
"
Mroué" here" no" longer" speaks" of" his" personal" archive" but" of" the" archive" as" an"
instrument"of"the"state"and"a"source"of"power;"although"he"still"considers"possible"uses"of"
the" archive" (the" material" could" be" of" “historical," anthropological," scientific" value”" –"
interestingly" he" does" not" mention" art" here)," he" shifts" his" concern" towards" stressing" the"
importance"of"allowing"everyone"access"to"any"archive."He"symbolically"puts"into"practice"
this"concern"by"showing"materials"from"his"own"archive,"by"presenting"them"to"a"public"–"
especially"with"regard"to"the"video"of"the"soldiers,"for"which"he"does"not"propose"a"future"
use"in"an"art"work."More"generally,"by"showing"us"materials"he"intends"to"use"in"future"art"
works," Mroué" does" not" only" invite" us" to" witness" his" process" as" an" artist," but" he" is"
paradoxically"also"able"to"present"these"materials"as"if"they"were"not"elements"of"an"art"
work;"he"frames"them"as"potential"ingredients"of"a"work,"and"therefore"as"not"completely"
absorbed"in"the"framing"process"of"this"particular"performance."In"other"words,"they"still"
belong" to" the" “world" out" there”" with" which" lectures," according" to" Goffman," are"
concerned."I"am"referencing"Goffman"here"because"it"is"the"use"of"the"lecture"form"that"
enables"Mroué"to"present"the"materials"in"this"specific"way"–"as"part"of"an"art"work"(the"
lecture"performance)"and"as"part"of"an"archive"that"exists"independently"of"this"art"work,"
that"belongs"to"the"“world"out"there”.""
This" implies" that" Rancière’s" model" of" performance" as" a" “third" thing”" that" belongs"
neither"to"the"artist"nor"the"spectator"cannot"easily"be"applied"to"lecture"performances."If"
lecture" performances" always" present" materials" that" exist" outside" of" them" (and" all" the"
lecture" performances" I" have" discussed" in" this" chapter" do" so)," what" would" then" be" this"
“third"thing”"–"the"materials,"or"their"presentation"(the"performance)?"Nevertheless,"what"
Rancière" says" about" the" quality" of" this" “third" thing”" could" indeed" be" applied" to" the"
materials" which" Mroué" presents" in" his" lecture" performance," namely" that" they" exclude"
“any" uniform" transmission," any" identity" of" cause" and" effect”" –" not" because" of" their"
autonomy" from" context," but" because" they" cannot" be" clearly" assigned" to" a" particular"
context"(art,"history,"the"world"out"there)."In"turn"this"means"that"the"criteria"by"which"to"
make"sense"of"them"are"not"predefined."Mroué"shows"us"these"materials;"and"while"he"

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also"interprets"and"reflects"on"them"and"thereby"frames"the"showing,"the"materials"are"
also"shown"as"they"are"and"are"thus"allowed"to"speak"for"themselves."
Throughout" the" performance," Mroué" has" engaged" with" the" question" how" the"
archive," how" documents" of" the" past," can" be" used" in" future" art" works." Yet" in" the" end" of"
Make!Me!Stop!Smoking,"he"leaves"behind"this"question"and"discards"the"archive"in"favour"
of"what"he"refers"to"as"“our"daily"experiences”"(293)."At"many"times"in"his"performance,"
he"has"linked"the"desire"or"need"to"archive"to"“a"fear"of"death”"(280)"and"has"contrasted"
the" archive" with" death" (“Death" threatens" all" archival" desires”" (291))." Death" is" also" the"
subject" of" many" of" the" materials" he" presents," the" last" of" which" is" the" aforementioned"
video" testimony" of" the" martyr" Wafa’" Noureddine. 190 "What" Mroué" points" out" after"
showing"this"testimony"is"the"martyr’s"smile:""
"
One"day"I"will"do"a"work"about"the"most"beautiful"smile"I"ever"saw:"Wafa’s"Smile."
Since"in"this"world,"there"is"not"only"one"suffering"but"there"is"thousands."
There"is"not"one"memory."
There"is"not"one"experience."
There"is"not"one"war."
There"is"not"one"enemy"
There"is"not"one"friend"
There"is"not"one"confessional"
There"is"not"one"religion."
There"is"not"one"god."
There"is"neither"one"truth"nor"one"origin."
Thus,"there"is"not"one"archive."
But"there"is"only"one"death."(293)"
"
He"goes"on"to"close"his"PowerPoint"presentation,"so"that"the"projection"shows"the"
desktop"of"his"laptop;"he"then"drags"all"the"files"he"has"used"in"the"performance"into"the"
“recycle"bin”"and"empties"it.""
"
The" archive" is" not" a" diary." It" seems" that" we" collect" an" archive" to" cover" our" daily"
experiences," and" to" hide" behind" it." We" create" an" archive" of" pictures," notes," stories,"
texts,"CVs,"all"these"in"order"to"hide"our"daily"life.""
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190
"“Between"1982"and"1987,"and"beside"the"military"operations,"the"resistance"fighters"started"to"do"some"
suicide"operations"against"the"Israeli"army"which"was"still"occupying"the"south"of"Lebanon."The"fighters"used"
to"record"their"testimonies"on"VHS"tapes"just"before"they"go"to"die."The"suicide"bombers"used"to"start"their"
recorded"testimonies"with"the"same"opening"phrase:"I"am"the"comrade"martyr."In"fact"I"am"always"taken"by"
the"power"of"this"phrase:"I"am"the"martyr."It"intrigues"me"and"keeps"me"thinking"of"its"meanings."I"mean"
how"someone"could"say:"I"am"martyr"when"he"or"she"is"not"yet"dead?"And"when"we"will"be"watching"the"
video"tape,"he"or"she"will"be"a"martyr?"How"can"one"speak"about"past,"present"and"future"in"relation"to"this"
phrase:"I"am"the"martyr?”"(Mroué"2012:"292)"
115"
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 We"hide"behind"the"archive"so"no"one"sees"us"naked."
Thank"you."(293)"
"
Different"concerns"and"themes"overlap"in"the"final"part"of"the"performance."There"is"
the"cathartic"gesture"of"deleting"the"archive:"Mroué"has"used"the"archive,"and"what"we"
have"seen"was"the"work"he"has"made"from"it;"he"has"freed"himself"from"this"burden."The"
singularity" of" death," exemplified" in" the" “most" beautiful" smile”" of" the" martyr," cannot" be"
contained" in" the" archive," and," symbolically," brings" about" the" death" of" the" archive,"
exemplified"in"its"deletion.""
After" freeing" himself" from" the" archive’s" hold," Mroué" can" make" a" plea" for"
experiencing" daily" life" uncovered," or" “naked”," a" nakedness" that" is" exemplified" in" the"
naked"desktop"we"see"projected,"and"that"in"turn"exemplifies"the"singularity"not"only"of"
death," but" of" this" “daily" life”." Paradoxically," however," we," the" spectators," despite"
witnessing"the"symbolic"deletion"of"the"archive,"have"instead"become"burdened"with"the"
materials" it" contained," with" the" images" we" have" seen," with" the" words" we" have" heard."
Going"back"to"our"“daily"lives”,"we"carry"the"archive"with"us.""
"
Conclusion#
"
In" this" chapter," I" have" looked" at" how" lecture" performances" engage" with" other"
performance" work" –" with" “all" performances" ever" performed”" (The! Encyclopaedia! of!
Performance! Art)," with" a" selection" of" performances" experienced" by" one" spectator" (A!
Spectator),"with"a"single"performance"that"its"author"feels"has"been"misunderstood"(The!
Last!Performance!(A!Lecture)),"and"with"materials"collected"in"order"to"be"used"in"future"
performances" (Make! Me! Stop! Smoking)." They" are" performances" about" performances,"
performances" about" making" performance" and" performances" about" watching"
performance." That" they" are" about" something" is" important" here" because" it" means" that"
they"always"refer"to"something"outside"of"themselves,"even"if"that"something"is"another"
performance." They" are" therefore" always" in" a" way" secondary" or" supplementary" with"
regard" to" what" they" are" about" –" a" status" that" is" somewhat" at" odds" with" the" idea" of" an"
experience"of"performance"as"“primary”,"as,"to"cite"Quick"again,"“a"practice"that"appears"
to"resist"the"operation"of"representation,"of"repetition,"of"illusion,"while"somehow"being"
or"presenting"‘the"real’"itself”"(Quick"1996:"12)."This"beingUaboutUsomething"is"of"course"

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due"to"their"form"as"lecture"performances;"lectures,"too,"are"always"about"something,"are"
always"both"secondary"to"what"they"are"about"and"make"use"of"secondary"materials,"of"
documents" and" records." Lectures" and" lecture" performances" therefore" cannot" be"
understood" as" singular," isolated" events." Instead," they" establish" a" context" which" they"
explore"and"in"which"they"simultaneously"participate."For"the"lecture"performances"I"have"
discussed"in"this"chapter,"this"context"is"that"of"making"and"watching"performance."They"
participate" in" this" context" in" two" ways" –" by" being" performances," and" by" being" about"
performance."Make!Me!Stop!Smoking"is"both"a"lecture"performance"about"the"process"of"
using"archival"materials"in"performance"and"a"performance"made"from"archival"materials;"
A!Spectator"is"a"spectator’s"account"of"different"experiences"of"watching"performance"–"
an"experience"that"the"audience"is"going"through"at"the"very"same"moment"at"which"it"is"
being" related" to" them;" in" The! Last! Performance! (A! Lecture)," the" audience" is" told" that" a"
video"can"never"be"the"same"as"a"performance,"because"other"than"a"performance"it"is"
always"the"same"–"and"is"nevertheless"invited"to"watch"video"excerpts"of"the"performance"
that" this" lecture" performance" is" about;" in" The! Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art," an"
encyclopaedia" is" presented" that" might" not" exist" outside" of" this" presentation;" and" there"
are," in" all" of" these" pieces," many" more" instances" where" the" content" of" the" piece" enters"
into"a"specific,"sometimes"corresponding,"sometimes"contradictory,"relationship"with"the"
form"of"the"piece.""
These" specific" conjunctions" of" form" and" content" bring" with" them" a" number" of"
questions"that"are"negotiated"in"all"these"lecture"performances,"albeit"of"course"in"varying"
degrees"and"with"differences"in"emphasis."They"all"negotiate,"both"on"the"level"of"content"
and"of"form,"the"status"of"documentation"and"documents"in"relation"to"the"live"event,"the"
relationship" between" artistUperformer" and" spectator" (and" thus" between" making" and"
watching" performance)," and" that" between" process" and" product." These" aspects" are" of"
course" interrelated:" Because" they" have" an" outside" referent," in" this" case" other"
performances" or" their" documentation," these" lecture" performances" make" evident" that"
they" function" as" one" element" in" a" “chain" of" supplements”," thus" foregrounding" the"
supplementary"nature"of"performance"itself."Performance"documentation"here"does"not"
appear"as"something"that"contradicts"the"live"nature"of"performance,"that"turns"it"from"a"
process"in"the"present"to"a"product"representing"the"past,"but"in"contrast"documentation"
here"is"itself"shown"as"a"process,"in"the"way"that"Pearson"and"Shanks"speak"of"“secondU
order" performance" as" a" creative" process" in" the" present" and" not" as" speculation" on" past"
117"
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meaning"or"intention”"(Pearson"and"Shanks"2001:"59)."What"thus"comes"into"view"is"how"
performance"(and,"indeed,"performance"documentation)"generates"other"performances,"
something" Rebecca" Schneider" has" described" by" comparing" the" way" that" solo"
performances" influence" other" solo" performances" to" the" structure" of" call" and" response"
that"can"be"found"in"the"solo"in"jazz:"“as"an"artist"makes"a"call"and"another"responds"and"
another" responds" to" that" response" as" a" call" and" a" response" is" made" which," again,"
becomes"a"call"citing,"or"reciting,"a"response"as"call.”"(Schneider"2005:"37)"We"can"assume"
that"this"process"of"call"and"response"often"depends"on"access"to"documentation"rather"
than" on" a" live" presence" at" a" performance" event," and" WagnerUFeiglUForschung"
demonstrate" exactly" how" performance" documentation" can" be" generative" of" new"
performance"work"–"both"on"the"level"of"content,"by"presenting"their"ambitions"for"the"
EncyclopaediaUproject"to"be"used"to"inform"future"performance"work,"and"by"creating"a"
lecture"performance"almost"entirely"based"on"archival"materials."What"goes"hand"in"hand"
with"an"understanding"of"documentation"as"process"rather"than"product"is"a"shift"in"focus"
from" the" concentration" on" a" concrete" instance" of" performance" to" a" wider" context" of"
making" and" watching" performance," which" can" also" be" found" in" all" the" works" I" have"
discussed"here,"as"they"are"all"concerned"with"how"watching"becomes"making"and"how"
making" becomes" watching." In" their" performances," the" artists" constantly" shift" between"
these"positions"of"making"and"watching,"they"constantly"embody"both"of"these"functions."
This"does,"however,"not"mean"that"there"are"no"implicit"and"explicit"hierarchies"involved"
in" the" relation" between" watching" and" making." Rancière" envisions" a" symmetrical"
relationship"between"artist"and"spectator,"and"his"insistence"that"spectating"is"an"activity"
on" equal" terms" with" making" performance" seems" to" be" supported" by" the" fact" that" the"
lecture" performances" I" have" discussed" here" all" portray" the" activity" of" watching" as" the"
basis"of"making"performance"–"again,"both"on"the"level"of"content,"for"instance"in"Bel’s"
assertion" that" one" “can" only" produce" something" by" relying" on" and" referring" to" past"
knowledge”,"but"also"on"the"level"of"form,"as"all"the"performances"present"the"activity"of"
spectating"(which"according"to"Rancière"consists"of"the"activities"of"observing,"collecting,"
comparing"and"interpreting)"as"constitutive"for"their"own"existence."I"have"though"argued"
that"the"activity"of"a"spectator"“composing"her"own"poem”"is"different"to"that"of"making"
an" actual" performance:" the" “own" poem”" has" a" status" that" is" different" from" that" of" an"
actual" performance," which" Rancière" describes" as" the" “third" thing”" that" bridges" the"
distance" between" the" positions" of" making" and" watching." It" is" important" in" this" respect"
118"
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that" in" two" of" the" lecture" performances" I" have" discussed," A! Spectator" and" The!
Encyclopaedia! of! Performance! Art," the" artists" include" an" explicit" invitation" to" the"
spectators" to" repeat" what" they" have" done" (Bel" invites" the" spectators" to" themselves"
consider" their" spectatorial" experiences," Wagner" and" Feigl" want" to" make" the"
Encyclopaedia" available" to" others" for" future" use)." Does" this" invitation" constitute" an"
attempt"at"“activating”"the"spectators"otherwise"perceived"as"“passive”,"and"thus"call"into"
question"the"value"of"their"spectatorial"experience,"their"“own"poems”?"I"propose"that,"in"
contrast,"it"constitutes"an"acknowledgement"that"it"is"from"the"position"of"the"spectator"
that"these"performances"have"been"made."This"refers"to"the"fact"that"performances"can"
take" on" an" existence" which" is" independent" from" what" Pearson" and" Shanks" refer" to" as"
“past"meaning"or"intention”,"or"what"Rancière"describes"as"a"logic"of"“cause"and"effect”."
While"I"believe"that"it"is"difficult"to"maintain"that"a"performance"such"as"Burden’s"Shoot,"
which" consists" of" the" artist" being" shot" in" his" arm," can" be" considered" as" a" “third" thing”"
existing" completely" independently" of" the" artist," maybe," if" we" accept" the" premise" of" a"
“third"thing”,"the"video"of"the"performance,"presented"by"Burden"in"his"Documentation!of!
Selected! Works! 1971A1974," could" take" on" such" a" function." In" turn," this" might" also" be"
stated"for"all"the"documents"presented"in"the"lecture"performances"I"have"discussed."But"
two" arguments" against" this" proposition" come" to" mind:" Firstly," Rancière" bases" his"
conception" of" an" emancipated" spectator" on" the" premise" that" there" is" no" ontological"
difference"between"performance"and"other"art"forms,"or,"between"performance"and"its"
documentation" (an" argument" similar" to" that" of" Auslander" (Auslander" 1999," 2006))." Yet"
why" in" this" case" should" the" documents" presented" in" the" performance" and" not" the"
performance"itself"be"able"to"take"on"this"function"of"a"“third"thing”?"And"secondly,"the"
documents"are"of"course"themselves"presented"in"the"context"of"a"performance."While"I"
maintain"with"Jones"that"the"differences"between"various"encounters"with"performance"
need"to"be"acknowledged"without"privileging"either"the"live"event"or"the"document"(Jones"
1997),"what"is"more"important"here"is"that"it"is"not"their"status"as"documents"as"such"that"
allows" the" documentary" materials" presented" in" lecture" performances" to" take" on" the"
function" of" a" “third" thing”," but" the" fact" that" they" are" contextualised" within" a"
performance," that" the" performance" is" about" them," that" it" makes" them" the" object" of" an"
aesthetic"exploration;"and"that"they"remain"to"some"extent"alien"to"this"performance"in

119"
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that"they"also"belong"to"the"“world"out"there”.191""
"And" this" is" also" why" lecture" performances" do" not" participate" in" the" “explicative"
order”"that"Rancière"describes,"even"if"they"explain."If"artists"use"the"lecture"performance"
form" to" articulate" their" intentions" behind" a" project" U" whether" it" is," as" in" The! Last!
Performance!(A!Lecture),"the"past"work"that"the"lecture"performance"is"about"or,"as"in"The!
Encyclopaedia!of!Performance!Art,"the"project"that"is"just"being"presented"–"they"take"on"
the" position" of" the" lecturer" as" “someone" who" believes" personally" in" what" is" being" said"
and"takes"the"position"that"is"implied"in"the"remarks”"(Goffman"1981:"167)"–"even"if,"as"
we" are" still" operating" in" the" context" of" art," we" can" never" be" absolutely" sure" about" the"
sincerity"of"all"their"remarks."What"is"important,"however,"is"that"what"is"being"stated"can"
be"measured"against"what"is"being"presented.""
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191
"“Performance's"being"[...]"becomes"itself"through"disappearance”,"says"Phelan"(Phelan"1996:"146)."This"
may" also" imply" that" performance" is" not" simply" a" “third" thing”" but" is" instead," through" disappearing," and"
through"the"different"ways"in"which"it"remains"(following"Schneider’s"critique"of"Phelan"(Schneider"2001),"
constantly"becoming"a"third,"fourth,"fifth,"...,"thing."
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Chapter#4#
CONTEXTS#OF#ADDRESSING#AND#INSTITUTING#
#
Museum%Highlights%
“Good#afternoon,#uh,#everyone?”#
#
“Good"afternoon,"uh,"everyone?"Good"afternoon."My"name"is"Jane"Castleton,"and"I’d"
like"to"welcome"all"of"you"to"the"Philadelphia"Museum"of"Art."I’ll"be"your"guide"today"
as"we"explore"the"museum,"uh,"its"history,"and"its"collections.”"(Fraser"2005:"96)"
"
If" we" trust" the" performance" script" she" later" published," this" is" how" Andrea" Fraser"
welcomed"the"audience"to"her"performance"Museum!Highlights"in"the"West"Entrance"Hall"
of" the" Philadelphia" Museum" of" Art" on" a" series" of" afternoons" in" February" 1989." Her"
introductory"words"are"addressed"to"“whoever!appears!to!be!listening”"(96),"as"it"says"in"
what"–"even"in"the"absence"of"an"actual"stage"–"is"best"described"as"the"stage"directions"
for" the" performance." But" who" is" listening?" “Two! or! three! dozen! museum! visitors! are!
waiting! in! the! southeast! corner! of! the! visitor! reception! area;! some! are! waiting! for! a!
Contemporary!Viewpoints!Artist!Lecture!by!Andrea!Fraser;!some!are!waiting!for!one!of!the!
museum’s! many! guided! tours;! some! are! just! waiting! for! friends.”" (96)" The" audience" for"
Fraser’s"performance"is"here"described"as"a"heterogeneous"crowd;"some"people"are"there"
by" chance;" and" even" those" who" have" come" to" participate" in" a" specific" event," be" it" the"
lecture"by"Fraser"or"a"guided"tour"through"the"museum,"are"not"aware"of"the"exact"nature"
of"the"event"that"is"about"to"unfold."They"cannot"depend"on"an"introductory"text"or"stage"
directions"to"contextualise"what"is"happening,"and"they"might"or"might"not"be"aware"that"
Jane" Castleton" is" a" persona" that" Fraser" has" created" for" this" performance," and" that" they"
are" actually" encountering" Fraser" playing" the" role" of" Castleton." They" will" have" to" rely" on"
their" immediate" context" to" make" sense" of" what" they" are" witnessing" and" to" understand"
the" conventions" of" the" situation" in" which" they" find" themselves" –" in" this" case" the"

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institution" of" the" museum," where" guided" tours," as" Fraser" remarks," are" a" common"
feature.192""
I"will"get"back"to"what"this"reference"to"“making"sense"of"the"situation”"entails,"but"I"
would" first" like" to" consider" in" more" detail" this" initial" scene" of" address" in" terms" of" the"
constitution" of" a" public." Fraser’s" initial" address," “Good" afternoon," uh," everyone?”," is"
followed" by" a" question" mark" in" the" performance" text.193"This" question" mark" serves" to"
indicate" the" tone" she" uses" in" inviting" her" audience" to" gather" around" her;" she" is" making"
sure" that" “everyone”" who" might" want" to" participate" can" do" so." The" question" mark"
therefore"also"signifies"that,"at"the"outset"of"the"performance,"it"is"as"yet"unclear"who"this"
“everyone”" is" –" because" the" audience" is" still" being" assembled," but" also" because"
potentially" everyone" could" join" the" audience" of" this" public" event." Not" everyone" in" the"
reception" area" will" respond" to" this" address," but" everyone" who" does" so" in" the" next"
instance"becomes"implicated"in"it"–"“I’ll"be"your"guide"today"as"we"explore"the"museum,"
uh," its" history," and" its" collections.”" The" “we”" already" addresses" the" audience" as" a" more"
defined"group,"but"one"whose"constitution"remains"temporal"(once"“we”"have"explored"
the" museum," “we”" will" probably" go" our" separate" ways)," and" one" that" remains" open" for"
others"to"join"(other"visitors"in"the"museum"can"potentially"still"come"along"or"just"listen"
in" for" a" while)." Michael" Warner," whose" book" Publics! and! Counterpublics" will" be" an"
important" reference" throughout" this" chapter," describes" that" to" “come" into" range”" of" a"
public"address"is"all"that"is"required"for"anybody"to"become"a"member"of"a"public:"“[...]"
you"might"have"wandered"into"hearing"range"of"the"speaker’s"podium"in"a"convention"hall"
only"because"it"was"on"your"way"to"the"bathroom."No"matter:"by"coming"into"range,"you"
fulfil"the"only"entry"condition"demanded"of"a"public.”"(Warner"2002:"87U88)"Already,"each"
audience" member," “everyone”" or," more" precisely" (again" in" Fraser’s" words)" “whoever"
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192
"This" illustrates" very" nicely" the" difference" between" two" ways" of" encountering" this" performance:" as" a"
member" of" the" live" audience" or" as" a" reader" of" the" performance" script." While" the" live" audience" has" the"
context," the" readers" have" the" contextualisation" to" consider." Each" audience" has" access" to" information" the"
other"audience"cannot"access:"the"readers"get"all"the"contextualisation"as"well"as"Fraser’s"reflection"on"her"
intentions" and" some" background" information" in" the" footnotes" to" the" performance" script;" they" can,"
however," only" imagine" what" the" actual" performance" did" in" relation" to" its" audience" in" the" live" situation."
Furthermore,"they"are"unable"to"see"the"places"that"Fraser’s"text"refers"to"as"they"read"it."I"will"reflect"on"
these"different"ways"of"accessing"the"performance"at"various"points"in"my"discussion"of"Museum!Highlights.""
193
"The"“uh”"that"is"interjected"here,"and"at"various"other"points"throughout"Fraser’s"text,"signifies"that"her"
mode"of"delivery"could"be"described"as"“freshUtalk"illusion”"(Goffman"1981:"172),"i.e."the"text"is"memorised"
but" meant" to" appear" improvised." Shannon" Jackson" describes" Fraser’s" initial" address" in" her" book" Social!
Works" as" “mimicking" the" conventional" welcoming" gesture”:" “The" opening" lines" of" Museum! Highlights"
present"Jane’s"attempts"to"establish"herself,"mimicking"the"conventional"welcoming"gesture"with"a"touch"of"
insecurity."Fraser’s"text"includes"the"‘uh’s’"that"show"Jane"reUgathering"her"poise,"including"a"question"mark"
after"‘everyone?’"to"show"a"bit"of"uncertainty"as"to"the"positioning"of"her"addressee.”"(Jackson"2011:"119)."
122"
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appears"to"be"listening”,"is"implicated"as"belonging"to"a"public"that"has"been"constituted"
temporarily." The" negotiation" of" the" terms" of" this" belonging" is" central" to" Fraser’s"
performance,"and,"as"“we”"will"see"(even"as"readers"of"the"performance"text),"it"is"carried"
out"on"the"level"of"the"relationship"that"is"established"in"the"performance"between"Fraser"
and"the"audience,"rather"than"being"explicitly"thematised."For"Warner,"a"public"“exists"by!
virtue!of!being!addressed”"(67)."Curiously,"the"address"both"presupposes"and"establishes"
this"public"(Warner"speaks"of"a"“kind"of"chickenUandUegg"circularity”"(67)):"“A"public"might"
be"real"and"efficacious,"but"its"reality"lies"in"just"this"reflexivity"by"which"an"addressable"
object"is"conjured"into"being"in"order"to"enable"the"very"discourse"that"gives"it"existence.”"
(67)" The" public" is" “conjured" into" being”" by" being" addressed" as" if" it" already" existed." Its"
members,"“whoever"appears"to"be"listening”,"become"members"by"being"addressed"as"if"
they"already"belonged"to"it."If"a"public"is"made"up"of"“whoever"appears"to"be"listening”,"
this"listening"(or"other"forms"of"attention)"are"required"for"the"public"to"come"into"being:"
"
Most" social" classes" and" groups" are" understood" to" encompass" their" members" all" the"
time,"no"matter"what."A"nation,"for"example,"includes"its"members"whether"they"are"
awake" or" asleep," sober" or" drunk," sane" or" deranged," alert" or" comatose." Publics" are"
different." Because" a" public" exists" only" by" virtue" of" address," it" must" predicate" some"
degree"of"attention,"however"notional,"from"its"members."(87)"
"
The" attention," as" Warner" says," can" be" “notional”," he" for" instance" mentions" the"
example" of" an" audience" member" falling" asleep" at" the" ballet" (87);" and" the" address," too,"
can" be" implicit," it" does" not" have" to" be" a" “Good" afternoon," uh," everyone?”" Once" the"
address" is" met" with" attention," the" heterogeneous" crowd" of" “whoever" appears" to" be"
listening”"constitutes"itself"as"a"public."It"does"so"as"a"“relation!among!strangers”"(74):"“A"
public"sets"its"boundaries"and"its"organization"by"its"own"discourse"rather"than"by"external"
frameworks"only"if"it"openly"addresses"people"who"are"identified"primarily"through"their"
participation"in"the"discourse"and"who"therefore"cannot"be"known"in"advance.”"(74)"And"
that" it" does" so" by" itself" is," according" to" Warner," another" characteristic" of" the" public:" “A!
public!is!selfAorganized”"(67)."This"quality"of"publics"is"important"to"Warner"because"it"is"
only"in"their"selfUorganisation"that"publics"appear"as"“sovereign"with"respect"to"the"state”"

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(68)." In" Warner’s" conception," a" public" constitutes" itself" independently" of" institutions.194"
Fraser,"in"contrast,"calls"into"question"the"possibility"of"such"an"independence195.""
For" Fraser," because" it" is" “internalized," embodied," and" performed" by" people”" (in"
Jackson"2011:"124),"there"can"never"be"an"“outside”"of"the"institution:"“So"if"there"is"no"
outside" for" us," it" is" not" because" the" institution" is" perfectly" closed," or" exists" as" an"
apparatus" in" a" ‘totally" administered" society’" or" has" grown" allUencompassing" in" size" and"
scope." It" is" because" the" institution" is" inside" of" us," and" we" can’t" get" outside" ourselves.”"
(124)"In"his"essay"‘Instituent"Practices:"Fleeing,"Instituting,"Transforming’,"Gerald"Raunig"
comments"on"the"limitations"of"Fraser’s"conception"of"the"institution:"
"
Although" there" seems" to" be" an" echo" of" Foucault’s" concept" of" selfUgovernment" here,"
there" is" no" indication" of" forms" of" escaping," shifting," transforming." Whereas" for"
Foucault"the"critical"attitude"appears"simultaneously"as"‘partner’"and"as"‘adversary’"of"
the"arts"of"governing,"the"second"part"of"this"specific"ambivalence"vanishes"in"Fraser’s"
account,"yielding"to"a"discursive"selfUlimitation"that"barely"permits"reflection"on"one’s"
own"enclosure."(Raunig"2009:"6)""
"
What"is"the"way"out"of"what"Raunig"here"rightly"characterises"as"a"“discursive"selfU
limitation”?"I"will"argue"in"this"chapter"that"it"is"by"looking"at"how"the"relation"between"
institutions"(which"according"to"Fraser"do"not"allow"for"an"outside"position)"and"publics"
(which" according" to" Warner" constitute" themselves" independently" of" institutions)" is"
negotiated" in" lecture" performance" work" that" such" a" way" out" can" be" imagined." Lecture"
performances" always" address" (and" through" this" address" constitute)" a" public," and" while"
they" are" often" situated" in" specific" institutional" contexts," they" are" hardly" ever" limited" to"
one"such"context"but"instead"are"shifting"between"contexts"(most"obviously"between"art"
and"academia)."Therefore,"in"what"follows,"I"will"look"at"how"lecture"performances"both"
participate"in"and"create"different"institutional"contexts,"and"at"how"they"both"participate"
in"and"create"different"kinds"of"publics.""
"
"
"

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194
"“A"public"organizes"itself"independently"of"state"institutions,"laws,"formal"frameworks"of"citizenship,"or"
preUexisting"institutions"such"as"the"church.”"(Warner"2002:"68)"
195
"At"least"she"does"so"in"her"writing."How" Museum!Highlights"negotiates"its"relation"to"the"institution"is"
one"focus"of"the"following"discussion"of"the"piece."
"
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Unsuspecting#Publics#
"
Fraser"is"one"of"the"artists"that"are"commonly"referenced"in"discussions"of"lecture"
performances,"especially"in"a"visual"arts"context;"her"work"was"featured"in"the"two"lecture"
exhibition"projects"I"mentioned"in"the"introduction"to"this"thesis,"the"Lecture!Performance"
exhibition" at" Kölnischer" Kunstverein" and" the" exhibition" A! Short! History! of! Performance!
Part!II:!The!Lecture!as!a!Work!of!Art"at"London’s"Whitechapel"Gallery."In"the"catalogue"to"
the" Whitechapel" exhibition," Museum! Highlights" is" introduced" as" the" piece" on" which"
Fraser’s"prominence"as"an"artist"is"based:"
"
Fraser" came" to" prominence" with" her" mischievous" Gallery" Highlights" [sic!]," 1989," a"
guided" tour" of" Philadelphia" Museum" of" Art." Presenting" herself" as" the" prim" gallery"
guide"Ms"Castleton,"the"artist"led"an"unsuspecting"public"around"the"building."Speaking"
with" an" air" of" authority" she" mused" on" art" in" grand" hyperbolic" statements," but"
concentrated" on" peripheral" areas" such" as" the" museum’s" canteen" rather" than" its"
collection."[...]"Enshrouded"with"the"vaguely"neurotic"assertion"from"Ms."Castleton"that"
she"was"indeed"a"qualified"guide,"Fraser"constructed"the"talk"using"the"museum’s"own"
public" information" as" a" source," augmenting" it" with" references" to" other" 19th" century"
institutions," such" as" prisons" and" poorhouses;" and" incorporating" references" to" class,"
sexual" and" cultural" difference" that" are" generally" elided" by" official" histories."
(Whitechapel"2003:"20)"
"
What"I"find"interesting"in"this"account"of"Museum!Highlights,"beyond"its"description"
of" some" of" the" main" features" of" the" performance," is" the" characterisation" of" the" piece’s"
audience" as" an" “unsuspecting" public”." It" is" congruent" with" Fraser’s" own" account" in" the"
stage"directions"and"footnotes"to"the"performance"text."In"this"account,"as"I"have"quoted"
above," Fraser" too" points" out" that," at" the" beginning" of" the" performance," audience"
members"of"Museum!Highlights"had"different"expectations"of"what"that"event"would"be,"
even" if" they" had" come" to" participate" in" the" event" that" was" advertised." This" means" that"
they"were"indeed"“unsuspecting”,"or,"in"other"words,"that"Fraser"assembled"the"audience"
of"Museum!Highlights"under"false"pretences."In"contrast"to"this"“unsuspecting"public”,"the"
readers"of"the"footnoted"performance"text"are"immediately"made"accomplices"to"Fraser’s"
plan;" they" encounter" Museum! Highlights" as" the" piece" in" which" Fraser" pretends" to" be" a"
museum"guide"to"an"“unsuspecting"public”,"i.e."they"are"not"included"in"Fraser’s"address,"
or,"to"be"more"precise,"they"are"addressed"in"the"stage"directions"and"footnotes"but"not"
in" the" “Good" afternoon," uh," everyone?”" This" also" implies" that" the" readers" of" the"

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performance" text" do" not" have" to" negotiate" their" relationship" towards" the" piece" in" the"
same" way" as" the" assembled" audience," i.e." they" do" not" have" to" negotiate" a" position"
towards"the"institution"on"behalf"of"which"Fraser"addresses"her"audience,"and"they"do"not"
have" to" negotiate" the" question" of" belonging" to" the" public" that" is" constituted" in" Fraser’s"
address" in" the" same" way." This," however," is" what" the" audience" of" Museum! Highlights" is"
asked" to" do." From" the" perspective" of" “being" in" the" know”" that" is" the" position" of" the"
reader"it"is"very"difficult"to"guess"at"what"point"(and"it"will"not"always"be"the"same"point"
for" everyone)" the" “unsuspecting" public”" (if" its" members" ever" really" were" unsuspecting)"
leaves"behind"the"status"of"being"“unsuspecting”"and"enters"into"a"different"relationship"
with"what"is"happening.""
As"the"tour"unfolds,"the"audience"members"will"become"aware"that"what"they"are"
witnessing" is" not" a" generic" guided" tour" but" a" work" of" art" in" itself," that" they" are" indeed"
participants"in"a"performance"piece."They"will"do"so"because"there"are"indications"in"the"
piece"that"what"Fraser/Castleton"says"and"does"cannot"to"be"taken"at"face"value."In"this"
guided" tour" spectators" are" asked" to" consider" functional" or" architectural" parts" of" the"
museum"–"such"as,"for"instance,"its"cafeteria"–"with"the"same"kind"of"attention"that"would"
otherwise"be"devoted"to"artworks"on"such"an"occasion."That"the"event"is"a"performance"
will"therefore"probably"be"the"most"plausible"explanation"for"what"they"are"seeing;"after"
all," they" are" in" a" museum." How" will" this" understanding" affect" their" perception" of" the"
work?"How"will"it"have"changed"from"when"they"still"might"have"thought"they"were"going"
along"on"a"conventional"guided"tour?""
What"is"important"is"that"the"audience"is"addressed"throughout"as"the"audience"of"a"
museum" tour" U" despite" the" audience’s" possible" comprehension" of" the" event’s" actual"
nature" as" a" piece" of" performance," and" despite" the" possible" realisation" that" there" are"
elements"of"fiction"involved"(even"if"the"audience"members"do"not"identify"Castleton"as"a"
fictional"character,"they"might"pick"up"on"the"fact"that"this"event"is"not,"or"not"only,"what"
it"claims"to"be)."Not"only"are"they"listening"to"a"fictional"character;"in"doing"so,"they,"as"an"
audience,"become"implicated"in"this"narrative,"in"this"fiction."Not"only"are"they"watching"
Fraser" play" the" role" of" Castleton," in" doing" so," they" themselves" are" given" a" role" to" play,"
that" of" the" museum" patron," of" the" art" lover," in" a" crowd" of" other" likeminded" people"
attending"a"guided"tour.""
In" a" footnote" to" the" performance" text," Fraser" describes" the" role" of" the" guide" in"
relation"to"its"audience"as"follows:"
126"
"
 "
Providing" the" services" of" a" guide" in" the" galleries" and" at" the" information" desk," a"
volunteer" docent" is" not" just" someone" who" gives" tours" for" a" small" percentage" of" the"
museum’s" visitors;" she" is" the" museum’s" representative." Unlike" the" members" of" the"
museum’s" nonprofessional" maintenance," security," and" gift" shop" staff" whom" visitors"
come" in" contact" with," the" docent" is" a" figure" of" identification" for" the" primarily" white,"
middleclass"audience."(Fraser"2005:"110)"
"
The"relation"of"identification"(which"Fraser"here"ascribes"to"the"factors"of"class"and"
race)" is" enacted" again" in" the" tour;" it" is" implicit" in" the" way" that" Fraser" addresses" her"
audience"–"as"(what"she"conceives"of"as)"the"standard"audience"of"a"museum"tour."Fraser"
insists" that" she/Castleton" speaks" as" a" representative" of" the" institution" of" the" museum,"
and"her"address"to"the"audience"seems"to"follow"a"logic"different"to"the"one"ascribed"to"
the" address" by" Warner." Whereas" Warner" focuses" on" the" inclusive" nature" of" public"
address" (“A" public" is" always" in" excess" of" its" known" social" basis.”" (Warner" 2002:" 74)),"
Fraser’s" address" serves" to" illustrate" the" homogenising" function" of" any" address," the"
element"of"normativity"in"the"takingUforUgranted"of"certain"characteristics"of"the"assumed"
public" that" is" being" addressed." Rather" than" emphatically" inviting" her" audience" to"
participate" in" the" “poetic" world" making”" (114)" that" characterises" a" public" according" to"
Warner," Fraser’s" address" offers" a" forum" for" a" critical" reflection" on" the" makeUup" of" the"
assembled" or" assumed" audience" that" the" specific" institution" she" operates" in," the"
museum,"invites."
In" (implicitly)" asking" for" the" complicity" of" her" audience" in" going" along" with" the"
fictional" premise" of" her" performance," Fraser" draws" attention" to" the" parameters" within"
which" the" institution" of" the" museum" functions," and," on" another" level," invites" the"
audience" to" reflect" on" the" relations" that" they" participate" in" reproducing." Because" she"
poses" as" a" fictional" representative" of" the" museum," Fraser’s" position" towards" the"
institution"is"never"explicated"in"the"performance"itself."I"will"in"the"following"describe"in"
more" detail" the" position" that" Fraser" assumes" by" playing" Castleton," but" for" now" I" would"
like"to"propose"that"the"reaction"that"Fraser"hopes"to"produce"is"actually"one"in"which"the"
audience"members"question"Castleton’s"position."This"means"a"reaction"in"which"they"do"
not,"or"at"least"not"fully,"identify"with"how"they"are"being"addressed,"or"one"in"which"they"
at"least"become"aware"of"the"implications"of"their"identification"with"this"address.""
That" no" single" person" can" fully" identify" with" the" “object" of" address”," however," is,"
according"to"Warner,"a"characteristic"of"all"public"speech:"
127"
"
 "
It"isn’t"just"that"we"are"addressed"in"public"as"certain"kinds"of"persons"or"that"we"might"
not"want"to"identify"as"that"person"(though"this"is"often"enough"the"case,"as"when"the"
public" is" addressed" as" heterosexual," or" white," or" sportsUminded," or" American)." We"
haven’t"been"misidentified,"exactly."It"seems"more"to"the"point"to"say"that"publics"are"
different" from" persons," that" the" address" of" public" rhetoric" is" never" going" to" be" the"
same"as"address"to"actual"persons,"and"that"our"partial"nonidentity"with"the"object"of"
address" in" public" speech" seems" to" be" part" of" what" it" means" to" regard" something" as"
public"speech."(78)"
"
If"toUnotUfeelUfullyUspokenUfor"in"an"instance"of"public"speech"is"actually"a"condition"
of" our" understanding" an" address" as" public," what" does" this" mean" for" the" address" to" an"
“unsuspecting" public”" in" Museum! Highlights," the" address" to" a" public" assembled" under"
false"pretences?""
Firstly,"the"element"of"“nonidentity”"is"here"also"introduced"on"the"level"of"address"
rather"than"only"on"the"level"of"the"addressee,"and"it"is"this"nonUidentity"that"might"lead"
the"“unsuspecting”"audience"to"question"the"nature"of"the"event."I"here"do"not"only"mean"
the"nonidentity"that"is"introduced"through"Fraser’s"acting"(which"Jackson"reads"in"terms"
of"Brechtian"techniques"of"Verfremdung!(Jackson"2011:"121U3)),"but"also"the"fact"that"the"
guided" tour" itself" is" “both" typical" and" unusual”" (117)" in" incorporating" elements" both"
familiar" and" strange." Once" they" are" no" longer" “unsuspecting”," this" nonidentity" on" the"
level" of" address" invites" the" audience" members" to" take" on" a" double" role:" that" of" being"
audience" members" in" a" performance" and" of" going" along" with" the" fictional" premise" of"
being"audience"members"in"a"guided"tour,"a"double"role"that"requires"constant"shifts"of"
perception"and"attention."And"if"by"giving"our"attention"to"a"public"address"we"become"
part"of"a"public"that"only"constitutes"itself"through"this"attention,"then"one"could"say"that"
the" audience" members" in"Museum! Highlights" shift" between" two" different" publics." Their"
mode"of"identification"or"nonUidentification"with"these"publics"can"thus"not"be"described"
in" terms" of" the" “partial" nonUidentity" with" the" object" of" address”" that" Warner" speaks"
about," because," while" they" might" be" able" to" shift" their" attention," they" cannot" not" pay"
attention"to"one"of"these"addresses."This"means"that"they"cannot"only"belong"to"one"of"
these"publics,"and"they"cannot"consider"themselves"identical"or"not"or"partially"identical"
with" the" object" of" only" one" of" these" addresses." They" have" to" remain" to" some" extent"
complicit"with"the"fictional"premise"of"the"performance;"they"can,"of"course,"choose"not"
to" play" the" role" they" have" been" given," or" play" it" halfUheartedly" or" reluctantly," but" they"

128"
"
have"to"play"the"audience"of"a"guided"tour"if"they"want"to"witness"the"performance"piece."
They"have"to"participate"in"two"publics"at"once"–"that"is,"if"they"leave"behind"their"status"
of"being"“unsuspecting”."
"
Distinctions#
#
This" ambiguity" of" the" positions" of" both" speaker" and" audience" also" means" that"
Fraser’s" approach" in" Museum! Highlights" is" very" uncharacteristic" of" how" lectures" (or"
guided"tours,"a"distinction"I"will"return"to)"are"commonly"targeted"at"an"audience."I"have"
mentioned" in" chapter" 2" the" three" “functions”" that" the" speaker" in" a" lecture" performs"
according" to" Goffman:" that" of" the" “animator”," “author”" and" “principal”." It" “is"
characteristic" of" lectures" (in" the" sense" of" common" to" them" and" important" for" them)”,"
Goffman"goes"on"to"explain,"“that"animator,"author"and"principal"are"the"same"person.”"
(Goffman"1981:"167)"It"is"because"she"combines"these"three"functions"that"the"speaker"is"
“assumed" to" have" ‘authority’”," an" authority" that" Goffman" defines" as" “intellectual," as"
opposed" to" institutional”" (167)." Goffman" does" not" further" explicate" this" distinction," but"
goes"on"to"say"that"“By"virtue"of"reputation"or"office,"he"is"assumed"to"have"knowledge"
and"experience"in"textual"matters,"and"of"this"considerably"more"than"that"possessed"by"
the"audience.”"(167)""
Reputation"and"the"office"a"person"holds"are,"however,"not"intellectual"categories,"
and"it"is"in"this"contradiction"that"it"becomes"evident"that"the"institutional"frame"not"only"
plays" a" role" in" establishing" the" authority" of" a" speaker," but," moreover," that" no" clear"
distinction" can" be" made" between" how" institutional" and" intellectual" factors" affect" the"
perceived"authority"of"the"speaker."That"a"speaker"combines"the"three"functions"outlined"
by"Goffman"is"in"itself"an"institutional"premise"of"the"lecture"form:"if,"with"Derrida,"it"is"
the" university’s" profession" to" “profess" the" truth”," then" “to" profess" the" truth”" is" always"
also"a"speaking"on"behalf"of,"in"the"name"of,"the"institution"of"the"university."The"lecture,"
Peters"argues,"is"“speech"in"the"name"of"knowledge”196"(Peters"2011:"135)."Peters"derives"
this" figure" from" Pierre" Legendre," who" writes" that" every" institution" functions" “inUtheU
nameUof”197"(in"Peters"2011:"112),"and"the"Derridian"“professer”"for"Peters"in"this"context"
is"exactly"such"a"speaking"“inUtheUnameUof”."Giving"a"lecture,"then,"can"serve"as"a"rite"of"

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196
"“Rede"im"Namen"des"Wissens“."
197
"“imUNamenUvon”."
129"
"
passage"in"the"context"of"academia,"especially"in"the"form"of"the"inaugural"lecture"(Peters"
2011:"111)."In"every"lecture"setting,"however,"there"is"an"element"of"“passing”"involved,"
of" submitting" oneself" to" the" rules" of" the" occasion," in" playing" the" roles" of," for" instance,"
“animator”," “author”" and" “principal”." In" taking" on" the" persona" of" Castleton" in" Museum!
Highlights,"Fraser"passes"as"a"museum"guide."But"it"is"only"in"not"fully"submerging"herself"
in" this" role," in" the" doubts" that" the" audience" has" about" the" authenticity" of" this" persona,"
and"subsequently"about"the"extent"to"which"the"speaker"“believes"personally"in"what"is"
being"said"and"takes"the"position"that"is"implied"in"the"remarks”"(Goffman"1981:"167)"(as"
Goffman"says"about"the"“principal”)"that"the"performance"can"be"understood"as"a"critical"
exploration"of"the"institution"of"the"art"museum."Furthermore,"it"is"not"only"the"function"
of"the"“principal”"that"Fraser"subverts,"but"also"that"of"the"“author”."Not"only"is"it"Fraser,"
not"Castleton,"who"has"authored"the"text"that"is"being"presented,"this"text"itself"is"(and"
increasingly" so" as" the" performance" goes" on)" a" montage" of" texts" from" a" large" variety" of"
sources." Fraser" incorporates" in" the" performance" text" a" number" of" quotes" that" are" only"
referenced" in" the" printed" version" of" the" text," while" in" the" performance" they" remain"
unreferenced;"these"quotes"are"taken"from,"for"instance,"museum"catalogues"and"other"
texts" about" the" museum" in" general" and" about" the" Philadelphia" Museum" of" Art" in"
particular," some" of" them" contemporary," others" historical" texts" dating" back" to" the" time"
when"the"museum"was"founded."That"these"quotes"are"not"referenced"also"means"that"
no" distinction" is" made" in" the" presentation" between" contemporary" quotes" about" the"
museum"and"those"dating"back"to,"for"instance,"the"1920s,"implying"a"continuity"in"how"
the"museum"has"been"perceived"and"how"its"role"has"been"characterised"throughout"the"
last"century."But"it"is"not"only"the"institution"of"the"museum,"but"also"other"institutions"
that"come"into"focus"in"Fraser’s"text;"there"are"numerous"references"to"institutions"that"
were"founded"in"the"city"at"the"time"of"the"museum’s"inception"–"not"only,"for"instance,"
the"library"or"the"stadium,"but"also"poorhouses"and"mental"institutions"(Fraser"2005:"98)."
What" thus" comes" into" view" is" the" role" that" these" institutions" supposedly" play" in" the"
formation"of"the"bourgeois"individual."The"means"by"which"this"formation"–"which"in"most"
of"Fraser’s"sources"is"described"as"a"process"of"education"–"is"achieved"is"the"cultivation"of"
taste198," which" in" turn" appears" as" a" disciplinary" practice." Fraser" prefaces" the" published"

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198
"“And"for"those"who"have"not"yet"cultivated"taste,"the"Museum"will"provide"a"‘training"in"taste.’”"(Fraser"
2005:" 98)" The" quote" is" taken" from" a" 1928" publication" by" The" Museum" Fund," entitled" A! Living! Museum:!
Philadelphia’s!Opportunity!for!Leadership!in!the!Field!of!Art."
130"
"
text"of"her"lecture"with"two"quotes"(which,"again,"are"only"available"to"one"audience"of"
her"piece,"i.e."the"readers,"not"the"spectators);"one"by"Philadelphia’s"thenUmayor"Harry"A."
Mackey" on" the" occasion" of" the" opening" of" the" museum" in" 1928," stating" that" “In" every"
home"in"Philadelphia,"youth"will"be"taught"to"revere"the"things"that"are"housed"here”,"the"
other"one"from"Foucault’s"Discipline!and!Punish:"“Let"us"conceive"of"places"of"punishment"
as" a" Garden" of" the" Laws" that" families" would" visit" on" Sundays" ..." a" living" lesson" in" the"
museum"of"order.”"(in"Fraser"2005:"95)"The"poorhouse"or"prison"provides"the"negative,"
the" museum" the" positive" example," but" the" lesson" to" be" learned" in" both" cases" is" one" of"
making" distinctions" (and" these" distinctions" here" take" on" the" functions" of" exclusion" and"
inclusion).""
The"final"quote"that"Fraser"incorporates"in"the"performance"text"is"again"from"1928,"
from"the"Report!of!the!Superintendent!of!Schools"by"Edwin"C."Broome,"who"characterises"
the"“appreciation"of"values”"as"“the"ability"to"distinguish”,"among"other"things,"“between"
the" worthy" and" the" unworthy," the" true" and" the" false," the" beautiful" and" the" ugly”" (in"
Fraser" 2005:" 108)." Fraser" continues" Broome’s" list" of" distinctions," without" marking" the"
passage"from"quote"to"original"text"in"the"performance"itself"(where,"as"I"have"described"
before,"the"quotes"remain"unreferenced):"
"
..." here," the" ability" to" distinguish" between" a" coat" room" and" a" rest" room," between" a"
painting" and" a" telephone," a" guard" and" a" guide;" the" ability" to" distinguish" between"
yourself" and" a" drinking" fountain," between" what" is" different" and" what" is" better" and"
objects" that" are" inside" and" those" that" are" outside;" the" ability" to" distinguish" between"
your"rights"and"your"wants,"between"what"is"good"for"you"and"what"is"good"for"society."
Well,"that’s"the"end"of"our"tour"for"today."
Thank"you"for"joining"me"and"have"a"nice"day."(110)"
"
Fraser/Castleton" here," in" her" closing" remarks," adds" an" absurd" spin" to" Broome’s"
catalogue" of" distinctions;" this" calls" into" question" the" sincerity" of" her" remarks," and" by"
extension" her" own" ability" to" make" distinctions" in" the" first" place," i.e." the" success" of" her"
attempt"to"pass"as"guide,"as"a"person"of"taste,"or,"as"she"has"put"it"towards"the"beginning"
of"the"performance,"“as"a"guest,"as"a"volunteer"–"and,"shall"I"say"–"as"an"artist”"expressing"
herself" “as" a" unique" individual”" (97)." If" contributing" to" the" formation" of" the" bourgeois"
individual" is" one" of" the" functions" of" the" museum," the" Castleton" persona" is" a"
representative"of"this"process."In"the"framework"of"the"performance,"this"establishes"an"
interesting"parallel"between"Castleton’s"attempts"to"conform"to"the"ideals"she"represents"

131"
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(“And"I"sincerely"hope"that"I"express"my"best"qualities"–"as"do"we"all,"if"I"may"say"so."That’s"
why" we’re" here.”" (97))" and" Frasers" attempts" to" pass" as" Castleton," the" museum" guide."
Fraser’s"decision"to"introduce"and"embody"a"fictional"character"thus,"in"yet"another"twist,"
puts"the"audience’s"ability"to"distinguish"to"the"test"–"between"Castleton"and"Fraser,"but"
also" between" performance" piece" and" guided" tour," between" the" speaker" (in" Goffman’s"
words)"as"“someone"who"believes"personally"in"what"is"being"said"and"takes"the"position"
that"is"implied"in"the"remarks”"and"the"performer"taking"on"this"person’s"role."What"the"
performance" thus" achieves" is" a" constant" blurring" of" distinctions" to" a" point" where" the"
complexity" of" the" situation" in" which" the" audience" find" themselves" makes" it" difficult" to"
make"any"distinction"with"certainty."One"of"the"main"theses"of"the"performance"text"–"i.e."
that"the"institution"of"the"museum"(and"the"guided"tour"in"which"it"is"presented)"teaches"
its"audience"to"make"distinctions"(to"cultivate"taste,"to"appreciate"what"is"beautiful"and"
what" not)" –" is" thus" undermined" by" the" performance" itself." This" thesis," of" course," is" not"
Fraser’s," but" it" is" taken" from" the" source" materials" that" are" incorporated" in" the" text.199"
Fraser’s"extensive"use"of"quotations"might"not"become"evident"to"her"audience,"because,"
as"most"of"these"quotations"come"from"quite"obscure"sources,"the"audience"might"not"be"
able"to"identify"them,"but"what"will"translate"nonetheless"is"the"citational"character"of"her"
speech,"the"fact"that,"on"the"surface,"it"reproduces"numerous"clichés"about"the"institution"
of"the"museum"and"its"role"in"society.""
The"role"of"the"speaker"that"Goffman"describes"as"that"of"the"“principal”"is"thus"not"
only" subverted" by" the" fact" that" Fraser" does" not" speak" as" herself," but" also," and" more"
profoundly," by" the" fact" that" her" performance" puts" a" focus" on" the" relation" between"
speaker" and" institution." In" showing" to" what" extent" a" speaker" speaks" on" behalf" of" the"
institution," Museum! Highlights" makes" evident" that" the" speech" (the" lecture," the" guided"
tour)" depends" on" the" institution’s" legitimisation" in" as" much" as" it" itself" legitimises" this"
institution,"i.e."it"shows"that"the"position"of"the"principal,"even"if"it"might"be"in"opposition"
to" the" institution," still" relies" on" this" institution’s" authorisation" and" thus" is" never" an"
autonomous" position." In" Museum! Highlights," this" aspect" is" also" linked" to" the" factors" of"
race"and"class"as"mentioned"by"Fraser"in"the"footnotes"to"the"performance"text:"not"only"
does" Fraser" take" on" the" role" of" somebody" speaking" on" behalf" of" the" institution," she"

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199
"While"in"an"academic"lecture"this"would"be"considered"unfair"practice,"that"a"museum"guide"utilises"texts"
taken" from" museum" catalogues" without" referencing" them" is" in" itself" not" necessarily" contradictory" to" the"
form"of"the"guided"tour."
132"
"
thereby"also"embodies"a"person"on"whose"behalf"the"institution"of"the"museum"has"been"
instituted.""
The"spectators"of"the"performance"have"to"decide"for"themselves"if"they"agree"with"
being"implicated"in"this"speaking,"if"they"think"they"are"being"spoken"for."To"foreground"
the"implicit"inclusion"or"exclusion"enacted"and"perpetuated"by"the"institution"through"the"
ways" it" addresses" a" public" is" one" of" Fraser’s" main" strategies" in" Museum! Highlights." In"
doing"so,"as"I"have"briefly"mentioned"above,"Fraser"invites"disagreement"with"perceived"
ideas"about"the"museum"rather"than"the"conformity"that"the"character"she"plays"seems"
to"suggest.""
"
Institutional#Critique#
"
I" have" already" mentioned" Fraser’s" prominence" in" discussions" about" the" lecture"
performance."But"it"is"as"one"of"the"main"protagonists"of"what"is"in"retrospect"labelled"the"
“second"wave”"of"institutional"critique"in"art"practice"that"she"has"achieved"her"canonical"
status" as" an" artist," a" rather" paradoxical" status" as" the" practice" of" institutional" critique" is"
itself" evidently" critical" of" “specifically" institutional" practices”" such" as" canonisation"
(Nowotny"2009:"21)."Simon"Sheikh"briefly"outlines"the"shifts"that"have"occurred"between"
the"first"and"second"“wave”"of"institutional"critique:"
"
The"very"term"‘institutional"critique’"seems"to"indicate"a"direct"connection"between"a"
method"and"an"object:"the"method"being"the"critique"and"the"object"the"institution."In"
the"first"wave"of"institutional"critique"from"the"late"1960s"and"early"1970s"–"long"since"
celebrated"and"relegated"by"art"history"–"these"terms"could"apparently"be"even"more"
concretely"and"narrowly"defined:"the"critical"method"was"an"artistic"practice,"and"the"
institution"in"question"was"the"art"institution,"mainly"the"art"museum,"but"also"galleries"
and"collections."Institutional"critique"thus"took"on"many"forms,"such"as"artistic"works"
and"interventions,"critical"writings"or"(artU)political"activism."However,"in"the"soUcalled"
second" wave," from" the" 1980s," the" institutional" framework" became" somewhat"
expanded" to" include" the" artist’s" role" (the" subject" performing" the" critique)" as"
institutionalized," as" well" as" an" investigation" into" other" institutional" spaces" (and"
practices)"besides"the"art"space."(Sheikh"2009:"29)"
"
In"‘A"Speech"On"Documenta’,"Fraser"summarises"her"practice"as"follows:"“[...]"I"think"
of" art" making" as" a" social" practice" through" which" I" attempt" to" transform" the" relations"
organized" by" the" institutions" that" authorize" my" activity.”" (Fraser" 2005:" 149)" This" selfU
characterisation" is" congruent" with" Sheikh’s" description" of" the" “second" wave”" of"
133"
"
institutional" critique" as" including" an" exploration" of" the" artist’s" own" role" within" the"
institutional"context–"as"the"“subject"performing"the"critique”."In"contrast"to"Fraser’s"later"
statement,"which"places"the"focus"on"the"impossibility"of"escape"(“the"institution"is"inside"
of"us,"and"we"can’t"get"outside"ourselves”),"the"focus"here"is"the"idea"of"a"transformation"
of" the" institution" through" the" “social" practice”" that" is" art," according" to" Fraser." What" is"
consistent"in"both"statements"is"that"Fraser"situates"her"practice"of"institutional"critique"
within" the" institution." Pierre" Bourdieu," who" has" written" the" foreword" to" the" edited"
volume"Museum!Highlights,"which"brings"together"many"of"Fraser’s"writings,"also"stresses"
Fraser’s" role" as" an" actor" within" the" institution" and" contrasts" this" approach" with" the"
“detached”"position"of"the"“analyst”:"“Unlike"the"analyst,"who"remains"detached,"remains"
a" spectator," she" puts" herself" personally" into" play" and" joins" the" action”" (Bourdieu" 2005:"
xiv)."Bourdieu’s"statement"seems"to"suggest"that"there"is"a"choice"which"position"to"take,"
that" of" a" critical" spectator" or" analyst" and" that" of" “joining" the" action”," a" choice" that"
Fraser’s" statement" about" the" institution" being" “inside" of" us”" seems" to" contradict." If" we"
look"at"the"“experimental!situation”"(xiv)"that"Fraser"sets"up"in"Museum!Highlights,"what"
is"striking"is"that,"while"there"are"of"course"also"spectators"in"this"situation,"they"cannot"
take"up"a"fully"detached"position200."That"they"cannot"do"so"is"mainly"due"to"the"mode"in"
which" Fraser" “puts" herself" personally" into" play”" in" Museum! Highlights," i.e." by" taking" on"
the" role" of" a" fictional" docent," which" in" turn," as" I" have" outlined" above," forces" the"
spectators"to"also"play"a"role,"to"also"“join"the"action”.""
Jackson," in" contrast," describes" how" this" introduction" of" a" fictional" character" could"
have"provided"a"“safety"net”"(Jackson"2011:"124)"as"it"enabled"“a"degree"of"disUidentifying"
protection," one" that" allows" both" performer" and" audience" member" to" locate" the"
institution" outside”" (124)." Consequently," as" Jackson" describes," Fraser" let" go" of" this"
fictional"element"in"subsequent"projects:"
"
If"her"own"primary"embeddedness"is"key"to"Fraser’s"exploration"of"institutions,"then"it"
also"might"shed"a"light"on"her"decision"to"drop"the"Jane"Castleton"character"for"future"
performances." Henceforth," she" decided" to" use" her" own" name" in" selfUpresentation,"

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200
"Fraser’s" position" of" “action”" takes" up" almost" heroic" proportions" in" Bourdieu’s" account:" “This"
presupposes" the" talent," but" also" the" courage," to" go" to" the" furthest" limits" of" one’s" convictions," after" the"
fashion" of" an" exemplary" prophet" who" acts" as" much" through" the" expressive" virtue" of" actions" as" through"
words.”"(Bourdieu"2005:"xiv)."While"the"opposition"that"Bourdieu"sketches"is"reminiscent"of"what"Rancière"
criticises"as"the"assumption"of"the"spectator’s"passivity,"Bourdieu"does"not"explicitly"render"the"position"of"
spectator"or"analyst"(which,"we"can"assume,"would"be"his"position)"inactive.""
134"
"
 thereby"disallowing"herself"the"modicum"of"personal"safety"that"comes"with"playing"a"
character"in"quotation"marks."(124)"
"
If" we" accept" the" premise" (characterised" by" Raunig" as" “discursive" selfUlimitation”)"
that" there" can" be" no" outside" of" the" institution," then" this" argument" is" indeed"
consequential."But"could"not,"on"the"other"hand,"a"“degree"of"disUidentifying"protection”"
actually"provide"the"way"out"of"this"predicament?"Bourdieu"describes"that"Fraser"“is"able"
[...]"to"trigger"a"social"mechanism"[...]"whose"operation"causes"the"hidden"truth"of"social"
reality" to" reveal" itself," exposing" or" calling" up" underlying" power" relationships" and"
confronting" human" agents" with" an" unblinking" view" of" what" they" are" doing.”" (Bourdieu"
2005:"xiv)"If"this"is"what"Fraser’s"work"(including"Museum!Highlights)"does,"when"does"the"
transformation"occur"that"is"–"according"to"Fraser"herself"–"a"goal"of"the"work?""
In" Museum! Highlights," Fraser" employs" a" strategy" of" overUaffirmation:" in" slightly"
exaggerating"in"her"speech"the"ideology"upon"which"the"museum"is"built"without"openly"
critiquing"it,"she"leaves"it"to"the"audience"to"identify"this"ideology"and,"consequently,"also"
leaves"the"critique"to"the"audience.201"While"“the"relations"organized"by"the"institutions"
that"authorize"[Fraser’s]"activity”"are"clearly"the"focus"of"the"work’s"enquiry,"and"in"the"
event"of"the"performance"itself"they"are"respectively"being"foregrounded,"exaggerated,"or"
parodied202,"their"transformation,"however,"seems"to"be"deferred"to"another"time."There"
is" a" danger" that" in" merely" foregrounding" “underlying" power" relationships”" they" are"
actually" being" perpetuated." I" believe" that" Museum! Highlights" avoids" this" trap" not" least"
through" the" ambiguity" that" is" introduced" by" the" fictional" element" of" the" performance,"
exactly" because" it" allows" for" a" position" of," at" least" partial," disUidentification." Recalling"
Warner’s" assessment" that" a" “partial" nonidentity" with" the" object" of" address" in" public"
speech"seems"to"be"part"of"what"it"means"to"regard"something"as"public"speech”,"I"argue"
that" it" is" this" element" of" disUidentification" in" Museum! Highlights" that" opens" up" a"
perspective" beyond" institutional" determinism," because" it" introduces" another" concept,"
that"of"the"public."There"would,"of"course,"be"other"ways"to"achieve"this"aside"from"the"

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201
"If" in" Museum! Highlights" this" exposing" is" achieved," among" other" factors," through" exaggeration," the"
element" of" exaggeration" cannot" be" identified" in" any" single" statement" Fraser/Castleton" makes" –" after" all,"
most"of"her"statements"are"quotes"or"of"a"citational"character."Rather"it"lies"in"the"excessive"use"of"similar"
statements"(which,"altogether,"seem"to"form"a"coherent"picture"of"the"museum"as"an"institution"of"learning,"
an"institution"that"enables"the"cultivation"of"taste)"and"in"the"indifference"towards"the"sources,"in"particular"
in"the"fact"that"she"does"not"distinguish"between"contemporary"quotes"and"those"dating"back"to"the"1920s.""
202
"Bourdieu"identifies"parody"as"a"strategy"in"Fraser’s"work,"his"example"being"that"“a"museum’s"security"
apparatus"is"parodically"described"in"the"language"of"aesthetic"analysis”"(Bourdieu"2005:"xiv)."
135"
"
introduction" of" a" fictional" character," but" an" element" of" the" imaginary" is" at" work" in" any"
constitution"of"a"public"–"an"idea"that"Peters"develops"on"the"basis"of"Warner’s"theory"of"
publics:"
"
Because" modern" publics" define" themselves" through" the" fact" that" they" always" also"
consist"of"members"that"do"not"know"each"other,"i.e."of"strangers,"the"imaginary"plays"
a"decisive"role"in"the"event"of"the"address."An"address"in"the"sense"of"a"public"address"
is" thus" necessarily" directed" at" a" partially" imaginary" group" whose" existence" it"
nonetheless"presupposes."If"the"invocation"that"is"implied"in"this"address"is"successful,"
the" presupposition" seems" to" confirm" itself" even" though" the" respective" public" only"
constitutes"itself"in"the"performance"of"this"address."The"public"that"is"presupposed"in"
an"address"only"comes"into"being"once"the"addressees"feel"spoken"for"as"members"of"
this"public,"which"starts"up"a"circulation"of"the"imaginary."(Peters"2011:"189U190)203"
"
Peters" demonstrates" how," in" this" “circulation" of" the" imaginary”," new" kinds" of"
publics"cannot"only"be"imagined"but"also"tested;"she"describes"how"lecture"performances"
can"utilize"the"function"of"the"address"for"the"temporary"constitution"of"what"she"refers"
to"as"“improbable"assemblies”"(187)204."This,"of"course,"goes"beyond"what"Fraser"does"in"
Museum! Highlights," which" is" still" very" much" concerned" with" a" critique" of" existing"
institutions"rather"than"the"imaginary"exploration"of"new"kinds"of"publics."In"what"follows"
I"will"look"at"contemporary"lecture"performance"work"that"engages"in"an"exploration"of"
new"kinds"of"publics,"an"engagement"that"might"coincide"with"what"Raunig"and"Ray"refer"
to" as" “instituent" practices”" in" their" conception" of" a" possible" perspective" for" a" “new"
‘phase’"of"institutional"critique”"(Raunig"2009:"3):"
"
[...]"instituent"practices"thwart"the"logics"of"institutionalization;"they"invent"new"forms"
of" instituting" and" continuously" link" these" instituting" events." Against" this" background,"
the"concept"of"‘instituent"practices’"marks"the"site"of"a"productive"tension"between"a"
new"articulation"of"critique"and"the"attempt"to"arrive"at"a"notion"of"‘instituting’"after"
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203
"“Da"sich"moderne"Öffentlichkeiten"im"Sinne"von"›Publics‹"dadurch"definieren,"dass"sie"immer"auch"aus"
einander" unbekannten" Mitgliedern," also" aus" Fremden," bestehen," spielt" das" Imaginäre" im" Geschehen" der"
Ansprache" eine" entscheidende" Rolle." Eine" Ansprache" im" Sinne" der" öffentlichen" Adresse" richtet" sich"
demnach"notwendig"an"eine"partiell"imaginäre"Gruppe,"deren"Existenz"sie"nichtsdestoweniger"voraussetzt."
Gelingt"die"in"der"Adresse"implizierte"Anrufung,"scheint"sich"diese"Voraussetzung"zu"bestätigen,"obwohl"sich"
die"entsprechende"Öffentlichkeit"doch"erst"im"Performativ"ihrer"Adressierung"herstellt."Die"Öffentlichkeit,"
die" in" einer" Ansprache" vorausgesetzt" ist," entsteht" erst," insofern" AdressatInnen" sich" als" Mitglieder" dieser"
Öffentlichkeit"angesprochen"fühlen,"so"dass"eine"Zirkulation"des"Imaginären"in"Gang"kommt.“"
204
"“Unwahrscheinliche"Versammlungen”."Peters’s"example"is"Hygiene"Heute’s"Kongress!der!Schwarzfahrer"
(Congress!of!FareAdodgers)"(2000)),"in"which"different"agencies"and"perspectives"were"temporarily"aligned"
in" a" “figuration" of" the" public" which" seems" imaginary" and" at" the" same" time" is" taken" for" granted”" (Peters"
2011:"190)."[“Figuration"von"Öffentlichkeit,"die"imaginär"erscheint"und"zugleich"als"gegeben"vorausgesetzt"
wird”]."
136"
"
 traditional" understandings" of" institutions" have" begun" to" break" down" and" mutate."
When"we"speak"of"an"‘instituent"practice’,"this"actualization"of"the"future"in"a"present"
becoming"is"not"the"opposite"of"institution"in"the"way"that"utopia,"for"instance,"is"the"
opposite"of"bad"reality."[...]"Rather,"‘instituent"practice’"as"a"process"and"concatenation"
of" instituent" events" means" an" absolute" concept" exceeding" mere" opposition" to"
institutions:"it"does"not"oppose"the"institution,"but"it"does"flee"from"institutionalization"
and"structuralization."(Raunig"and"Ray"2009:"xvii)"
"
How" this" idea" of" an" “instituent" practice”" as" an" “actualization" of" the" future" in" a"
present"becoming”"can"be"linked"to"the"temporary"figuration"of"new"kinds"of"publics"in"
lecture"performance"work"will"be"a"guiding"question"for"the"remaining"case"studies"in"this"
chapter.""
"
Outside#
"
To"conclude"my"discussion"of"Museum!Highlights,"I"would"like"to"consider"briefly"its"
form" as" a" guided" tour." While," as" I" have" outlined" in" the" introduction" to" this" thesis," the"
academic"lecture"is"a"main"reference"for"lecture"performances,"lecture"performances"can"
also" refer" to" and" incorporate" elements" of" other" forms" of" public" speech." In" their"
conception" of" the" “performed" lecture”" in" Theatre/Archaeology," Pearson" and" Shanks"
suggest" the" possibility" of" a" siteUspecific" approach" to" documenting" past" (performance)"
events:"“Of"course,"this"may"be"equally"siteUspecific"in"its"direct"engagement"with"another"
space"–"museum,"gallery,"auditorium.”"(Pearson/Shanks"2001:"66)"Interestingly,"Pearson"
and"Shanks"here"explicitly"mention"the"museum"as"a"possible"site"of"such"an"engagement;"
however," they" also" mention" the" auditorium." Rather" than" simply" considering"
performances" that" appropriate" the" form" of" the" guided" tour" as" siteUspecific" variations" of"
the"lecture"performance,"what"comes"into"focus"here"is"the"(potential)"siteUspecificity"of"
the" lecture" performance" itself" –" in" its" “direct" engagement”" with" the" architectures" of"
lecturing." In" the" chapter" 2," I" have" described" how" lecture" performances" can" foreground"
those"elements"of"a"lecture"that"are"thought"to"be"nonUdiscursive"and"are"thus"supposed"
to" be" ignored" according" to" what" Peters" has" termed" “rules" of" irrelevance”." Just" as" the"
audience" of" a" lecture" is" not" supposed" to" attach" much" importance" to" the" specific"
architecture"of"the"auditorium,"the"audience"of"a"guided"tour"would"usually"not"be"invited"
to" consider" a" drinking" fountain" as" an" aesthetic" object." Jackson" considers" this" strategy,"
employed"by"Fraser"in"Museum!Highlights,"in"the"context"of"the"readymade:"

137"
"
 "
The" performance" thus" dynamizes" the" logic" of" the" readymade." Whereas" Duchamp"
called" attention" to" the" operation" of" the" museum" by" putting" a" pedestal" under" the"
quotidian" object," Fraser" instead" shows" the" art" object’s" dependence" upon" performed"
action"by"redirecting"the"museological"actions"in"the"direction"of"the"quotidian"drinking"
fountain."(Jackson"2011:"123)"
"
That"the"object"of"reference"in"this"case"is"a"drinking"fountain"rather"than"a"painting"
or" sculpture" foregrounds" how" meaning" is" produced" (“through" performed" action”)" in" a"
museum" tour," and" how" the" museum" distinguishes" between" what" is" art" and" what" is" not"
(this"operation"of"distinction"is"central"to"Museum!Highlights)."The"piece"puts"the"focus"on"
the"production"of"meaning"itself"while"being"engaged"in"this"production,"a"strategy"that"it"
shares" with" many" lecture" performances;" but" other" than" in" most" lecture" performances"
(and"indeed"in"most"lectures),"the"object"of"reference"is"in"plain"view."While"the"lecture,"
in"Goffman’s"terms,"aims"to"describe"the"“world"out"there”,"the"museum"tour"deals"with"
the"world"in"there,"or,"in"other"words,"it"is"in"the"world."While"the"lecture"has"to"somehow"
present"the"outside"world"in"a"mediated"way,"through"documentary"materials,"the"guided"
tour"places"its"participants"right"in"front"of"the"objects"it"considers"and"of"which"it"tries"to"
make" sense." But" here," too," certain" rules" of" irrelevance" apply." To" direct" the" audience’s"
attention" towards" an" art" object" also" means" to" divert" this" attention" away" from" the"
museum"as"a"building,"as"an"institution,"or,"more"generally,"as"part"of"the"“real"world”."If,"
instead"of"an"art"object,"what"the"audience"is"being"pointed"toward"is"a"drinking"fountain,"
this" not" only" shows" how" the" art" object" acquires" its" status" through" institutionalised"
performance"(Jackson’s"argument),"but"it"also"shows"how"for"this"performance"to"succeed"
it"needs"to"go"unnoticed."The"modernist"idea"of"the"art"work’s"autonomy,"which"has"been"
called" into" question" not" only" in" the" practice" of" institutional" critique" but" also" in" other"
artistic"movements"of"the"time"(like,"for"instance,"siteUspecific"practices),"is"dependent"on"
an"operation"of"framing."But"it"is"this"operation"of"framing"that"in"itself"destabilises"any"
assumed"separation"between"the"art"work"and"the"“world"out"there”,"as"Andrew"Quick"
has"argued:""
"
The"idea"of"art"achieving"some"sort"of"autonomy"is"always"undone"by"the"unavoidable"
processes"of"framing,"including"the"‘classical’"frame"that"encases"the"picture"and"also"
contextualizations" that" occur" as" a" result" of" the" spectator/viewer/witness" standing"
before" a" work" of" art." These" processes" of" framing," which" always" include" temporal,"

138"
"
 ethical," and" contemplative" dynamics," prohibit" the" idea" of" pure" perception." (Quick"
1996:"13)"
"
In" its" specific" context" of" the" museum," Museum! Highlights" thus" does" what" many"
lecture"performances"do"in"their"respective"contexts:"it"puts"the"focus"on"the"operation"of"
framing" itself," on" the" production" of" meaning" itself," and" in" doing" so" it" considers" its" own"
relation"to"that"which"is"outside"the"frame,"outside"the"auditorium,"outside"the"museum,"
outside"the"institution.205""
"
Product%of%Circumstances#
“If#you#have#questions#afterwards#I#will#be#glad#to#answer#them”#
""
“Good" evening," ladies" and" gentlemen." I" will" do" this" performance" in" English;" if" you"
have"questions"afterwards"I"will"be"glad"to"answer"them.”"(Le"Roy"2005:"77)"This"is"how"
Xavier" Le" Roy" welcomes" the" audience" to" his" performance" Product! of! Circumstances." At"
this" point," the" audience" has" already" assembled;" they" have" taken" their" seats" and" have"
quieted"down"in"anticipation"of"the"performance."Le"Roy"is"addressing"them"from"behind"
a" lectern," reading" from" a" script." Both" stage" and" auditorium" are" evenly" lit." In" welcoming"
the"audience,"Le"Roy"is"establishing"the"rules"and"structure"for"the"evening:"firstly,"he"will"
present"his"performance;"afterwards,"once"he"has"finished,"the"audience"will"be"able"to"
ask" questions." He" mentions" that" he" will" “do”" the" performance" in" English;" the" primary"
purpose"of"this"statement"seems"to"be"to"indicate"that"he"is"not"using"his"first"language,"
something"that"will"have"been"evident"to"a"live"audience"from"his"French"accent."Instead"
he" has" chosen" to" speak" in" a" language" in" which" his" abilities" are" limited" –" “The! text! is!
written! in! English! corresponding! to! my! ability! in! this! language”" (77)" is" how" Le" Roy"
describes" this" aspect" in" the" introductory" notes" or" stage" directions" that" supplement" the"
published"performance"text"(Le"Roy"himself"refers"to"these"notes"as"“instructions”"(77))."
Yet" I" think" that" two" other" important" aspects" can" be" identified" in" this" opening" remark:"
firstly,"it"implies"that"text"will"be"a"central"element"of"the"performance"that"the"audience"

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205
"In"chapter"2,"I"have"analysed"the"operation"of"framing"in"the"case"of"the"academic"lecture"with"reference"
to" Goffman’s" The! Lecture." According" to" Goffman," lecturing" is" based" on" a" “contract”" (Goffman" 1981:" 194)"
that" the" speaker" conveys" knowledge" about" the" “real" world”" (194)," which" by" Goffman’s" definition" is" the"
“world"out"there”,"i.e."it"is"the"world"outside"the"auditorium."The"auditorium"itself"is"supposed"to"play"no"
role" in" the" production" of" meaning" about" this" outside" world," i.e." this" meaning" could" as" well" be"
communicated"by"other"means"than"lecturing,"for"instance"through"the"printed"lecture"text.""
139"
"
is"about"to"witness,"and"secondly,"the"audience"members"are"here"addressed"directly"by"
the"artist"who,"implicitly,"shares"a"first"biographical"detail"with"them:"It"is"only"necessary"
for"a"speaker"to"acknowledge"that"he"will"speak"a"certain"language"if"either"the"speaker"or"
the"audience"would"be"more"proficient"in"another"language."Moreover,"it"is"the"first"time"
that" Le" Roy" uses" the" first" person" singular," and" even" though" he" is" at" this" point" only"
describing" the" parameters" of" the" performance" that" is" about" to" unfold," this" already"
establishes" a" specific" relationship" with" the" audience;" for" the" most" part" of" the"
performance,"the"audience"is"told,"an"“I”"will"be"addressing"a"“you”,"and"in"the"end,"these"
positions"will"shift,"and"the"audience"will"have"the"opportunity"to"ask"questions."This"setU
up," however," will" be" familiar" to" the" audience;" it" is" a" format" that" is" employed" in" most"
lectures"or"artist"talks,"and"in"many"other"instances"of"public"speaking."It"is,"however,"less"
common" in" a" performance" piece," although" there," too," a" performance" is" sometimes"
followed"by"a"Q&A"session,"albeit"usually"after"a"short"break."Accordingly,"if"Le"Roy"had"
chosen" to" substitute" the" term" “performance”" with," for" instance," “talk”" in" his" opening"
statement," this" remark" would" be" well" within" the" conventions" of" that" format." In" a"
performance" or" dance" piece," however," it" is" unexpected," not" because" different" forms" of"
audience" involvement" or" participation" are" so" far" outside" of" the" norms" of" contemporary"
performance" or" dance," but" because" Le" Roy" here" so" clearly" utilises" another" established"
form," the" cultural" performance" of" the" lecture" or" artist" talk" while" insisting" on" calling" it" a"
performance." Even" today," now" that" lecture" performances" have" become" an" established"
format" within" contemporary" performance," the" Q&A" session" is" not" a" regular" feature" of"
lecture"performance"work;"not"more"so,"at"least,"than"for"any"other"type"of"performance"
work," and" especially" not," as" in" the" case" of" Product! of! Circumstances," as" part" of" the"
performance" itself." Of" course," in" 1999," when" Le" Roy" first" performed" Product! of!
Circumstances,"the"lecture"performance"was"not"yet"an"established"format,"and,"as"I"have"
already"outlined,"Le"Roy’s"piece"is"often"credited"with"having"been"a"factor"in"triggering"
the" emergence" of" the" lecture" performance" form" (as" Bleeker" puts" it," Product! of!
Circumstances"“is"often"considered"to"mark"the"emergence"of"lectureUperformance"as"a"
genre”"(Bleeker"2012:"188)."I"have"also"quoted"Lyn"Gardner’s"assessment"from"2008"that"
the" “fascination" with" performance" lectures" of" a" few" years" ago" appears" to" be" being"
replaced" by" forums" and" performances" that" are" more" about" knowledge" sharing" rather"
than" straightforward" expertise.”" (Gardner" 2008)" This" prejudice" against" lecture"
performances" as" a" specific" form" of" communication" in" which" one" person" passes" on"
140"
"
knowledge" or" expertise" rather" than" engaging" in" a" discussion" or" creating" a" forum" for"
sharing" knowledge," is" first" and" foremost" a" prejudice" against" the" lecture" as" a" form;" the"
same" criticism" is" not" directed" at" other" forms" of" performance" that" do" not" involve"
audiences" in" a" sharing" of" knowledge." I" will" analyse" this" aspect" in" detail" in" the" following"
chapter" which" addresses" works" and" projects" that," while" incorporating" elements" of" the"
lecture" performance," aim" to" establish" exactly" such" a" forum;" at" this" point," however," it"
seems"important"to"consider"exactly"to"what"extent"“straightforward"expertise”"is"what"
Le"Roy"is"aiming"to"communicate"or"pass"on"to"his"audience,"and"what"role"the"integrated"
Q&A"session"plays"in"this"regard.""
In"Goffman’s"terms,""
"
A" lecture" is" an" institutionalized" extended" holding" of" the" floor" in" which" one" speaker"
imparts" his" views" on" a" subject" [...]." [...]" A" platform" arrangement" is" often" involved,"
underlining"the"fact"that"listeners"are"an"‘immediate"audience’."I"mean"a"gathered"set"
of"individuals,"typically"seated,"whose"numbers"can"vary"greatly"without"requiring"the"
speaker"(typically"standing)"to"change"his"style,"who"have"the"right"to"hold"the"whole"
of" the" speaker’s" body" in" the" focus" of" staringUat" attention" (as" they" would" an"
entertainer),"and"who"(initially"at"least)"have"only"the"back"channel"through"which"to"
convey"their"response."(Goffman"1981:"165)"
"
It" is" exactly" this" form" of" the" lecture" as" (in" Vilém" Flusser’s" terminology)" “oneUtoU
manyUcommunication”" for" which" the" lecture" is" often" criticised206," and" this" seems" to" be"
implicitly"also"what"Gardner"has"in"mind"when"referring"to"the"lecture"performance"as"a"
passing"on"of"“straightforward"expertise”.207"The"Q&A"session"–"and"that"might"be"why"it"
is" so" rarely" taken" up" in" lecture" performance" work" –" rather" than" counteracting" this"

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206
"“Some" particularly" keen" representatives" of" the" webU2.0Uideology" consider" lecture" and" presentation" as"
‘theatreUdiscourses’" (forms" of" oneUtoUmanyUcommunication)" after" Flusser" and" consider" them" finished." It"
would"only"be"a"matter"of"time"until"the"forms"of"communication"of"the"networked"knowledgeUmultitude"
(manyUtoUmanyUdiscourses)"would"be"implemented"offline"as"well.”"(Peters"2011:"162)"[“Einige"besonders"
überzeugte" Vertreter" der" WebU2.0UIdeologie" bezeichnen" Vortrag" und" Präsentation" nach" Flusser"
gleichermaßen"als"»TheaterUDiskurse«"(oneUtoUmanyUKommunikationsformen)"und"sehen"sie"am"Ende"(vgl."
Flusser" 1998)." Es" sei" nur" noch" eine" Frage" der" Zeit," bis" sich" die" Kommunikationsformen" der" vernetzten"
Wissensmultitude"(manyUtoUmanyUDiskurse)"auch"offline"durchsetzen.“]"
207
"Is" this" privileging" of" specific" modes" of" communication" another" version" of" the" myth" of" the" passive"
spectator?"Paradoxically,"as"I"have"outlined"in"the"previous"chapter,"Bel"describes"his"lecture"performance"
work"in"terms"of"an"activation"of"the"spectator.""
141"
"
prejudice" might" actually" reinforce" it," because" it" can" be" understood" to" reinforce" the"
authoritative"position"of"the"speaker"as"the"person"who"has"the"answers.208""
"
In#and#out#of#context#
"
In" Product! of! Circumstances," however," Le" Roy" does" not" assume" such" a" position" of"
authority."In"contrast,"he"insists"at"the"end"of"the"piece"that"he"has"chosen"its"particular"
form" –" which" would" later" be" regarded" as" prototypical" for" the" form" of" the" lecture"
performance"–"because"of"his"inability"to"“write"a"‘real’"paper,"lecture"or"discussion”"(Le"
Roy"2005:"92)."I"will"get"back"to"this"statement,"but"would"first"like"to"have"a"closer"look"at"
how"the"performance"develops"after"the"initial"address"to"the"audience."After"the"short"
welcome"and"introductory"remarks,"Le"Roy"goes"on:"
"
The"title"of"this"performance"is"‘Product"of"Circumstances’."
In"1987"I"started"work"on"my"thesis"for"my"PhD"in"molecular"and"cellular"biology,"and"
at"the"same"time"I"began"to"take"two"dance"classes"a"week.""
I"finished"my"master’s"degree"and"received"a"scholarship"from"the"French"government"
to"write"my"thesis."The"same"year,"I"was"admitted"to"work"in"a"laboratory"specializing"
in" research" on" breast" cancer" and" hormones." Also," I" started" to" see" a" lot" of" dance"
performances" during" the" summer" festivals" in" the" south" of" France" where" I" lived." The"
same"year"was"the"painful"ending"of"a"three"years"[sic]long"love"relationship."
I"was"still"playing"a"lot"of"basketball"and"my"body"was"trying"to"get"some"stretch."(77U8)"
"
In" this" short" paragraph," Le" Roy" introduces" all" the" narrative" elements" that" he" is" to"
follow"through"in"the"performance:"the"training"of"his"body;"the"beginnings"of"a"career"in"
dance;" his" studies" in" biology;" and" the" local," institutional" and" biographical" contexts" in"
which"he"pursues"these"activities"(although"there"will"be"no"further"references"to"his"love"
life"in"the"remainder"of"the"piece)."And,"following"on"from"this"paragraph,"he"introduces"
the" other" formal" elements" he" uses" in" the" performance." Firstly," he" reenacts" stretch"
exercises"he"used"to"do"as"part"of"his"basketball"training"(“My!hands!don’t!get!closer!than!
20!cm!from!the!floor,!like!it!was!in!1987”,"the"stage"directions"state"(78))."This"is"the"first"
instance"in"which"he"employs"the"strategy"of"reUenacting"elements"of"his"training"and"of"
shows"in"which"he"has"either"performed"or"which"he"has"devised.""
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208
"An" example" for" such" an" understanding" can" be" found" in" Barbara" Lange’s" reading" of" Joseph" Beuys’s" Fat!
Transformation!Piece"at"the"Tate"in"London"in"1972."Lange"here"discusses"Beuys"repeated"question"to"the"
audience"‘Questions,"you"have"questions?’"in"terms"of"an"“attempt"at"selfUassertion”"(Lange"2007:"178)."In"
this"particular"case,"Beuys’s"general"demeanour"in"the"piece"supports"Lange’s"assessment.""
142"
"
 Then,"he"starts"presenting"his"PhD"research"with"the"help"of"a"slide"projector."While"
what" he" has" done" so" far" (maybe" with" the" exception" of" reenacting" the" stretch" exercise)"
could" be" described" as" giving" a" talk," the" presentation" of" his" research" in" biology" is" of" a"
different" quality" both" with" regard" to" tone" and" style." Again" speaking" from" behind" the"
lectern,"Le"Roy"now"switches"from"quite"an"informal"tone"to"scientific"jargon;"the"lights"
have"been"dimmed,"if"only"to"make"sure"that"the"projection"is"visible."For"a"nonUbiologist,"
the" research" that" he" presents" is" difficult" to" comprehend." We" have" entered" the" more"
formal"setting"of"a"scientific"presentation,"but"what"is"presented"remains"as"hermetic"as"
some"of"the"examples"of"dance"pieces"that"Le"Roy"will"later"reenact."What"does"however"
become" evident" is" that" this," too," is" a" reenactment." We" are" not" told" if" Le" Roy" has" ever"
presented"his"research"in"exactly"the"same"way"outside"of"this"performance."But"even"if"it"
is"not"an"exact"reconstruction,"the"character"of"the"presentation"is"nonetheless"citational"
with"regard"to"both"content"and"form."Le"Roy"does"not"continue"his"biographical"narrative"
within" this" framework." There" are" references" to" the" research" process" (and" once" to" his"
specific" tasks" within" the" project)," but" identifying" one’s" tasks" within" a" research" process"
does" not" constitute" what" Goffman" refers" to" as" a" “frame" break”" in" a" lecture" situation."
“Frame" breaks”," however," are" a" central" structural" element" of" the" performance:" after"
presenting" four" slides," Le" Roy" asks" for" the" slide" projector" to" be" turned" off" and" for" the"
lights"to"change"back."He"keeps"talking"about"his"research,"but"then"leaves"the"lectern"to"
–"as"the"written"stage"directions"reveal"but"uncommented"on"in"the"performance"itself"–"
“perform!the!first!five!minutes!from!a!piece!I!did!in!1994!called!Things!I!Hate!To!Admit”"
(80)."Le"Roy"performs"his"reenactment,"and"then"goes"back"to"the"microphone"to"talk,"still"
about" his" research," but" now" again" adding" biographical" information:" about" his" first"
scientific"publication,"and"then"about"exercises"he"tried"to"learn"in"dance"class,"exercises"
he"then"goes"on"to"reenact."So"sometimes,"the"audience"is"given"information"about"the"
context" of" what" Le" Roy" presents," and" at" other" times," he" just" steps" away" from" the"
microphone" to" present" something." The" frame" breaks" are" thus" not" always" abrupt," but"
what"is"clear"is"that"the"piece"takes"elements"from"different"contexts"UU"dance"and"science"
UU"and"reframes"them"in"the"context"of"a"lecture"performance."In"this"context,"however,"
they" are" sometimes" presented" as" elements" that," although" not" fully" selfUcontained"
because"they"are"contextualised"by"what"Le"Roy"says,"are"nonetheless"allowed"to"function"
as" separate" small" entities," which" also" means" that" Le" Roy" switches" between" different"
modes"of"address."The"audience"of"Product!of!Circumstances"is"at"times"addressed"as"an"
143"
"
audience"of"a"scientific"presentation,"at"other"times"as"the"audience"of"a"dance"piece,"but"
the" different" modes" of" address" are" framed" by" the" initial" address," in" which" Le" Roy"
announces" that" this" will" be" a" performance;" this" means" that," in" contrast" to" in" Fraser’s"
Museum!Highlights,"the"cards"are"on"the"table."It"does,"however,"not"imply"that"the"status"
of" the" different" elements" that" Le" Roy" introduces" remains" unambiguous" within" this"
framework;"because"the"elements"are"taken"from"different"contexts,"it"is"not"immediately"
obvious" how" the" audience" is" expected" to" make" sense" of" what" they" are" seeing" and"
hearing," what" perceptive" registers" they" should" employ" when" watching" the" slide"
presentation"on"the"one"hand"and"the"reenactment"of"choreographies"or"dance"exercises"
on" the" other" hand." In" the" specific" frame" of" the" lecture" performance," not" only" is" the"
reenactment" of" a" choreography" integrated" into" a" discursive" framework" within" which" it"
has"an"illustrative"function,"the"scientific"slide"presentation"at"the"same"time"becomes"the"
object"of"an"aesthetic"exploration"(Peters"2011:"220).""
Peters"describes"this"aspect"in"terms"of"a"confrontation"of"“two"conventional"forms"
of"demonstration”209"(218):"
"
“Exactly" in" the" immediate" combination" of" scientific" presentation" and" the"
demonstration" of" dance" exercises" both" forms" of" presenting" start" to" question" each"
other"with"regard"to"their"way"of"showing:"what"is"in"each"case"shown"how?"For"the"
scientific" demonstration" the" question" is" how" in" the" course" of" the" research" process"
objectivity"is"constructed"and"produced,"and"for"the"dance"demonstration"what"limited"
understanding" of" movement" it" is" based" on." The" form" of" the" lecture" allows" Le" Roy" to"
both"articulate"and"pursue"his"doubts"about"both"forms"of"representation.”210"(218)""
"
I" will" get" back" to" the" doubts" expressed" by" Le" Roy," which" relate" primarily" to" the"
institutional"frameworks"or"contexts"in"which"dance"and"science"(or"biology)"are"practiced"
rather"than"to"specific"forms"of"representation"(although"these"two"aspects"are"of"course"
interrelated)." But" first," I" would" like" to" look" a" bit" more" closely" at" the" status" of" the"
reenactments" of" dance" and" scientific" presentation" as" demonstrations" in" the" context" of"
the"lecture"performance."What"is"it"that"they"are"used"to"demonstrate?"

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209
"„Zwei"konventionelle"Formen"der"Demonstration“"(Peters"2011:"218)."
210
"“Gerade" in" der" unvermittelten" Kombination" der" naturwissenschaftlichen" Präsentation" mit" der"
Demonstration"von"tänzerischen"Übungen"beginnen"beide"Präsentationsformen,"einander"auf"ihre"Art"des"
Zeigens" hin" zu" befragen:" Was" wird" hier" jeweils" wie" gezeigt?" Dabei" steht" die" wissenschaftliche"
Demonstration" im" Hinblick" darauf" in" Frage," wie" im" Zuge" des" Forschungsprozesses" Objektivität" konstruiert"
und"produziert"wird,"und"die"tänzerische"Demonstration"im"Hinblick"darauf,"welches"begrenzte"Verständnis"
von"Bewegung"ihr"jeweils"zugrunde"liegt."Die"Form"des"Vortrags"erlaubt"es"Le"Roy,"seine"Zweifel"an"beiden"
Repräsentationsformen"gleichermaßen"zu"artikulieren"und"zu"verfolgen.”"(Peters"2011:"218)"
144"
"
 For" Peters," they" function" as" a" kind" of" metaUdemonstration" in" so" far" as" they"
constitute"demonstrations"of"two"different"types"of"demonstrating"or"showing."But"they"
nevertheless" also" retain" their" function" of" demonstrating," on" the" one" hand," a" specific"
biological"research,"and"on"the"other"hand"specific"choreographic"exercises"or"practices,"
which" in" turn" also" appear" as" demonstrations" of" a" research" process" (and" that" his"
choreographic" practice" constitutes" research" is" a" point" that" Le" Roy" stresses" at" several"
points" in" the" lecture" performance)." But" while" the" scientific" slide" presentation" has" this"
function"also"outside"of"the"framework"of"the"lecture"performance,"the"dance"pieces"of"
which"Le"Roy"reenacts"certain"elements"(more"so"than"the"exercises"which"would"usually"
be"presented"in"a"workshop"context"rather"than"in"a"public"performance)"only"take"on"the"
status" of" demonstrations" as" reenactments" presented" within" this" framework." While" they"
can" also" be" described" as" results" of" a" research" process" outside" of" the" framework" of" the"
lecture" performance," they" would" not" have" been" introduced" as" such" originally," i.e." not"
within" the" frame" of" the" original" performance," where" they" would" not" have" been"
contextualised"in"the"same"way."Through"this"contextualisation,"however,"the"works"are"
not"considered"as"finished"products"but"the"focus"is"instead"put"on"the"specific"contexts"
and" processes" they" have" resulted" from;" they" are" presented," to" quote" the" title" of" the"
performance," as" products! of! circumstances," and" as" such" their" specific" form" is" rendered"
circumstantial." As" I" have" outlined" in" the" previous" chapter" with" regard" to" Bel’s" The! Last!
Performance!(A!Lecture),"here,"too,"we"can"see"the"lecture"performance"as"an"attempt"to"
reUenter" the" process" and" context" of" making" a" performance," to" take" a" step" back" from"
product"to"process.""
"
Circumstances#and#contaminations#
"
It" is" here" that" we" can" finally" address" the" aforementioned" “doubts”" that" Le" Roy"
expresses" about" both" science" and" dance," because" it" is" exactly" the" demand" to" create"
products" that" he" criticizes" in" both" fields." He" describes" how" his" disillusion" with" science"
started" when" he" was" urged" to" publish" results" of" his" research" that" he" did" not" consider"
“relevant"enough"to"be"published”"(Le"Roy"2005:"81):"“I"was"learning"the"importance"of"
publication"and"that"publishing"articles"is"the"scientist’s"best"way"to"create"and"protect"his"
position"in"society."[...]"I"was"learning"that"research"has"to"follow"and"use"the"methods"of"
capitalism."I"was"asked"to"produce"science,"and"not"to"search.”"(81)"This"is"not"the"only"
145"
"
explanation" Le" Roy" gives" for" “quitting”" science" for" dance" and" thus" one" kind" of" research"
into" the" body" for" another." (“In" 1990," after" I" presented" my" thesis," I" quit" my" career" as" a"
molecular"biologist."I"escaped."I"decided"to"do"more"dance.”"(86))."He"also"mentions"that"
he"hoped"that"dance"would"enable"him"to"find"a"different"approach"to"the"body,"one"that"
did" not" aim" at" “the" impression" and" satisfaction" of" total" control" of" questions" on" [...]" the"
human"body”"(85):"“The"human"body"is"not"organized"only"in"the"way"that"biology"tries"to"
organize" it.”" (84)" But" I" will" here" focus" on" the" distinction" between" product" and" process"
that" is" not" only" central" to" Le" Roy’s" argument" but" also" to" the" structure" of" his" lecture"
performance."Le"Roy’s"criticism"here"is"not"directed"at"an"“idealistic"idea"of"science”"(85)"
but"at"its"employment"of"“methods"of"capitalism”,"methods"that"he"soon"found"to"be"at"
work"in"a"dance"context"as"well:"“I"slowly"noticed"that"the"systems"for"dance"production"
had"created"a"format"that"influences"and,"sometimes"to"a"large"degree,"determined"how"
a" dance" piece" should" be." I" think" that" to" a" large" extend" [sic!]" dance" producers" and"
programmers" essentially" follow" the" rules" of" the" global" economy.”" (89)" With" regard" to"
both" science" and" dance," Le" Roy’s" criticism" is" directed" at" their" respective" institutional"
contexts"that"operate"within"what"he"identifies"as"a"capitalist"logic"of"production."The"way"
out"of"this"logic"for"him"seems"to"be"in"strengthening"the"processual"element:"“Can"the"
production" of" a" dance" piece" become" the" process" and" the" production" in" itself," without"
becoming" a" product" in" terms" of" performance" and" representation?”" (91)" Although" he"
never"explicitly"says"so,"the"lecture"performance"Product!of!Circumstances"has"to"be"seen"
as" the" attempt" to" find" an" answer" to" this" question" by" trying" to" turn" product" back" into"
process.211"
In" the" previous" chapter," I" quoted" Peters’s" proposition" that" in" trying" to" escape" the"
demand" for" turning" process" into" product," the" lecture" performance" resembles" the"
business" presentation’s" promise" of" an" “optimum" yet" to" be" achieved”. 212 "For" Le" Roy"
performance"is"not"(as"Phelan"proposed)"beyond"representation"and"commodification:"it"
is"not"in"performance’s"ephemerality"that"he"locates"the"way"out"of"the"logic"of"capitalist"
production;" performance’s" resistance" to" being" turned" into" a" product" for" him" is" not"
ontological" but" something" that" has" to" be" worked" towards," by" stressing" performance’s"
processual"dimension."The"difficulty"with"this"position"is"that"the"notion"of"product"is"here"
substituted"with"a"kind"of"continuous"productivity"that"resembles"the"way"that"labour"is"

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211
"As"such"it"has"similarities"with"Bel’s"lecture"performances"that"I"have"discussed"in"the"previous"chapter."
212
"Peters"makes"this"point"in"reference"to"Product!of!Circumstances."
146"
"
organised" in" PostUFordism." But" Product! of! Circumstances" does" not" only" reflect" on" the"
processes" that"lead"to" the"‘product,’"but" the"respective"institutional" contexts" of" science"
and"dance"are"also"the"part"of"these"‘circumstances’."In"the"final"paragraphs"of"the"lecture"
text,"which"I"will"quote"at"length"here,"the"performance"Product!of!Circumstances!itself"is"
described"as"a"‘product"of"circumstances’:"
"
[...]"I"was"invited"[...]"to"participate"in"an"event"about"performance"and"theory"called"
Body!Currency."I"was"invited"because"as"a"dancer"and"choreographer,"my"currency"in"
the" ‘society" of" spectacle’" is" to" be" an" atypical" dancer" or" a" dancerUbiologist." For" this"
event"I"was"asked"to"think"about"possible"theoretical"pathways"between"biology"and"
performance." [...]" But" it" was" impossible" for" me" to" get" to" an" abstract" and" theoretical"
level."I"could"not"generalize"or"conceptualize."I"could"not"write"a"‘real’"paper,"lecture"or"
discussion." So" I" decided" to" stay" at" a" personal" level" and" give" some" information" about"
possibilities"of"exchange"I"experiences"as"a"support"for"different"thoughts."[...]"This"is"
how"I"came"to"produce"what"I"just"presented"to"you"this"evening."
Now" to" end" this" lecture," I" would" like" to" suggest" that" this" performance" was" about" a"
contaminated" body" in" its" weavings" of" historical," social," cultural" and" biological" levels,"
unable"to"transform"themselves"into"abstraction"and"theory."
And" maybe" theory" is" biography," presenting" it" is" a" lecture," and" doing" a" lecture" is"
performing." Thank" you" for" your" attention." I’d" be" glad" to" answer" any" questions" you"
might"have."(Le"Roy"2005:"91U92)"
"
There" are" a" few" threads" to" pick" up" here:" if" Product! of! Circumstances! is" seen" as"
prototypical"for"the"lecture"performance"form"and"instrumental"for"its"emergence,"then"
this" would" suggest" that" not" just" this" particular" lecture" performance" is" a" ‘product" of"
circumstances’," but" that" the" form" in" general" responds" to" a" context" in" which" there" is" a"
demand" for" such" work." And" while" Le" Roy" here" speaks" of" the" inability" to" transform" the"
practices"of"a"“contaminated"body”"into"“abstraction"and"theory”,"this"also"suggests"that"
the"kind"of"knowledge"he"aims"to"present"or"produce"cannot"be"contained"in"the"lecture"
form." What" thus" comes" into" focus" are" not" only" the" institutional" contexts" of" dance" and"
science,"but"the"lecture"itself"as"an"(as"Goffman"puts"it)"“institutionalized”"(Goffman"1981:"
165)"form."And"when"Le"Roy"says"that"“to"end"this"lecture,"I"would"like"to"suggest"that"this"
performance" was" about" a" contaminated" body”," the" fact" that," in" the" same" sentence," he"
(maybe"intentionally,"maybe"not)"refers"to"the"piece"both"as"a"lecture"and"a"performance"
illustrates" that" this" contamination" also" applies" to" these" different" forms" he" is" combining"
(“theory"is"biography,"presenting"it"is"a"lecture,"and"doing"a"lecture"is"performing”)."It"is"
not" only" through" the" role" of" the" performer’s" body" that" this" crossUcontamination" is"
triggered," but" it" is" here" that" it" becomes" most" evident." (According" to" Goffman," the"
147"
"
performer’s"body"in"a"lecture"is"what"the"audience"has"“the"right"to"hold"[...]"in"the"focus"
of" staringUat" attention”" (165)," but" whose" relevance" for" the" lecture’s" production" of"
meaning" it" is" nevertheless" supposed" to" ignore.)" I" have" stated" above" that," in"
acknowledging" his" inability" to" “write" a" ‘real’" paper," lecture" or" discussion”," Le" Roy"
denounces" the" authority" usually" associated" with" the" position" of" lecturing." Denouncing"
this" authority" could" also" be" seen" as" another" attempt" at" avoiding" a" definitive" ending," at"
keeping"the"process"open."It"means"delegating"this"authority"to"the"process"by"which"–"in"
a"lecture/performance"–"meaning"is"made."And"this"process"(as"I"have"outlined"in"chapter"
2"with"regard"to"the"production"of"evidence"in"a"lecture"performance),"not"only"involves"
but" is" dependent" upon" the" audience." That" this" is" the" case" is" not" as" selfUevident" in" a"
scientific"lecture"(where"Goffman"assumes"knowledge"could"as"well"be"communicated"in"
a" different" medium)" as" it" is" in" an" artistic" presentation." Although" the" different" modes" of"
address"that"Le"Roy"employs"in"the"performance"all"address"the"audience"as"exactly"that"–"
an"audience"–,"the"fact"that"they"are"different"shows"that"within"different"institutional"or"
disciplinary"contexts"there"are"different"assumptions"about"what"constitutes"the"specific"
constellation"of"the"public"that"is"referred"to"as"‘audience’."In"Product!of!Circumstances,"
which" in" this" respect" is" paradigmatic" for" the" lecture" performance" form," the" audience’s"
role" in" the" production" of" meaning" is" made" evident" in" the" juxtaposition" or" crossU
contamination"of"different"forms"of"presentations."This"also"means"that"no"Q&A"session"is"
required"for"the"lecture"performance"to"be"more"than"an"articulation"of"“straightforward"
expertise”." But" maybe" Le" Roy" did" not" consider" the" idea" that" each" performance" has" an"
“openUended" character”213"(Peters" 2011:" 185)" in" its" relation" to" the" audience" enough" to"
guarantee"the"processual"nature"of"the"piece."From"this"perspective"the"fact"that"he"ends"
the" performance" with" a" Q&A" session" could" be" seen" as" yet" another" attempt" to" blur" the"
frame"of"the"performance"by"opening"the"process"up"to"the"audience.""
"
Outside#ourselves#
"
At"this"point,"and"to"finish"my"discussion"of"Product!of!Circumstances,"I"would"like"to"
refer" briefly" back" to" Fraser’s" assessment" that" there" is" no" “outside”" of" the" institution"
“because" the" institution" is" inside" of" us," and" we" can’t" get" outside" ourselves.”" This"
statement"seems"to"be"reflected"in"Le"Roy’s"image"of"the"“contaminated"body”,"and"much"
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213
"“ergebnisoffenen"Charakter“."
148"
"
of" his" autobiographical" account" in" Product! of! Circumstances! deals" with" the" futility" of"
trying"to"escape"the"logic"of"the"institutions"in"which"his"work"has"been"situated:"“I"felt"
like"a"fugitive"who"actually"never"escaped"what"he"thought"he"was”"(Le"Roy"2005:"89),"Le"
Roy"says"of"his"move"away"from"science"and"towards"dance."In"Product!of!Circumstances,"
there" are," however," two" crucial" differences" to" Fraser’s" approach" in" Museum! Highlights:"
firstly,"Le"Roy"engages"with"the"two"different"institutional"contexts"of"science"and"dance"
in"a"way"that"allows"for"what"I"have"called"–"in"reference"to"Le"Roy’s"own"metaphor"–"a"
crossUcontamination"between"them."This"implies"that"they"can,"to"some"extent,"function"
as"an"external"position"to"each"other.214"And"secondly,"whilst"Fraser"invents"a"character,"
Le" Roy" explores" his" own" entanglement" in" the" institutional" contexts" in" which" he" has"
participated"by"giving"an"account"of"himself215"(a"strategy"that"Fraser"would"also"adopt"in"
her"later"work)."In"Giving!an!Account!of!Oneself,"Judith"Butler"describes"the"“structure"of"
address”"(Butler"2005:"67)"that"is"inherent"to"any"account"of"the"“I”"(but"at"the"same"time"
makes"this"account"impossible):"“The"‘I’"cannot"give"a"final"or"adequate"account"of"itself"
because"it"cannot"return"to"the"scene"of"address"by"which"it"is"inaugurated"and"it"cannot"
narrate"all"of"the"rhetorical"dimensions"of"the"structure"of"address"in"which"the"account"
itself" takes" place.”" (67)" Although" it" is" impossible" to" predict" how" the" account" will" be"
received," the" other" is" the" precondition" for" this" account" to" take" place." “We" can’t" get"
outside"ourselves”,"says"Fraser,"and"stresses"the"“internalized,"embodied”"relation"to"“the"
institution”" (in" Jackson" 2011:" 124)." And" while" the" role" awarded" to" the" institution" in" the"
formation"of"the"subject"in"Fraser’s"account"in"Museum!Highlights"corresponds"to"the"role"
of"the"other"in"Butler’s"theory"(being"addressed"by"the"other"as"subject"is"the"“scene"of"
address"by"which"[the"subject]"is"inaugurated”),"it"might"be"in"the"“structure"of"address”,"
in" the" relationality" of" the" account" that" such" a" “getting" outside" ourselves”" has" to" be"
imagined."In"Relating!Narratives:"Storytelling!and!Selfhood,"a"book"to"which"Butler"refers,"
Adriana"Cavarero"also"speaks"of"the"inability"of"the"“I”"to"tell"her"own"story,"but"proposes"
that"“[...]"it"is"the"other"[...]"who"can"realize"such"a"narration”"(Cavarero"2000:"56);"or,"as"
she"also"puts"it:"“I"will"tell"you"my"story"in"order"to"make"you"capable"of"telling"it"to"me.”"
(114)" From" this" perspective," the" Q&A" session" at" the" end" of" Product! of! Circumstances"

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214
"This" different" approach" does," however," not" contradict" Fraser’s" statement," who" proposes" that" it" is" not"
because"it"is"“perfectly"closed”"(in"Jackson"2011:"124)"that"there"is"no"outside"to"the"institution."
215
"The"figure"of"the"account"is"central"to"Esther"Pilkington’s"PhD"thesis"about"Performance!Journeys"(2011),"
where"it"is"developed"in"detailed."It"is"also"briefly"introduced"as"a"mode"of"research"in"an"essay"coUwritten"
by"Pilkington"and"me,"entitled"Die!Kunst!des!NichtAdaASeins"(Ladnar"and"Pilkington"2013)."
149"
"
could"also"be"read"as"Le"Roy’s"attempt"to"have"his"story"told"back"to"him."216"In"any"case,"it"
stresses" the" reliance" on" the" other" in" any" autobiographical" narrative." But" because" this"
autobiographical"narrative"takes"place"in"a"performance,"it"is"the"audience"that"takes"on"
the"function"of"the"other,"i.e."the"address"is"directed"at"a"public"that"constitutes"itself"as"
an" audience," and" –" in" Warner’s" definition" –" a" “public" organizes" itself" independently" of"
state" institutions," laws," formal" frameworks" of" citizenship," or" preUexisting" institutions”"
(Warner" 2002:" 68)." A" public" is" therefore" a" form" of" collective" organisation" that" can"
function"as"a"counter"concept"to"that"of"the"institution,"and"it"is"in"this"function"that"Le"
Roy"engages"with"it"–"in"the"lecture"performance"and"in"the"Q&A"session"that"is"part"of"it.""
"
Schwarzbank#
On#the#verge#of#participation#
"
“Good"evening,"ladies"and"gentlemen."Oberhausen"is"bankrupt,"Oberhausen"is"poor,"
Oberhausen"is"in"debt."The"city"of"Oberhausen"is"so"much"in"debt"that"it"will"never"be"able"
to" pay" back" this" debt" by" itself.”217"These" are" the" first" words" that" were" spoken" from" the"
stage" of" Oberhausen’s" city" theatre" on" the" occasion" of" the" opening" performance" of"
geheimagentur’s"project"Schwarzbank:!Kohle!für!alle!!on"16"March"2012.218""

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216
"Warner"describes"how"the"public"(as"opposed"to"a"public)"is"commonly"understood"as"being"constituted"
through" “dialogue" or" discussion" among" already" coUpresent" interlocutors" [...]." The" prevailing" image" is"
something" like" parliamentary" forensics.”" (Warner" 2002:" 115)" The" Q&A" session" as" a" kind" of" open" public"
discussion"could"be"said"to"convey"this"idea"of"the"public."I"will"get"back"to"this"idea"in"the"following"case"
study"as"well"as"in"the"conclusion"to"this"chapter."
217
"“Guten"Abend,"meine"Damen"und"Herren,"Oberhausen"ist"pleite,"Oberhausen"ist"arm,"Oberhausen"hat"
Schulden." Die" Stadt" Oberhausen" hat" soviele" Schulden," dass" sie" niemals" in" der" Lage" sein" wird," diese" aus"
eigener"Kraft"zurückzuzahlen.“"
218
"The" German" “geheimagentur”" translates" as" “secret" agency”." This" already" points" to" the" fact" that"
anonymity"plays"a"crucial"role"for"the"organisation"of"the"collective."Katrin"Ullmann"describes"this"aspect"of"
geheimagentur’s"practice"as"follows:" “Who"is"actually"behind"geheimagentur?"That"is,"of"course,"a"secret."
geheimagentur"can"be"anyone."Since"2002,"this"HamburgUbased"performance"group"has"worked"primarily"
on"participatory"projects;"the"more"people"who"take"part"in"them"[sic],"the"better."After"all,"one"of"the"most"
important" goals" of" geheimagentur! is" to" achieve" the" broadest" possible" socialization" of" each" particular"
scenario." [...]" geheimagentur’s" work" is" expressly" not" tied" to" the" biographies" of" individual" artists;" even" its"
initiators"wish"to"remain"behind"the"scenes."The"performance"group"functions"according"to"its"motto"of"“the"
art"of"being"many”."And"they"greatly"welcome"it"when"others"continue"their"work."The"basic"principle"is"that"
anyone"who"has"taken"part"in"at"least"one"geheimagentur!performance"or"workshop"can"immediately"use"
the"name,"brand,"label"for"their"next"event"and"can"claim"to"be"the"geheimagentur.”"(Ullman"2011)"For"the"
strategy" to" work," the" anonymity" of" members" of" the" collective" has" to" be" maintained," especially" when"
addressing" a" wider" public." This," however," is" not" always" easy." For" instance," the" conventions" of" academic"
writing"dictate"that"one"should"indicate"one’s"involvement"in"a"project"about"which"one"is"writing."Without"
identifying" the" exact" nature" of" my" involvement" in" the" SchwarzbankUproject," I" would" like" to" briefly"
acknowledge"here"that"my"knowledge"of"the"process"and"the"intentions"behind"the"project"is"different"from"
that"of"other"performances"about"which"I"write."This"also"means"that"I"am"invested"in"its"overall"agenda."
150"
"
 While" I" have" started" my" discussion" of" the" two" previous" performance" examples" in"
this" chapter" also" by" quoting" how" the" artists" in" these" performances" first" address" their"
respective"audiences,"in"this"case"I"will"defer"this"discussion"to"a"later"point"and"start"with"
a"more"general"description"of"the"project."The"address"was"indeed"not"the"beginning"of"
the"project,"nor"was"it"the"first"thing"that"happened"that"evening"in"the"theatre."Although"
the" evening" was" the" official" opening" of" the" project," for" many" audience" members" it" was"
not" the" first" time" they" had" encountered" the" project" or" the" first" time" they" had" been"
addressed"in"the"context"of"the"project."And,"moreover,"while"the"project"was"framed"by"
two"lecture"performances,"staged"at"the"opening"event"and"at"a"closing"event"two"weeks"
later,"there"were"many"other"ways"of"being"involved"in"the"project"in"the"course"of"and"
prior"to"these"two"weeks.""
These" two" lecture" performances" are" hence" different" to" all" the" other" lecture"
performances" I" have" discussed" in" this" thesis" so" far:" while" some" of" these" other" lecture"
performances" also" make" reference" to" an" artistic" process" outside" of" the" frame" of" the"
lecture"performance,"or"reframe"the"artists’"previous"works,"in"this"case"there"is"a"more"
immediate" connection" between" the" larger" artistic" project" and" the" lecture" performances"
that"frame"it."Despite"this"difference"to"other"works"I"have"discussed,"I"will"argue"that"this"
structure" is" quite" common" in" participatory" theatre" and" performance" practice" today,"
where"lecture"performances"are"often"used"not"only"to"frame"a"process"but"also"to"give"
such"a"process"that"often"takes"place"outside"of"the"institution"a"manifestation"inside"the"
institution," potentially" also" addressing" a" different" kind" of" audience" or" public." What" is"
important"to"remember,"however,"is"that"the"lecture"performances"are"only"one"of"many"
elements"of"the"Schwarzbank"project."In"the"context"of"this"thesis,"my"discussion"of"the"
project" thus" also" marks" a" shift" towards" a" consideration" of" projects" that" have" a" more"
explicitly" participatory" and" collective" dimension," that," while" employing" either" lecture"
performances" as" elements" or" lecture" performance" elements," cannot" be" understood" in"
their"totality"by"a"discussion"of"only"these"elements."In"addition,"it"has"to"be"mentioned"
that"in"contrast"to"most"performance"examples"I"have"discussed"so"far,"these"two"lecture"
performances" were" not" delivered" by" a" solo" artist" but" by" a" collective." While" lecture"
performances" are" often" solo" efforts," there" are" also" many" examples" of" groups" or"
collectives"employing"the"format"(some"of"which"I"have"mentioned"in"the"introduction"to"
this" thesis)." However," in" the" course" of" the" Schwarzbank" opening" and" closing"
performances,"as"I"will"describe"in"detail"later,"many"more"people"were"invited"onto"the"
151"
"
stage,"and"the"performances"also"included"a"number"of"elements"that"had"no"connection"
to"the"lecture"as"a"form."This"means"that"these"events"might"not"have"been"immediately"
identifiable" as" lecture" performances," especially" since" they" were" not" advertised" as" such."
Nevertheless,"it"was"in"the"lecture"elements"of"these"performances"that"the"ideas"behind"
the"project"were"presented"to"a"larger"audience.""
The"project"Schwarzbank:!Kohle!für!alle!"introduced"a"new"currency"to"the"German"
city" of" Oberhausen," a" city" that" had" been" in" the" news" for" (allegedly)" being" Germany’s"
poorest" city" (although" there" are" other" contenders" for" that" title)." To" introduce" this"
currency," geheimagentur" founded" a" bank," the" Schwarzbank" (the" name" translates" as"
“black"bank”219),"which"issued"the"new"currency"in"a"branch"based"in"a"container"located"
in" the" city" centre." The" name" of" the" currency" was" “Kohle”," which" literally" translates" as"
“coal”" but" is" also" a" common" German" slang" term" for" money." The" name" referenced"
Oberhausen’s"industrial"past"in"the"coal"mining"and"steel"industry,"when"the"city"was"still"
relatively"wealthy"(the"last"coal"mines"closed"in"the"early"1990s)."For"two"weeks,"the"new"
currency" circulated" in" the" city;" by" the" end" of" the" two" weeks," the" network" of" shops,"
businesses" and" institutions" that" accepted" the" currency" for" selected" goods" and" services"
included"about"80"partners."More"than"10,000"Kohle,"issued"in"1U,"5U"and"10UKohle"notes,"
were"distributed"to"more"than"500"customers,"who"received"the"money"as"a"credit,"but"
one"that"they"did"not"need"to"pay"back."All"they"had"to"do"to"receive"the"money"was"to"
suggest"an"activity"that"is"usually"not"remunerated"but"for"which"they"wanted"to"be"paid,"
and"to"promise"to"carry"out"this"activity"for"at"least"one"hour"at"a"point"in"the"future."A"
“credit"form”"was"filled"in"that"specified"the"activity,"and"that"also"included"the"promise"
that" participants" would" document" the" activity." For" this" they" were" paid" 20" Kohle,"
regardless"of"the"nature"of"the"activity.""
For" the" project," geheimagentur" not" only" collaborated" with" the" city’s" theatre," and"
with"a"range"of"local"businesses"and"cultural"institutions"in"Oberhausen,"but"also"set"up"a"
transnational" collaboration" with" Banco" Palmas," a" community" bank" situated" in" Conjunto"
Palmeiras," a" former" ghetto" in" Fortaleza," a" city" in" the" northeast" of" Brazil." The" rationale"
behind"this"collaboration"was"to"extend"the"focus"beyond"the"primarily"local"perspective"
that"characterises"many"alternative"currency"projects,"and"to"enlist"the"expertise"of"Banco"

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219
"The"name"of"the"bank"is"a"play"on"the"German"word"“Schwarzgeld”,"literally"“black"money”,"a"common"
term"for"money"that"is"unreported"or"illegally"obtained."It"is"also"a"reference"to"the"colour"of"“coal”,"i.e."the"
name"of"the"currency"issued"by"Schwarzbank.""
152"
"
Palmas" in" the" institution" of" a" community" bank." Presenting" the" success" story" of" Banco"
Palmas"helped"to"illustrate"the"social"and"economic"potential"of"such"an"endeavour"and"
thus"provided"an"incentive"for"people"to"become"involved"in"the"project.""
This" also" meant" that" by" the" time" of" the" official" opening," the" network" of"
collaborators" was" already" at" least" partly" formed." Of" the" ca" 260" people" that" gathered" in"
the"theatre"for"the"opening"event,"a"number"were"representatives"of"the"by"then"60"local"
businesses"and"institutions"that"had"previously"agreed"to"be"part"of"the"network."There"
had" already" been" two" instalments" of" the" weekly" meetings" of" the" network" that" would"
continue"throughout"the"project"(and"indeed"continued"after"the"end"of"the"project,"but"I"
will" get" back" to" this" later)." These" gatherings" (“SchwarzbankUStammtisch”)" were" open" to"
anyone,"not"just"businesses,"and"here"all"the"questions"and"problems"that"came"up"in"the"
course" of" the" project" could" be" discussed." Even" before" these" weekly" meetings" had" been"
initiated," there" had" been" other" gatherings" and" discussions," both" with" individual"
participants"and"with"larger"groups."The"opening"in"the"theatre"therefore"was"the"largest,"
but"not"the"first"public"event"in"the"context"of"the"project."And"even"those"people"who"
had"not"attended"any"previous"events"probably"already"had"some"sort"of"idea"about"the"
project"as"it"had"received"quite"an"extensive"media"coverage"both"locally"and"nationally"
before" it" was" officially" launched.220"The" opening" in" the" theatre" therefore" had," to" some"
extent,"the"quality"of"being"an"extension"of"these"previous"gatherings,"of"these"previous"
addresses."Only"now"a"larger"number"of"people"were"for"the"first"time"directly"addressed"
in"this"context."Furthermore,"the"evening"was"the"first"occasion"on"which"many"partners"
in" the" projects" encountered" each" other" directly." I" here" not" only" refer" to" the" partners"
within"the"network"of"businesses"and"institutions"that"had"not"previously"met;"it"was"on"
this" evening" that" all" the" people" who" had" worked" on" the" project" came" together:"
geheimagentur," theatre" actors" and" dramaturges," representatives" of" the" network"
partners," and" the" two" representatives" of" Banco" Palmas," Emanuela" Ferreira" Matias" and"
Francisco" Gilvanilson" Holanda." The" latter" would" accompany" the" project" for" its" duration."
Some"of"these"people"had"specific"roles"within"the"opening"lecture"performance,"which"I"
will" describe" later." But" regardless" of" whether" they" had" previously" been" involved" in" the"
preparations," everyone" in" the" theatre" this" evening" was" addressed" as" a" potential"

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220
"At" the" very" least," they" would" have" seen" the" posters" with" the" bank’s" logo," based" on" Malevich’s" black"
square," and" the" slogan" “Kohle" für" alle!”" (“Kohle" for" all!”)" that" had" been" on" display" all" over" the" city" well"
before"the"official"opening"of"the"project."
153"
"
participant" in" the" Schwarzbank" project." One" main" function" of" the" lecture" performance"
was" to" outline" the" parameters" of" this" possible" involvement," to" set" the" agenda" and" to"
explain"the"rules."What"is"important"to"note,"however,"is"that"participation"in"the"project"
was"never"dependent"upon"agreeing"with"all"the"aspects"of"this"agenda."The"rules"were"
up" for" negotiation" at" all" times" and" all" participants" in" the" project" could" follow" their"
individual"agendas"within"the"larger"project."This"was"to"some"extent"already"the"case"in"
the"opening"performance.""
While"I"have"previously"referred"to"the"fact"that"lecture"performances"can"also"be"
used"as"a"way"of"addressing"a"public"in"an"ongoing"project"or"inviting"a"public"to"become"
involved" in" a" project" that" is" itself" not" limited" to" its" manifestation" as" a" lecture"
performance,"the"Schwarzbank"project,"as"I"have"already"mentioned,"is"the"first"example"I"
am"discussing"in"this"thesis"of"a"performance"project"that"employs"this"kind"of"structure."It"
is," however," a" structure" that" geheimagentur" and" other" groups" and" collectives" employ"
frequently,"as"Peters"points"out:""
"
This"first"type"of"lecture"performance"has"by"now"become"a"central"format"for"groups"
that"put"their"performances"up"for"discussion"as"possibilities"for"political"intervention,"
that"recommend"that"they"are"taken"up"or"that"are"(per"se)"looking"for"participants"for"
a"next"action"[...].221"(Peters"2006:"123)"
"
While"the"lecture"performance"in"these"cases"is"awarded"a"specific"role"or"function"
within"a"larger"project,"for"some"audience"members"it"might"still"be"the"only"encounter"
they"have"with"that"project."This"means"that"lecture"performances"of"this"kind"have"to"be"
considered" both" in" relation" to" the" overall" project" and" with" regard" to" how" they" address"
and"involve"the"particular"audience"that"has"gathered"on"the"occasion"of"its"performance."
If"lecture"performances"take"on"the"function"of"inviting"participation"in"a"larger"project,"
they"will"(at"least"to"some"extent)"also"be"the"deferral"of"this"participation."Their"structure"
can"be"compared"to"that"of"the"manifesto,"as"Martin"Puchner"describes"it:"
"
What"remains"is"the"split"second"it"takes"to"say"‘Act"now’"or"‘Let"us"speak"no"more’"or"
‘Now," after" I" finish" this" last" sentence," there" will" be" no" more" sentences;" we" will" stop"

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221
"“Dieser" erste" Typ" der" LectureUPerformance" ist" mittlerweile" zu" einem" zentralen" Format" für" Gruppen"
geworden," die" ihre" Performances" als" Möglichkeiten" politischer" Intervention" zur" Diskussion" stellen," zur"
Nachahmung"empfehlen"beziehungsweise"(per"se)"auf"der"Suche"nach"den"Mitwirkenden"für"eine"nächste"
Aktion"sind"[...].“"
"
154"
"
 talking"and"writing"and"reading,"and"we"will"act,"as"soon"as"I"have"said"the"last"now:"
now!’"After"this"last"‘now’"has"been"said,"there"is"more"postponement"still"in"the"form"
of"an"exclamation"mark"that"both"emphasizes"the"urgency"to"act"and"postpones"the"act"
itself"once"more."[...]"In"this"way,"the"manifesto"is"a"genre"that"imagines"itself"to"be"on"
the" verge" of" action," anticipating," preparing," organizing" this" action," and" perhaps"
participating"in"it"already,"if"only"in"a"preliminary"manner."The"manifesto"simply"cannot"
wait"for"its"own"end"so"that"real"action,"the"only"thing"it"cares"about,"can"begin."It"is"a"
genre"that"is"impatient"with"itself,"that"is"eager"to"stop"talking"and"to"begin"doing,"even"
as"it"tries"to"make"its"own"language"part"of"that"envisioned"action."(Puchner"2006:"43)"
"
It"is"a"similar"paradox"that"lecture"performances"that"invite"future"participation"have"
to" address:" on" the" one" hand," the" talking" will" have" to" stop" at" some" point;" on" the" other"
hand," it" is" the" talking" that" aims" to" conjure" into" being" the" participation" which" forms" the"
next"stage"of"the"project.""
Puchner" identifies" the" manifesto’s" dilemma" as" speaking" from" a" position" that" lacks"
the" power" with" which" to" realise" its" own" proclamations" or" pronouncements." Manifestos"
aim"to"be"performative"speech"acts"in"the"Austinian"sense"(“Political"manifestos"are"texts"
singularly" invested" in" doing" things" with" words," in" changing" the" world.”" (5))," yet" they"
depend"on"theatricality"–"Puchner"here"means"that"they"have"to"make"the"(often"false)"
claim" that" their" realisation" is" possible" –" in" order" to" assume" a" position" of" authority" and"
power222:"“Theatricality"and"performativity"thus"describe"two"conflicting"tendencies"that"
informed"all"manifestos,"the"two"ingredients"that,"according"to"their"respective"degree"of"
influence," produced" the" various" types" of" manifestos" that" populate" the" twentieth"
century.”"(Puchner"2006:"5)"
Similarly," in" lecture" performances" artists" can" take" up" a" position" of" authority" by"
means"of"theatricality,"sometimes"by"actually"embodying"a"fictional"character,"like"that"of"
the"museum"guide"in"the"case"of"Andrea"Fraser,"and"at"other"times"by"merely"assuming"
the" authority" of" the" lecturer" in" adopting" a" language" and" gestures" specific" to" the" act" of"
lecturing." This" act" of" lecturing," however," would" usually" be" associated" more" with" a"
constative" description" of" the" “world" out" there”" than" with" an" attempt" to" performatively"
“change"the"world”."It"is,"however,"exactly"this"understanding"of"the"lecture"as"a"merely"
constative" utterance" that" is" challenged" in" all" lecture" performances." They" make" evident"
that"in"lecturing,"knowledge"or"meaning"is"performatively"produced,"while"simultaneously"

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222
"Puchner"describes"this"aspect"as"follows:"“Political"manifestos"frequently"overcompensate"for"the"actual"
powerlessness"of"their"position"with"theatrical"exaggerations,"and"their"confidence"is"often"feigned"rather"
than"grounded"in"real"authority.”"(Puchner"2006:"5)"
155"
"
enacting" this" performative" production" of" knowledge" or" meaning." Lecture" performances"
show"how"meaning"is"produced"and"at"the"same"time"produce"meaning."It"is"thus"through"
the" theatrical" appropriation" of" the" lecture" form" that" its" performativity" is" at" once" made"
evident"and"put"into"operation.""
This"is"also"true"for"lecture"performances"that,"like"the"opening"of"the"Schwarzbank,"
invite" participation" in" a" larger" project." Maybe" even" more" so" than" in" other" lecture"
performances," this" operation" appears" to" be" linked" to" the" constitution" of" a" public" as"
described" by" Warner." Interestingly," the" address" that" constitutes" a" public" also" has" to"
combine"elements"of"both"performativity"and"theatricality,"in"the"sense"that"Puchner"uses"
these" terms:" a" public" is" at" the" same" time" imagined" and" performatively" called" into"
being.223"While"Puchner"describes"the"manifesto"as"the"deferral"of"an"“envisioned"action”,"
Warner," as" I" have" quoted" above," describes" the" temporality" of" the" process" by" which" a"
public" is" constituted" in" terms" of" a" “chickenUandUegg" circularity”." This" means" that" the"
theatrical" and" performative" elements" of" the" address" are" mutually" dependent," and" it"
cannot"be"decided"what"comes"first."The"invitation"to"participate"extended"by"a"lecture"
performance" like" the" SchwarzbankUopening" can" be" described" as" the" deferral" of" this"
participation" in" terms" of" an" “envisioned" action”." At" the" same" time" it" initiates" a"
participation" in" the" public" that" the" invitation" addresses" and" thus" a" participation" as" a"
public"in"the"lecture"performance"itself."This"public,"however,"is"supposed"to"enter"into"a"
different" kind" of" organisation" outside" of" the" spatioUtemporal" frame" of" the" lecture"
performance.""
"
Opening#a#bank"
"
I"have"above"quoted"the"opening"lines"of"the"opening"lecture"performance."But,"as"I"
have"also"stated,"something"else"had"already"happened"before"these"lines"were"uttered."
At" 7.33" pm" (and" this" had" to" be" timed" exactly" because" it" was" broadcast" live" on" local"
television)," and" before" any" performers" had" entered" the" stage," money" started" to" ‘rain"
down’" from" the" ceiling" onto" the" auditorium." Stagehands" and" technicians" threw" around"
400"5UEuroUnotes"from"the"lighting"rig"and"the"balcony"(which"was"closed"to"visitors),"and"

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223
"In" trying" to" constitute" a" public" through" the" specific" address" they" employ," these" lecture" performances"
often" also" appropriate" elements" of" other" forms" of" public" speaking" (that" maybe" have" a" more" openly"
appellatory"character),"like"political"speeches"or,"indeed,"manifestos.""
156"
"
most"audience"members"caught"at"least"one"of"the"notes."While"the"money"was"raining"
down,"a"light"box"with"the"word"“CHANGE”"flashed"above"the"still"empty"stage."When"the"
audience" was" finally" welcomed" and" addressed" with" the" statement" that" “Oberhausen" is"
bankrupt”," this" assessment" was" at" odds" with" the" action" that" had" just" occurred," namely"
the" free" distribution" of" bank" notes." This" made" evident" that" the" solution" that"
geheimagentur"was"going"to"propose"to"this"problem"would"have"nothing"to"do"with"the"
austerity"measures"imposed"on"the"city"by"the"state"government."Instead,"geheimagentur"
put" forward" an" agenda" of" wastefulness" and" proclaimed" that" everyone" should" have" the"
privilege"to"print"their"own"money."This"programme"or"agenda"was"further"elaborated"in"
the"lecture"elements"of"the"performance."In"the"first"lecture"element,"Oberhausen’s"dire"
financial"situation"was"addressed,"a"situation"that"most"people"in"the"audience"were"not"
only" aware" of" but" that" was" related" to" their" everyday" experience" of" the" city," where" not"
only" many" shops" had" closed" down" but" also" numerous" public" institutions.224"The" local"
imperative" to" save" money" was" discussed" as" being" paradigmatic" of" a" shift" away" from"
democratic"participation"and"selfUdetermination"within"contemporary"capitalism:"
"
Whenever"there"is"debt"somewhere,"it"must"be"somebody’s"fault."Then,"wastefulness"
and" luxury" are" denounced:" for" instance" that" a" city" can" afford" a" theatre" or" public"
swimming"pools."Hence,"we"were"not"surprised"when,"underneath"an"announcement"
for" tonight’s" event," a" reader" had" left" the" following" comment:" ‘Obviously" the" city" of"
Oberhausen" is" still" swimming" in" money" if" it" can" finance" such" rubbish" through" the"
theatre.’" Ladies" and" gentlemen," if" everything" works" out," this" vision" could" become"
reality," and" soon" we" will" all" really" be" swimming" in" money." Because," as" you" all" know,"
tonight,"in"about"one"hour,"the"Schwarzbank"will"be"opened"and"Oberhausen"will"get"a"
new" currency." Ladies" and" gentlemen," welcome" to" “Kohle" für" alle”!" Ladies" and"
gentlemen,"we"have"complained"about"bankers"for"long"enough,"it’s"time"we"become"
bankers" ourselves." Ladies" and" gentlemen," in" the" words" of" Bertolt" Brecht:" ‘What’s"

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224
"The"theatre"itself,"as"the"audience"would"have"known,"has"been"under"constant"threat"of"being"closed"
down,"and"has"experienced"significant"budget"cuts"in"the"past"few"years.""
157"
"
 breaking"into"a"bank"compared"to"founding"a"bank?’"Ladies"and"gentlemen,"let’s"make"
money!225"
"
In"the"second"lecture"element,"geheimagentur"briefly"explained"that"nowadays"the"
value" of" money" is" constituted" through" belief" only, 226 "a" belief" that" is" performatively"
reinforced"every"time"that"money"is"used"to"buy"or"sell"something:"money"is"“no"longer"
created" by" governments" –" and" that" means" by" formally" democratically" legitimised"
authorities"–"but"by"commercial"banks"–"through"credit”227."What"follows"from"this,"so"the"
argument"continued,"is"that"money"is"not"a"neutral"medium,"and"that"it"is"not"the"same"
for"everyone:"“geheimagentur"asks:"how"can"we"intervene"in"the"monetary"system"if"we"
don’t"have"money"ourselves?”228."The"third"lecture"element"then"focused"on"the"faculty"
of" money" to" create" publics:" “Money" enables" interactions" between" strangers;" or," put"
differently," money" creates" publics." If" there" are" two" people," no" money" is" needed." In"
contrast"to"exchange"and"the"gift,"dealing"with"money"implies"that"there"is"a"third"person"
who"will"accept"this"money"in"the"future.”229"Although"this"was"not"explained"in"any"more"
detail," the" implicit" reference" here" was" Warner’s" idea" of" the" stranger" as" a" constitutive"
element"in"the"constitution"of"any"public"(Warner"2002:"74).""
The"relationship"between"money"and"publics"was"then"linked"to"the"logic"of"the"gift,"
via"a"brief"look"at"the"history"of"money"(taking"up"David"Graeber’s"proposition"that"money"
did"not"constitute"an"evolution"from"a"barter"economy"but"was"instead"introduced"as"a"
way" to" formalise" and" quantify" debt" (Graeber" 2011:" 21))." Buying" somebody" a" drink" was"
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225
"“Wenn" irgendwo" Schulden" sind," muss" auch" jemand" schuld" haben." Dann" wird" die" Verschwendung"
angeprangert," der" Luxus:" also" dass" sich" eine" Stadt" zum" Beispiel" ein" Theater" leistet" oder" Schwimmbaeder."
Und"so"hat"es"uns"nicht"weiter"verwundert,"dass"unter"einem"Ankuendigungstext"fuer"den"heutigen"Abend"
[...]" ein" Leser" folgenden" Kommentar" geschrieben" hat:" „Scheinbar" schwimmmt" [sic]" die" Stadt" Oberhausen"
immer"noch"in"Geld,"wenn"sie"einen"solchen"Quatsch"über"das"Theater"finanzieren"kann."Meine"Damen"und"
Herren," wenn" alles" klar" geht," dann" koennte" diese" Vision" Wirklichkeit" werden," und" wir" schwimmen" bald"
wirklich" alle" im" Geld." Denn," wie" sie" alle" wissen," wird" hier" heute" abend," in" etwa" einer" Stunde," die"
Schwarzbank" eröffnet" und" Oberhausen" bekommt" eine" eigene" Währung." Meine" Damen" und" Herren,"
wilkkommen" bei" Kohle" für" alle!" Meine" Damen" und" Herrern," wir" haben" lange" genug" über" die" Banker"
geschimpft," es" wird" Zeit," dass" wir" selber" Banker" werden." Meine" Damen" und" Herren," in" den" Worten" von"
Bertolt" Brecht:" ‚Was" ist" ein" Einbruch" in" eine" Bank" gegen" die" Gründung" einer" Bank?‘" Meine" Damen" und"
Herren," let’s" make" money.“" In" German," the" term" “Schuld”" refers" both" to" “debt”" and" “guilt”." In" his" book"
Debt:! The! first! 5000! years," David" Graber" refers" extensively" to" the" perceived" relation" between" “debt”" and"
“guilt”"and"the"conflation"of"economy"and"morality"that"goes"with"it"(Graeber"2011:"77)."
226
"The"economic"term"for"money"that"is"“backed"only"by"the"public"trust”"(53)"is"“fiat"money”.""
227
"“Der" grösste" Teil" unseres" Geldes" wird" heute" nicht" mehr" von" Staaten" –" und" das" heisst" auch" von" formal"
demokratisch"legitimierten"Instanzen"–"erschaffen,"sondern"von"kommerziellen"Banken–"per"Kredit.“"
228
"“Die"geheimagentur"fragt:"Kann"man"im"System"des"Geldes"intervenieren,"auch"dann,"wenn"man"selbst"
kein"Geld"hat?“"
229
"“Geld" ermöglicht" Interaktionen" zwischen" Fremden," oder," anders" gesagt," Geld" stiftet" Öffentlichkeiten."
Wenn"man"zu"zweit"ist,"braucht"man"kein"Geld."Im"Gegensatz"zum"Tausch"oder"zum"Geschenk"impliziert"der"
Handel"mit"Geld,"dass"dort"ein"Dritter"ist,"der"dieses"Geld"auch"in"Zukunft"annehmen"wird.“"
158"
"
used" as" an" example" that" “maybe" we" don’t" all" want" to" be" even" with" each" other" all" the"
time”230."The"lecture"performance"proposed"that"a"link"between"money"and"the"gift"was"
especially"evident"in"the"introduction"of"Kohle."The"performers"declared"that"to"deal"with"
Kohle" might" in" hindsight" turn" out" to" have" been" a" gift," because" there" was" no" guarantee"
that"the"currency"would"still"be"valuable"after"the"two"weeks:"“Maybe"in"two"weeks"all"
this"will"have"been"nothing"but"theatre.”231"
The"delivery"and"tone"of"these"lecture"elements,"as"the"quotes"may"already"suggest,"
was" closer" to" that" of" a" TV" show" than" an" academic" lecture." Geheimagentur" performers"
took" turns" in" presenting" these" ideas," and" in" illustrating" what" was" being" said" by" placing"
materials,"texts,"titles"and"images"underneath"two"cameras,"the"live"footage"of"which"was"
projected"onto"a"large"screen"to"create"a"single"image.""
In"between"the"lecture"elements,"guests"were"invited"onto"the"stage."Oberhausen’s"
treasurer"Apostolos"Tsalastras"and"theatre’s"director"Peter"Carp"were"interviewed"about"
their"ideas"for"the"project,"and"the"representatives"of"Banco"Palmas"presented"the"story"
of" their" community" bank" and" the" currency" it" had" introduced." Each" of" the" guests’"
performances"was"followed"by"a"series"of"commercials"for"businesses"that"were"part"of"
the" bank’s" network," performed" live" by" actors" of" the" theatre." In" these" commercials," the"
focus" was" on" the" fact" that" all" the" businesses" were" offering" goods" or" services" for" Kohle."
The" commercials" were" deliberately" whimsical," incorporating" elements" of" slapstick," live"
music" and" live" costume" changes." Thus," the" lecture" elements" were" only" one" mode" of"
address" employed" in" the" performance." Geheimagentur" simultaneously" expressed" their"
agenda" in" different" ways" and" allowed" other" agendas" to" be" present" in" the" performance:"
the" commercials," for" instance," were" another" way" of" trying" to" convince" people" to"
participate" in" the" project" by" spending" Kohle" in" the" participating" shops" and" institutions,"

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230
"“wollen" wir" vielleicht" nicht" immer" notwendigerweise" sofort" alle" miteinander" quitt" sein“." This" aspect" is"
described"in"more"detail"in"‘Changing"Money’,"a"paper"presented"at"the"Performance"Studies"international"
Conference" #18" in" Leeds" in" 2012," in" which" geheimagentur" reflects" on" the" SchwarzbankUProject:" “What" is"
especially"interesting"if"we"want"to"make"money"ourselves"is"the"intrinsic"link"between"money"and"the"gift."
[...]"In"a"gift"economy,"I"give"you"something"that"you"need,"but"expect"that,"the"next"time"I"need"something,"
you"will"give"it"to"me."[...]"you"might"have"something"I"need"in"the"future."There"is"no"contract,"but"there"is"a"
bond" between" us." And" actually," for" this" type" of" economy" to" work," it" is" important" that" we" are" never"
completely"even;"what"you"give"me"in"the"future"should"be"more"or"less"valuable"than"what"I"have"given"to"
you,"so"that"the"bond"remains"intact."Money"erases"that"bond"by"formalising"the"debt"you"owe"me."On"the"
other"hand,"maybe"the"logic"of"the"gift"is"only"suspended"in"money,"it"is"delegated,"through"the"medium"of"
money," to" the" public" framework," which" is" guaranteeing" us" the" validity" of" the" notes" we" use" for" our"
interaction,"so"what"happens"is"that"when"there"is"money"involved"it"is"no"longer"only"a"matter"between"
you"and"me.”"(geheimagentur"2012)"
231
"“Vielleicht"wird"das"alles"in"zwei"Wochen"nur"Theater"gewesen"sein.“"
159"
"
and" also" represented" an" agenda" that" many" shops" and" businesses" shared," i.e." that" the"
project" would" serve" as" a" kind" of" advertising" for" them" and" help" them" attract" more"
customers."And"while"the"choice"of"guests"corresponded"to"the"theme"of"the"respective"
lecture" elements" after" which" the" guests" were" invited" onto" the" stage," they" were" free" to"
formulate" and" express" their" own" agenda" (or" that" of" the" institution" they" represented)"
within"the"project."
In"the"final"lecture"element"–"consisting"of"a"tenUpoint"programme"for"the"founding"
of" the" Schwarzbank" –" each" point" was" presented" by" a" different" person" (members" of"
geheimagentur," dramaturges," the" translator," and" Katrin" Bahrs," the" designer" for" the"
project)."The"stage"thus"started"filling"up"with"people,"thereby"illustrating"the"thesis"that"
“You"cannot"make"money"by"yourself”232,"which"took"the"form"of"a"recurring"statement"in"
this"part"of"the"lecture"performance."The"ten"points"included"practical"information"about"
how"the"project"would"work"and"how"people"could"participate"in"it"(for"instance"where"
and"how"to"get"the"money)."This"was"combined"with"theoretical"expositions"(for"instance"
on"why"Kohle"would"not"be"convertible"into"Euros)."In"the"course"of"the"presentation"of"
these"ten"points,"KohleUnotes"were"printed"on"a"photocopier"that"had"been"rolled"up"to"
the" front" of" the" stage." Each" member" of" the" network" was" thanked" individually" for" being"
part"of"the"project."
And,"finally,"the"members"of"the"audience"were"invited"on"stage,"where"they"could"
wager"the"Euros"they"had"caught"in"a"series"of"games"in"order"to"win"Kohle"(for"5"Euros,"
people" could" win" 5," 10" or" 15" Kohle)." The" rationale" behind" distributing" Kohle" through"
gambling"was"that,"on"the"one"occasion"in"the"project"where"Euros"could"be"exchanged"
into" Kohle," no" exchange" rate" would" have" to" be" fixed. 233 "Audience" members" could"
immediately"spend"the"Kohle"they"had"won"at"a"number"of"market"stalls"that"the"partners"
in"the"network"had"set"up"on"stage"and"which"offered"all"sorts"of"products"and"services."
The"audience"was"thus"invited"right"away"to"perform"their"belief"in"the"new"currency"by"
exchanging"their"Euros"for"Kohle"(although"they"were"of"course"also"allowed"to"just"take"
their"Euros"home"with"them),"and"by"spending"their"Kohle"on,"among"other"things,"food,"
drinks"or"haircuts.""
"
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232
"“Geld"kann"man"nicht"alleine"machen”."
233
"The"partners"in"the"network"negotiated"the"value"of"the"currency"by"determining"what"goods"would"be"
on"offer"at"what"prices,"and"comparing"their"individual"offers"with"each"other."One"reference"point"was"the"
value"of"the"Palmas,"the"currency"of"Banco"Palmas.""
160"
"
Money,#publics#and#the#theatre"
"
To"use"Puchner’s"terms,"once"the"“talking”"had"stopped"(although"people"continued"
to"engage"in"all"sorts"of"conversations),"the"action"that"had"been"anticipated,"prepared,"
and"organised,"indeed"materialised."The"fact"that"this"“envisioned"action”"was"able"to"be"
realised"seems"to"be"where"the"analogy"between"manifesto"and"lecture"performance"falls"
short,"bearing"in"mind"that"historically,"according"to"Puchner,"the"position"from"which"the"
manifesto" spoke" was" lacking" the" authority" to" realise" its" own" demands." Puchner" studies"
both" artistic" and" political" manifestos," and" comes" to" the" conclusion" that," whilst,"
performativity" and" theatricality" are" both" features" present" in" either" type" of" manifesto,"
what"distinguishes"these"types"is"their"respective"focus"on"only"one"of"these"features:"
"
This" distinction" between" performativity" and" theatricality" can" be" phrased" in" terms" of"
means" and" end:" the" socialist" manifesto" has" tended" toward" seeing" itself" as" an"
instrument," a" means" to" an" end," whereas" the" avantUgarde" manifesto" has" tended"
towards"seeing"the"manifesto"as"an"end"in"itself."(Puchner"2006:"261)"
"
The" dominance" of" either" performativity" or" theatricality" presents" a" paradox,"
according" to" Puchner:" “How" can" a" text" be" means" and" end," theatrical" and" performative,"
without," in" the" process," becoming" neither?”" (262)" Puchner" ends" his" book" with" the"
demand"for"a"manifesto"that"“inhabit[s]"this"paradox”"(262)."I"do"not"want"to"suggest"that"
a" lecture" performance" like" the" opening" of" the" Schwarzbank" necessarily" presents" the"
answer"to"Puchner’s"question."But"it"can"be"described,"on"a"structural"level,"as"inhabiting"
the"paradox"of"being"both"an"end"in"itself"(as"a"performance"for"an"audience"that"might"or"
might"not"become"involved"in"the"next"stages"of"the"project)"and"as"a"means"to"an"end,"
because" it" is" framed" as" an" invitation" to" participate." As" such," it" does" not" obtain" its"
authority"primarily"through"the"authoritative"position"from"which"it"is"speaking,"although"
it" might" claim" such" an" authority." Rather," it" is" legitimised" only" if" the" public" chooses" to"
follow"the"invitation."If"this"public,"however,"is"only"constituted"through"the"act"of"being"
addressed" in" the" performance" itself," what" kind" of" public," then," is" envisioned" in" the"
address?""
I" have" already" stated" that" there" were" different" modes" of" address" performed" in"
parallel"in"the"performance."The"audience"was"addressed"as"just"that,"a"theatre"audience"
(“Good"evening,"ladies"and"gentlemen”)."But"audience"members"were"also"addressed"as"

161"
"
inhabitants"of"Oberhausen,"and"as"future"bankers"or"bank"clients,"as"people"who"would"
like"to"“swim"in"money”."Many"times"they"were"implicated"in"a"common"project"through"
the" use" of" the" first" person" plural," “we”." And" they" were" not" only" addressed" by"
geheimagentur"but"also"by"representatives"of"the"city,"representatives"of"the"theatre"and"
representatives" of" a" Brazilian" community" bank." In" this" multiplicity" of" voices" the"
dramaturgy"of"the"evening"suggested"that"the"performance"not"only"addressed"a"public"
but"also"presented"a"kind"of"rehearsal"for"the"constitution"of"a"public,"a"preUfiguration"of"
the" public" it" set" out" to" construct." This" was" underlined" by" the" fact" that" more" and" more"
people"were"invited"on"stage"until,"in"the"end,"the"stage"was"opened"for"the"audience"to"
enter."Furthermore,"it"was"implied"that"the"public"that"would"be"constituted"through"the"
introduction"of"Kohle"would"necessarily"extend"beyond"the"public"gathered"in"the"theatre"
that" evening," or" beyond" any" actual" physical" gathering" of" people." While" any" public"
according" to" Warner" is" constituted" through" address," this" address" is" never" limited" to" a"
particular" concrete" situation" but" dependent" upon" circulation:" “all" discourse" or"
performance" addressed" to" a" public" must" characterize" the" world" in" which" it" attempts" to"
circulate"and"it"must"attempt"to"realize"that"world"through"address”"(Warner"2002:"114)."
Seen" from" this" perspective" the" circulation" of" the" new" currency" in" the" city" would"
constitute" a" kind" of" ‘reality" check’" for" the" public" that" was" constituted" through" being"
imagined"in"the"Schwarzbank’s"opening"performance.""
At"this"point,"we"have"to"consider"the"particular"institution"in"which"this"public"had"
gathered:" the" city’s" theatre," which" is" part" of" the" German" state" and" city" theatre" system."
Historically," as" Kai" van" Eikels" points" out," theatre" in" Germany" “in" the" 18th" Century" was"
credited"with"the"capacity"to"prefigure"the"nation,"which"then"did"not"exist"as"a"political"
entity,"by"virtue"of"the"effect"it"has"on"the"audience”"(van"Eikels"2012)234"To"this"day,"the"
German"institutions"of"the"‘Stadttheater’"(city"theatre)"or"‘Staatstheater’"(state"theatre),"
as"van"Eikels"argues,"to"some"extent"still"rely"on"this"assumption."As"a"result,"the"idea"still"
prevails"that"there"is"“a"congruency"between"the"collectives"‘the"audience’,"‘the"people’"
and"‘the"public’”"(van"Eikels"2012).235"Hence,"the"idea"that"what"takes"place"in"a"theatre"
performance"can"be"regarded"as"a"preUfiguration"of"the"public"is"–"in"the"German"tradition"
–"inherent"to"the"institution"of"the"theatre."The"audience"in"the"theatre"does"not"simply"

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234
"“das" im" 18." Jahrhundert" ja" die" Kompetenz" zugesprochen" bekam," die" Nation," die" damals" als" politisches"
Gebilde"noch"nicht"existierte,"kraft"seiner"Wirkung"auf"das"Publikum"vorzubilden”."
235
"“Kongruenz"der"Kollektive"‘das"Publikum’,"‘das"Volk’"und"‘die"Öffentlichkeit’“."
162"
"
constitute"a"public,"but"is"seen"as"representative"of"“the"public”,"as"described"by"Warner:"
“The" public" is" a" kind" of" social" totality." Its" most" common" sense" is" that" of" the" people" in"
general."It"might"be"the"people"organized"as"the"nation,"the"commonwealth,"the"city,"the"
state,"or"some"other"community.”"(Warner"2002:"65)"
If,"in"the"SchwarzbankUopening,"the"audience"is"not"only"addressed"as"a"public"but"
the"variety"of"addresses"also"constitutes"a"preUfiguration"or"model"of"that"public,"is"this"a"
public" that" represents" “the" public”" as" a" social" totality" which" is" exclusive," which" defines"
itself" against" an" outside" (“whenever" one" is" addressed" as" the" public," the" others" are"
assumed"not"to"matter”"(66))?""
On" one" level," one" could" assume" so," considering" not" only" the" specific" theatre"
tradition"I"have"referred"to,"but"more"generally"the"specific"scope"of"the"project"for"the"
city"of"Oberhausen"(underlined"by"the"fact"that"a"representative"of"the"city’s"government"
speaks" in" support" of" the" project)," and" the" specific" economical" model" it" proposes:" the"
model" of" a" local" currency," issued" by" a" community" bank," is" based" on" the" idea" that" the"
money" earned" in" the" community" continues" circulating" in" it" rather" than" being" spent"
outside"of"it."The"idea"of"community"is"indeed"central"to"Banco"Palmas,"as"confirmed"by"
their" presentation" at" the" Schwarzbank" opening." Yet" the" very" presence" of" Banco" Palmas"
also" pointed" beyond" the" specific" locale" of" the" project," beyond" the" theatre," beyond"
Oberhausen,"beyond"Europe."That"representatives"of"a"former"slum"in"Brazil"would"help"
introduce"a"new"currency"in"Oberhausen"turned"on"its"head"the"idea"of"foreign"aid"(which"
would"usually"be"directed"the"other"way)."And"the"fact"that"a"transnational"collaboration"
would"be"central"to"the"project"was"a"way"of"making"sure"that"the"project"could"not"be"
subsumed"under"any"kind"of"“social"totality”.""
Geheimagentur’s"position"too"has"to"be"considered"in"this"context,"because"it"was"
always"communicated"as"being"an"outsider’s"position."In"the"opening"performance"it"was"
made" clear" that" geheimagentur" had" been" invited" to" realise" a" specific" project" in"
Oberhausen."This"implied"that"the"collective’s"investment"in"the"city"would"end"with"the"
completion" of" the" twoUweek" period" for" which" the" project" was" scheduled." While" siteU
specific" practices" are" often" criticized" for" shortUterm" engagements" with" specific"
communities"with"which"artists"have"no"personal,"lasting"relationship,"in"this"case"such"a"
position" can" in" fact" provide" a" way" out" of" the" totality" inherent" in" the" concept" of"
community"or"of"“the"public”.#

163"
"
 I" have" stated" before" that" people" were" able" to" participate" in" the" project" without"
buying"into"the"specific"agenda"proposed"by"geheimagentur"in"the"opening"performance."
All"they"had"to"do"was"to"use"the"new"currency"–"regardless"of"their"motivation."In"doing"
so,"however,"they"would"experience"money"as"something"that,"for"once,"was"not"scarce,"
and" something" that" they" could" participate" in" shaping." What" then" is" the" relation" of" the"
agenda" put" forward" by" geheimagentur" to" the" public" that" is" constituted" in" the" address?"
Warner" makes" a" distinction" between" publics" that" can" come" to" “stand" in" for" the" public”"
(117)" and" counterpublics" that" “mark" themselves" off" unmistakably" from" any" general" or"
dominant"public”"(117U8)."I"argue"that"geheimagentur’s"critique"of"capitalism"articulated"
in" an" agenda" of" wastefulness" constituted" a" position" that" was" in" opposition" to" any"
assumed" “unity" of" public" opinion”" (117)." What" is" important" to" note," however," is" that"
formulating" a" “critical" opposition" to" the" state”" (117)" is" by" no" means" exclusive" to"
counterpublics." Rather," it" is" this" function" that" is" often" used" to" define" the" role" of" “the"
public”"in"relation"to"the"state"and"its"institutions:"
"
The"circulation"of"public"discourse"is"consistently"imagined,"both"in"folk"theory"and"in"
sophisticated"political"philosophy,"as"dialogue"or"discussion"among"already"coUpresent"
interlocutors" [...]." The" prevailing" image" is" something" like" parliamentary" forensics." I"
have"already"noted"that"this"folk"theory"enables"the"constitutive"circularity"of"publics"
to" disappear" from" consciousness," because" publics" are" thought" to" be" real" persons" in"
dyadic" author/reader" interactions" rather" than" multigeneric" circulation." I" have" also"
noted" that" the" same" ideologization" enables" the" idea" that" publics" can" have" volitional"
agency:"they"exist"to"deliberate"and"then"decide."(115)"
"
Warner"characterises"the"agency"attributed"to"publics"as"“an"extraordinary"fiction”"
based"on"an"understanding"of"“the"ongoing"circulatory"time"of"public"discourse"as"though"
it"were"a"discussion"leading"up"to"a"decision”"(123)."From"this"perspective,"“all"publics"are"
part"of"the"public”"(116).""
It"is"thus"not"only"their"oppositional"content"that"distinguishes"counterpublics"from"
other" publics." It" is" also" their" reliance" on" forms" of" expression" or" modes" of" address" that"
cannot" be" easily" subsumed" under" the" “ideology" of" rationalUcritical" discussion”" (116)"
usually" imposed" on" the" idea" of" publics" or" the" public:" “Publics" more" overtly" oriented" in"
their" selfUunderstandings" to" the" poeticUexpressive" dimensions" of" language," including"
artistic"publics"and"many"counterpublics,"lack"the"power"to"transpose"themselves"to"the"
generality" of" the" state.”" (116)" In" Warner’s" conception" of" counterpublics," this" lack" of"

164"
"
power"seems"to"be"what"prevents"such"counterpublics"from"being"subsumed"under"the"
label" of" the" public." This" assessment," however," appears" to" be" at" odds" with" the" role"
attributed"to"the"theatre"in"the"German"tradition,"where"in"the"aesthetic"experience"(an"
experience" that" can" be" assumed" to" transcend" rationalUcritical" discourse" and" access" the"
“poeticUexpressive" dimensions" of" language”)" exactly" such" a" “transposition" to" the"
generality"of"the"state”"is"assumed"to"take"place,"as"a"specific"public"is"seen"to"stand"in"for"
a" “social" totality”" (the" public," the" people)." This" apparent" contradiction" illustrates" that"
publics" do" not" necessarily" escape" the" subordination" to" a" dominant" public" only" because"
they" are" constituted" through" an" address" that" cannot" be" described" as" “rationalUcritical"
discourse”"(what"Warner"terms"“artistic"publics”)."If"thus"neither"oppositional"content"nor"
“poeticUexpressive”" address" guarantees" an" escape" from" being" incorporated" into" the"
public," what" remains" is" to" look" at" specific" figurations" of" these" elements" and" how" they"
allow"for"an"imagination"of"different"kinds"of"public"(the"role"of"the"imaginary"is"essential"
to" Warner’s" idea" of" publics" and" Peters’s" reading" of" Warner)." This" leads" me" back" to" the"
lecture" performance" as" a" form" that" appropriates" the" language" of" “rationalUcritical"
discourse”"whilst"at"the"same"time"showing"how"other"forms"of"expression"always"enter"
into"this"discourse.""
#
Branching#out#
"
By"putting"the"focus"on"the"role"that"the"two"lecture"performances"had"within"the"
Schwarzbank" project," and" thus" on" its" two" manifestations" in" a" theatrical" setting," I" am"
ignoring"a"substantial"part"of"the"project,"indeed"arguably"its"most"important"part,"namely"
the" daily" business" of" the" bank." While" the" opening" first" lecture" performance," as" I" have"
described,"functioned"to"some"extent"as"the"anticipation"of"a"public"process,"the"closing"
second"lecture"performance"largely"functioned"as"an"account"of"this"process,"of"what"had"
happened"in"the"two"weeks"in"which"the"project"had"inhabited"the"city."A"discussion"of"
the"second"lecture"performance"thus"allows"me"to"at"least"briefly"consider"this"aspect"of"
the"project.""
The"structure"and"basic"setUup"of"the"second"lecture"performance"was"similar"to"the"
first," with" one" main" exception:" there" were" no" “commercials”." Instead" video"
documentation" was" shown:" footage" from" the" businesses" that" participated;" short" video"
statements"in"which"customers"of"the"bank"stated"for"which"activities"they"had"received"
165"
"
Kohle" (“I" received" 20" Kohle" for" gardening”;" “I" received" 20" Kohle" for" robbing" the"
Schwarzbank”;"and"so"on);"excerpts"from"conversations"with"passersUby"and"from"several"
meetings"and"events"surrounding"the"project,"mostly"featuring"discussions"relating"to"the"
future"of"the"currency."Invited"on"stage"were"representatives"of"some"of"the"participating"
businesses"and"institutions,"but"also"people"who"had"come"to"the"bank"as"customers"and"
who"explained"what"they"had"done"for"and"with"Kohle."The"lecture"elements"were"again"
used"to"explicate"geheimagentur’s"agenda"for"the"project,"often"with"direct"reference"to"
the" previous" lecture" performance:" “two" weeks" ago," we" said" ...”" was" a" recurring"
introduction" to" parts" of" the" lecture" text." Also" the" very" first" address" was" a" reflection" on"
what"had"been"said"in"the"previous"performance:""
"
Ladies"and"gentlemen,"good"evening."Oberhausen"is"not"bankrupt,"Oberhausen"is"not"
poor."Even"if"two"weeks"ago"on"this"stage"we"made"a"different"claim:"we"take"it"back."
Because" it" is" exactly" this" talk" of" bankruptcy" and" debt" that" obstructs" the" view" for" the"
resources" that" are" available" in" abundance" everywhere," and" of" course" also" in"
Oberhausen."There"is"no"intrinsically"poor"region,"says"Banco"Palmas."And"in"the"past"
two"weeks,"we"have"set"out"to"explore"the"wealth"of"Oberhausen"together.236""
"
The"retrospective"tone"of"the"lecture"was"not"primarily"a"reaction"to"the"official"end"
of"the"project,"but"also"to"its"potential"continuation"outside"the"frame"of"the"performance"
project:"over"the"two"weeks"the"project"had"run,"a"large"number"of"people"had"expressed"
the" hope" that" the" new" currency" would" continue" in" some" way." What" became," however,"
evident"was"that"in"order"for"the"project"to"continue,"it"would"have"to"take"on"a"different"
form,"and"that"geheimagentur"could"not"be"responsible"for"this"continuation."That"people"
more" permanently" invested" in" local" issues" in" Oberhausen" would" have" to" continue" the"
project" if" so" desired" was" a" point" that" geheimagentur" had" stressed" from" the" start." To"
celebrate" what" had" been" achieved" regardless" of" a" possible" continuation" of" the" project"
was" one" aim" of" the" second" performance," to" set" the" scene" for" handing" over" the" project"
another." This" meant" that" additional" voices" to" geheimagentur’s" would" have" to" be" even"
more" prominent" in" this" performance" than" in" the" first" one." While" the" first" lecture"
performance" led" up" to" the" opening" of" the" bank," the" second" one" led" up" to"
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236
"“Meine"Damen"und"Herren,"guten"Abend."Oberhausen"ist"nicht"pleite,"Oberhausen"ist"nicht"arm."Auch"
wenn"wir"vor"zwei"Wochen"an"dieser"Stelle"etwas"anderes"behauptet"haben:"wir"nehmen"das"zurueck."Denn"
es"ist"genau"dieses"Gerede"von"der"Pleite,"von"den"Schulden,"vom"Sparen,"das"den"Blick"darauf"versperrt,"
was" an" Resourcen" im" Ueberfluss" vorhanden" ist," ueberall," und" selbstverstaendlich" auch" in" Oberhausen." Es"
gibt"keine"von"sich"aus"arme"Region,"sagt"die"Banco"Palmas."Und"in"den"vergangenen"zwei"Wochen"haben"
wir"uns"gemeinsam"daran"gemacht,"den"Reichtum"Oberhausens"zu"erforschen.“"
166"
"
geheimagentur’s"resignation"as"what"had"ironically"be"termed"the"‘Direktorium’"(board"of"
directors)" of" Schwarzbank," and" the" handing" over" of" the" project" to" the" group" of" people"
who"had"expressed"an"interest"in"continuing"it."It"is"thus"not"surprising"that"a"review"of"
the" project" (based" on" a" visit" to" the" Schwarzbank" branch" and" on" the" second" lecture"
performance)"that"appeared"in"the"magazine"Theater!Heute"focussed"almost"exclusively"
on" the" role" of" everybody" but" geheimagentur" in" the" performance" (calling" them" at" one"
point"“the"audience”,"and"“participants”"at"another):"
"
That" the" Oberhausians" believe" in" their" Kohle! is" made" evident" in" the" final" gala" in"
Theater! Oberhausen:" all" participants" seem" to" be" excited" by" the" idea" of" Kohle." The"
retailers"report"that"people"have"become"more"aware"of"their"shops,"a"young"Italian"
owner" of" a" delicatessen" enthusiastically" explains" that" people" have" stepped" into" his"
shop"who"would"otherwise"never"had"thought"of"it,"and"makes"a"pledge"on"the"open"
stage"to"continue"offering"espresso"and"juice"for"Kohle,"other"shop"owners"follow"his"
example." Selected" credit" receivers" give" accounts" of" their" highly" original" methods" of"
payment," and" along" the" way" one" hears" about" guerrilla" gardening," while" a" visibly"
glowing,"but"also"quite"obstinate"lady"in"the"audience"tries"to"climb"the"stage"and"grab"
the"microphone"–"in"short:"the"whole"thing"has"the"character"of"a"happening."That"one"
wants" to" continue" seems" obvious," about" the" how" there" is" a" discussion" with" the"
audience"members,"who"seem"to"agree:"thanks"to"Kohle,"people"came"together"who"
would"have"otherwise"never"met,"invitations"were"extended,"exceptional"deeds"done,"
discussions" about" alternative" means" of" payment" organised" ..." it" seems" as" if"
Oberhausen" had" once" again" found" a" way" of" making" a" living" from" coal.”" (Bloch" 2012:"
69)237"
"
Although" it" does" not" become" clear" from" this" description" what" exactly" occurred" in"
the" performance," the" review" still" quite" accurately" summarises" the" atmosphere" of" the"
event."Accounts"of"what"had"happened"over"the"two"weeks"of"the"project,"pledges"for"the"
future,"and"discussions"(not"so"much"with"the"audience"as"among"the"audience)"indeed"
constituted"a"large"part"of"the"performance."Yet"these"elements"alone"do"not"account"for"

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237
"“Dass" die" Oberhausener" an" ihre" Kohle" glauben," führt" die" Bilanz" der" Abschlussgala" im" Theater"
Oberhausen"vor:"Alle"Beteiligten"scheint"der"KohleUGedanke"gepackt"zu"haben."Die"Einzelhändler"berichten,"
dass" der" Bekanntheitsgrad" ihrer" Läden" gestiegen" sei," ein" junger" italienischer" Feinkosthändler" erzählt"
begeistert,"dass"Leute"seinen"Laden"betreten"hätten,"die"sonst"nie"auf"die"Idee"gekommen"wären,"und"legt"
ein"Gelübde"auf"offener"Bühne"ab,"weiter"Espresso"und"Säfte"gegen"Kohle"anzubieten,"andere"Ladeninhaber"
folgen" seinem" Beispiel." Ausgewählte" Kreditnehmerinnen" berichten" über" ihre" hochgradig" originellen"
Zahlungsformen,"und"man"erfährt"nebenbei"etwas"über"Guerilla"Gardening,"derweil"versucht"eine"sichtlich"
erglühte," aber" auch" ziemlich" renitente" Dame" aus" dem" Publikum" ständig" die" Bühne" zu" erklimmen" und" das"
Mikrofon"in"die"Hände"zu"bekommen"–"kurz:"Das"Ganze"hat"HappeningUCharakter."Dass"man"weitermachen"
will,"scheint"klar,"über"das"Wie"wird"mit"dem"Publikum"diskutiert,"das"sich"einig"ist:"Dank"der"Kohle"kamen"
Menschen" zusammen," die" sich" sonst" nie" getroffen" hätten," wurden" Einladungen" ausgesprochen,"
außergewöhnliche"Dinge"getan,"Gesprächsrunden"über"alternative"Zahlungsmittel"organisiert"..."Es"scheint,"
als"habe"Oberhausen"wieder"einen"Weg"gefunden,"von"der"Kohle"zu"leben.“"
167"
"
the"reviewer’s"perception"that"the"performance"had"the"“character"of"a"happening”."This"
perception" might" have" as" much" to" do" with" the" composition" of" the" public" that" was"
assembled"in"the"theatre"that"evening"as"with"what"happened"there."In"comparison"to"the"
first" performance" the" audience" had" changed." In" the" opening" performance," there" was"
already"a"relatively"mixed"crowd"due"to"the"many"business"partners"who"had"made"their"
way"to"the"theatre."But"in"the"closing"performance,"the"people"sitting"in"the"auditorium"
were"the"same"people"that"had"populated"the"container"over"the"duration"of"the"project:"
for"many"of"them,"it"was"the"first"time"they"had"ever"been"to"the"theatre,"if"only"because"
usually"they"cannot"afford"the"ticket"money"and"this"time"they"could"pay"it"in"Kohle."The"
collaboration" with" social" institutions" like" Oberhausen’s" Caritas" guaranteed" that" people"
who" really" had" no" money" could" participate" in" the" project," by" receiving" Kohle" or" also" by"
engaging" in" the" discussions" around" the" project." That" the" review" describes" the"
performance"as"having"the"“character"of"a"happening”,"and"thus"as"belonging"to"a"genre"
other"than"theatre,"might"also"be"because"the"audience"present"did"not"fit"with"the"idea"
of"a"theatre"audience"that"stands"in"for"the!people."Van"Eikels"points"out"that:"“The"state"
theatre" is" supposed" to" be" a" place" of" the" people," i.e." of" a" political" subject" that," on" the"
occasion" of" a" performance," experiences" itself" in" the" process" of" coming" and" being"
together," and" that" fits" to" a" representative" democracy”" (van" Eikels" 2012) 238 ." This"
conception" of" the" theatre" audience" as" standing" in" for" the" people" or" the" public" for" van"
Eikels" makes" the" state" theatre" an" institution" that" “embodies" a" gap”" (van" Eikels" 2012)239"
between"the"concepts"of"“the"people”"and"“the"multitude”"–"a"distinction"that"goes"back"
to"Hobbes,"for"whom"the"“multitude”"is"distinguished"from"the"“people”"by"its"inherent"
resistance"to"transfer"its"“natural"rights”"(see"Virno"2004:"23)"to"the"state."As"van"Eikels"
summarises," the" concept" of" the" multitude" has" in" recent" years" been" reUevaluated" in"
theories"that"have"identified"“forms"of"selfUorganisation”240"(van"Eikels"2012)"within"it:"
"
There"is,"to"briefly"summarise,"no"situation"in"which"collectivity"would"be"purely"of"the"
people."Every"assembly"is"permeated"to"a"certain"degree"by"forms"of"selfUorganisation"
between"some"of"the"assembled,"which"establish"a"relation"between"those"among"the"
assembled"who"participate"in"these"forms"with"the"others"of"the"assembled"(but"not"
with"all"of"them),"but"also"with"those"who"are"not"part"of"the"assembly:"not"part"of"the"
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238
"“Das" Staatstheater" soll" ein" Ort" des" Volkes" sein," d.h." eines" anlässlich" einer" Vorstellung" zu" sich"
kommenden," sich" im" Vorgang" des" Zusammenkommens" und" Beisammenseins" erfahrenden" politischen"
Subjekts,"das"zu"einer"repräsentativen"Demokratie"passt“."
239
"“einen"Abstand![...]!verkörpert“."
240
"“Formen"von"Selbstorganisation”."
168"
"
 assembly" as" representation" or" embodiment" of" the" people" –" or," with" regard" to" the"
theatre:"not"part"of"the"audience"of"this"performance."(van"Eikels"2012)241"
"
So"while,"on"the"one"hand,"the"public"assembled"in"the"theatre"on"the"evening"of"
the" Schwarzbank’s" closing" performance" was" probably" quite" far" off" from" the" ideal" of" a"
theatre" audience" that" stands" in" for" the! people," this" assembly" was" more" importantly" an"
assembly" of" assemblies," in" that" many" people" there" had" already" participated" in" some" of"
the" other" gatherings," discussions" and" workshops" that" the" project" had" generated." It" was"
not"only"the"theatre"that"had"brought"them"together."Instead,"in"the"theatre"event,"the"
different" forms" of" organisation" and" selfUorganisation" that" had" existed" outside" of" it"
constantly" reverberated." And" while" there" were" elements" of" discussion" present"
throughout"the"evening,"a"final"staged"discussion"was"initiated"not"by"geheimagentur"but"
by" the" representatives" of" Banco" Palmas:" they" introduced" the" concept" of" the" FECOL," a"
socioUeconomic"forum"to"which"all"inhabitants"of"Palmeiras"are"invited"monthly"to"discuss"
current" issues." Questions" were" projected" on" to" a" screen" in" the" auditorium" (“Does"
Oberhausen"need"Kohle"and"if"yes,"what"for?”"“Do"we"need"to"extend"the"network"and"if"
yes," with" whom?”" “What" is" the" next" step?”242)." Geheimagentur’s" role" in" the" discussion"
was"to"pass"around"the"microphone"in"the"auditorium"and"to"take"notes,"which"were"also"
projected."And"because"this"was"not"the"first"time"that"the"people"in"the"audience"were"
involved" in" discussions" around" the" project," many" had" things" to" say" and" presented"
arguments"they"had"already"rehearsed"in"the"previous"meetings."The"theatre"became"the"
forum"for"a"discussion"that"very"soon"focussed"on"the"future"of"the"project"and"how"the"
people"assembled"in"the"theatre"were"willing"to"contribute"to"this"future."
Thus,"even"if"the"lecture"performance"dissolved"into"a"discussion,"it"was"not"simply"
an" occasion" of" what" Warner" describes" as" a" “dialogue" or" discussion" among" already" coU
present"interlocutors”,"because"there"was"a"constant"reference"to"the"circulation"of"the"
discourse" that" constituted" that" public" outside" of" this" gathering." Moreover," even" though"
some"people"expressed"their"wish"to"continue"the"project"and"made"pledges"concerning"

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
241
"“Es"gibt,"knapp"zusammengefasst,"keine"Situation,"in"der"die"Kollektivität"rein"eine"des"Volkes"wäre."Jede"
Versammlung" durchdringen" zu" einem" gewissen" Grad" Formen" der" Selbstorganisation" zwischen" Einigen" der"
Versammelten" –" Formen" der" Selbstorganisation," die" diejenigen" unter" den" Versammelten," die" an" ihnen"
partizipieren,"sowohl"mit"anderen"Versammelten"in"Beziehung"setzen"(aber"eben"nicht"mit"allen)"als"auch"
mit" solchen," die" nicht" Teil" der" Versammlung" sind:" nicht" Teil" der" Versammlung" als" Repräsentation" oder"
Verkörperung"des"Volkes"–"bzw.,"mit"Bezug"auf"das"Theater:"nicht"Teil"des"Publikums"dieser"Aufführung.“"
242
"“Braucht" Oberhausen" Kohle" und" wenn" ja" wofür?" Müssen" wir" uns" weiter" vernetzen" und" wenn" ja" mit"
wem?"Was"ist"der"nächste"Schritt?”"
169"
"
their" future" involvement," there" was" never" an" official" decision" or" vote," or" indeed" a"
concrete" plan" for" how" this" continuation" would" manifest.243"And," finally," even" though" it"
took"the"form"of"“rationalUcritical"discourse”"for"the"most"part,"the"discussion"retained"an"
element" of" the" irrational" in" circling" around" the" realisation" of" the" seemingly" impossible"
endeavour" of" instituting" a" local" currency" in" Oberhausen" while" still" maintaining" the"
transgressive"nature"of"the"twoUweekUlong"art"project."It"is"important"to"stress,"however,"
that" even" though" I" have" described" the" audience" of" the" lecture" performance" as" not"
complying"with"the"ideal"of"a"theatre"audience"resembling"a"“social"totality”"such"as"“the"
public”" or" “the" people”," it" also" did" not" constitute" a" counterpublic" in" Warner’s" sense." In"
counterpublics," according" to" Warner" (and" his" focus" on" queer" politics" is" reflected" in" this"
statement),"strangers"“are"socially"marked"by"their"participation"in"this"kind"of"discourse;"
ordinary" people" are" presumed" not" to" want" to" be" mistaken" for" the" kind" of" person" who"
would"participate"in"this"kind"of"talk"or"be"present"in"this"kind"of"scene.”"(Warner"2002:"
120)244""
The" heterogeneity" of" the" public" assembled" for" the" second" lecture" performance"
though" was" never" one" that" excluded" what" Warner" refers" to" as" “ordinary" people”." The"
aboveUcited" review’s" reference" to" a" lady" in" the" audience" behaving" in" a" way" that" was"
perceived"to"be"inappropriate"suggests"that"there"was"a"certain"uneasiness"with"regard"to"
this" heterogeneity." At" the" same" time" it" appears" as" an" essential" ingredient" to" the"
“character”" of" the" performance." I" wish" to" argue" that" it" is" exactly" because" this"
heterogeneity" cannot" be" subsumed" under" a" “social" totality”" (which" is" always" based" on"
exclusion)"that"the"public"constituted"in"the"Schwarzbank"project"transgressed"any"notion"
of"“the"public”:"not"as"a"counterpublic,"but"as"one"that"is"actually"broader"than"the"idea"of"
the"public"as"prefigured"in"a"theatre"audience."Finally,"the"constitution"of"a"public,"while"
never"limited"to"one"concrete"instance,"always"has"to"be"temporal;"nevertheless,"as"I"am"
writing" this," and" long" after" geheimagentur" left" the" city," people" in" Oberhausen" are" still"
meeting"regularly"to"work"on"the"continuation"of"the"Schwarzbank"project.""
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243
"The" most" concrete" idea" was" presented" in" a" video" message" by" Oberhausen’s" treasurer" Tsalastras," who"
proposed"that"Kohle"could"serve"as"a"kind"of"“culture"coupon”,"allowing"people"access"to"cultural"events"in"
the"city."
244
"The" conception" of" counterpublics," however," to" some" extent" relies" on" the" ability" of" members" of" this"
public"to"take"the"“risk”"of"performing"their"belonging"to"the"counterpublic"(“One"enters"at"one’s"own"risk”"
(Warner"2002:"121),"writes"Warner"and"uses"the"example"of"“AfricanUAmericans"willing"to"speak"in"what"is"
regarded" as" a" racially" marked" idiom”" (121))." The" ability" or" willingness" to" perform" one’s" belonging" to" a"
counterpublic,"however,"is"not"only"always"associated"with"“risk”"and"never"easy"to"assume,"but"it"is"also"
more"difficult"to"ascribe"agency"to"the"performance"in"cases"where"passing"is"not"an"option"–"as"in"the"case"
of"poverty.""
170"
"
Conclusion#
#
In"this"chapter,"I"have"looked"at"how"lecture"performances"negotiate"their"position"
with"regard"to"specific"institutional"contexts,"and"at"how"they"explore"different"notions"of"
what" constitutes" a" public." Essential" to" this" analysis" has" been" the" question" of" how" the"
audience" is" addressed" in" the" respective" performances." It" is" in" this" address" that" the"
relation"to"the"institutional"context"manifests"itself,"and"it"is"through"this"address"that"a"
specific"conception"of"the"public"is"imagined"and"potentially"called"into"being."
“Good"afternoon,"uh,"everyone?”"
“Good"evening,"ladies"and"gentlemen.”"
“Good"evening,"ladies"and"gentlemen.”"
“Ladies"and"gentlemen,"good"evening.”"
"
Despite" the" similarity" of" how" the" audience" is" initially" addressed" in" each" of" the"
lecture"performances"I"have"discussed"in"this"chapter"(showing"the"lecture"performance’s"
appropriation" of" the" lecture’s" convention" of" welcoming" and" directly" addressing" its"
audience),"very"different"conceptions"of"what"constitutes"a"public"are"negotiated"in"what"
follows"each"of"these"initial"addresses.""
Andrea" Fraser," in" Museum! Highlights," uses" the" address" to" first" assemble" an"
audience,"and"then"lead"that"audience"on"a"guided"tour"through"the"museum."However,"
she" does" so" under" false" pretences:" firstly," Fraser" takes" on" the" fictional" persona" of" a"
museum" guide," and" secondly," Museum! Highlights" is" not" a" conventional" guided" tour."
Elements"of"the"museum’s"architecture"and"interior"receive"the"kind"of"attention"usually"
awarded"to"art"works,"and"the"account"of"the"museum’s"role"and"history"is"interspersed"
with" quotes" from" historical" documents," which" deal" not" only" with" the" museum" but" also"
with" other" types" of" institution," concentrating" on" their" role" in" the" formation" of" the"
bourgeois"individual"–"exemplified,"in"turn,"by"the"persona"of"Jane"Castleton,"the"museum"
guide." As" Castleton," Fraser" speaks" in" the" name" of" the" institution" of" the" museum." But"
because"she"gives"this"speech"as"a"fictional"character"–"because"she"does"not"take"on"the"
role" of" the" “principal”" who" “believes" personally" in" what" is" being" said" and" takes" the"
position"that"is"implied"in"the"remarks”"–"we"cannot"identify"Fraser’s"position"with"that"in"
whose"name"she"speaks."If"all"institutions"function"“inUtheUnameUof”"(Peters"2011:"112),,"
this"figure"is"undermined"if"Castleton"is"revealed"as"a"fictional"character."On"another"level,"
171"
"
however,"because"the"fictional"nature"of"the"event"is"never"made"explicit,"the"uncertainty"
in" whose" name" the" audience" is" addressed" goes" further" still," and" it" remains" open" if" and"
when" the" audience" will" become" aware" of" the" fictionality" of" what" they" are" not" only"
witnessing"but"in"which"they"are"participating."If"the"audience"members"become"aware"–"
and"there"are"enough"indicators"for"them"to"do"so"–"they"will"also"become"aware"of"their"
double" role" of" an" audience" that" is" at" once" real" and" fictional," without" being" able" to" give"
their"full"attention"to"either"one"of"these"roles."If"this"becoming"aware,"as"Bourdieu"has"it,"
“causes" the" hidden" truth" of" social" reality" to" reveal" itself”" (Bourdieu" 2005:" xiv)," this"
revelation" does" not" free" the" audience" from" enacting" (possibly" unwillingly)" this" “social"
reality”"in"least"in"one"of"its"roles."By"asking"her"audience"members"to"play"the"role"of"the"
museum" audience" as" which" they" are" addressed," Fraser" commits" them" to" the" normative"
function" of" the" address." Their" perceived" “nonidentity”" with" what" they" are" addressed" as"
might" lead" them" to" engage" with" the" critique" of" the" institution" that" the" performance"
implies." It" does," however," also" hint" at" a" way" out" of" the" determinism" of" Fraser’s" later"
statements,"which"proclaim"that"there"can"be"no"“outside”"of"the"institution,"in"so"far"as"it"
is" not" least" through" this" “nonidentity”" that" the" audience" can" imagine" itself" as" a" public."
Warner’s"notion"of"publics"as"opposed"to"the!public"as"a"“social"totality”"has"served"in"this"
chapter" as" a" kind" of" counterUconcept" to" the" notion" of" the" institution," as," according" to"
Warner," publics" constitute" themselves" independently" of" institutions." However," all" the"
lecture"performances"I"have"discussed"in"this"chapter"of"course"participate"in"and"address"
their" audiences" from," (albeit" different)" institutional" contexts." In" the" case" of" Fraser," the"
institutional"context"is"that"of"the"Philadelphia"Museum"of"Art,"which,"in"turn,"becomes"
exemplary" not" only" for" museums" in" general" but" for" any" state" institutions" devoted" to"
teaching"the"public!to"distinguish"(to"quote"from"Fraser’s"script)"“between"the"worthy"and"
the" unworthy," the" true" and" the" false," the" beautiful" and" the" ugly”" (Fraser" 2005:" 108)."
Fraser’s"address"in"the"name"of"the"institution"is"accordingly"addressed"to"the!public"as"a"
“social"totality”."And"while"the"audience"is"implicitly"invited"to"take"up"a"critical"position"
towards" this" address" and" the" conception" of" the" public" that" comes" with" it," the"
performance"at"no"point"suggests"a"different"conception"of"what"constitutes"a"public.""
In" contrast" to" such" an" implicit" criticism" of" the" institution," Le" Roy" in" Product! of!
Circumstances"is"openly"critical"of"the"institutional"contexts"within"which"he"participates"
with" his" scientific" and" artistic" practice." Le" Roy’s" exploration" of," in" Fraser’s" words," “the"
relations" organized" by" the" institutions" that" authorize" [his]" activity”" is" –" in" contrast" to"
172"
"
Museum!Highlights"–"decidedly"personal;"yet"despite"this"autobiographical"approach,"Le"
Roy’s" account" focuses" largely" on" his" professional" life," and" on" his" engagement" with" two"
different" approaches" to" the" body" –" biology" and" dance." Although," as" Deirdre" Heddon"
describes," in" autobiographical" performance" “[...]" the" binary" between" fictional/real" is"
notoriously" unstable”" (Heddon" 2008:" 10)," there" is" no" real" doubt" that" Le" Roy" “believes"
personally" in" what" is" being" said" and" takes" the" position" that" is" implied" in" the" remarks”."
Indeed," Le" Roy" not" only" “takes" a" position”," he" also" reenacts" previous" positions" by"
demonstrating" dance" exercises" and" choreographies" and" by" presenting" his" research" in"
biology" as" a" kind" of" lecture" within" the" lecture" performance." By" characterising" what" he"
shows"and"recounts"as"a"“product"of"circumstances”,"Le"Roy"describes"the"“methods"of"
capitalism”" that" inform" these" institutional" contexts" as" determining" the" outcome" of" his"
work." Instead" he" argues" for" a" more" processual" approach" that" resists" the" demand" for" a"
product" in" both" science" and" dance." The" lecture" performance" itself" serves" as" an" implicit"
example" for"such" an" approach,"while"at"the"same"time"running" the"risk" of"perpetuating"
the" logic" of" a" continuous" productivity" characteristic" of" postUFordist" capitalism." What"
comes"into"focus"in"these"demonstrations,"however,"is"Le"Roy’s"body,"which"he"refers"to"
as" “contaminated”;" and" while" the" reenactments" of" exercises" and" performances" take" on"
the" role" of" demonstrations" in" a" lecture" setting," they" also" hint" at" a" knowledge" beyond"
language,"something"that,"as"Le"Roy"puts"it,"cannot"easily"be"translated"into"“abstraction"
and"theory”"(Le"Roy"2005:"92)."If"the"lecture"according"to"Peters"is"a"“speech"in"the"name"
of"knowledge”"(Peters"2011:"135),"then"the"appropriate"question"seems"to"be"in"whose"or"
what" name" is" Le" Roy" dancing" here?" The" image" of" “contamination”" provides" a" clue,"
because,"in"participating"in"different"contexts"at"once,"the"lecture"performance"allows"for"
a" juxtaposition" of" these" contexts," a" moving" between" them," where" it" is" no" longer"
immediately"evident"who"the"referent"is"in"whose"name"it"speaks"(“theory"is"biography,"
presenting"it"is"a"lecture,"and"doing"a"lecture"is"performing”)."The"audience,"too,"is"thus"
asked"to"move"between"different"contexts,"to"access"different"registers"of"perception,"at"
one" time" watching" a" choreography," at" other" times" a" scientific" lecture," while" all" along"
following" the" overall" narrative" of" the" lecture" performance." Le" Roy’s" conception" of" the"
public" in" Product! of! Circumstances! seems" to" be" that" of" a" conventional" audience" in" all"
respects" but" this," the" fact" that" the" audience" too" will" have" to" negotiate" between" and"
participate" in" the" different" contexts" in" which" the" lecture" performance" does." I" have"
interpreted" the" Q&A" session," which" is" unconventionally" part" of" the" performance" rather"
173"
"
than" a" followUon," as" an" attempt" to" blur" the" frame" of" the" performance" and" open" the"
process" up" to" the" audience." While" at" first" seemingly" in" line" with" the" idea" of" publics" as"
“exist[ing]"to"deliberate”"described"by"Warner,"Le"Roy’s"Q&A"session"also"highlights"the"
relationality" of" any" biographical" account," the" reliance" on" the" other" to" “realize" such" a"
narration”"(Cavarero"2000:"56),"as"Cavarero"has"it."Seen"from"this"perspective"the"public"
that" is" constituted" in" Product! of! Circumstances" is" what" enables" a" “getting" outside"
ourselves”,"and"thus"is"outside"of"the"institutions"that"Fraser"locates"“inside"of"us”."The"
circulatory"nature"of"publics"that"Warner"describes"is"important"here,"as"every"address"to"
a" public" necessarily" aims" to" circulate" beyond" the" original" scene" of" address," beyond" any"
concrete" gathering," beyond" “dialogue" or" discussion" among" already" coUpresent"
interlocutors”:" once" again," “all" discourse" or" performance" addressed" to" a" public" must"
characterize"the"world"in"which"it"attempts"to"circulate"and"it"must"attempt"to"realize"that"
world"through"address”"(Warner"2002:"114)."From"the"perspective"of"the"lecture"(and,"in"
this"case,"also"the"lecture"performance)"this"means"that"the"“world"out"there”"is"not"only"
its"subject"matter,"but"that"in"its"address"to"a"public"the"lecture"also"aims"to"transcend"its"
spatioUtemporal"frame"as"performance"and"participate"in"the"“poetic"world"making”"(114)"
which"constitutes"a"public"in"Warner’s"conception.""
The" address" that" aims" to" constitute" a" public," then" combines" elements" of"
theatricality"and"performativity"in"the"way"that"Puchner"describes"for"the"manifesto:"the"
theatricality"of"presupposing"a"specific"public"in"the"address"coincides"with"the"attempt"to"
performatively" call" this" public" into" being." It" is" this" logic" that" is" at" the" heart" of" the" two"
lecture" performances" that" frame" geheimagentur’s" SchwarzbankUproject." Because" the"
project" is" not" limited" to" these" lecture" performances," the" “circulation" of" the" imaginary”"
(Peters"2011:"190)"(to"cite"Peter’s"reading"of"Warner)"that"is"envisioned"and"set"in"motion"
in"the"lecture"performance"(and"with"it"the"constitution"of"a"public"and"the"founding"of"an"
institution)"is"actually"tested"as"part"of"the"project,"in"the"form"of"the"circulation"of"a"new"
currency."Or,"in"other"words,"the"opening"lecture"performance"not"only"aims"to"describe"
the" “world" out" there”" but" to" initiate" a" process" that" manifests" in" this" “world" out" there”."
The"assembly"in"the"theatre"can"thus"be"described"as"prefiguring"the"public"envisioned"as"
participating"in"this"process,"and"it"is"through"the"inclusion"of"many"voices,"not"only"those"
of" the" anonymous" artists" or" representatives" of" city" institutions," that" the" lecture"
performance" attempts" to" conceive" of" this" public" as" something" beyond" the" public" as"
“social" totality”." The" concluding" lecture" performance" then" does" not" merely" bring" to" a"
174"
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close" and" give" an" account" of" this" test" and" investigate" the" possibility" of" its" continuation"
outside" of" the" frame" of" an" art" project." Rather," it" is" here" that" the" public" that" was"
constituted"in"the"project"(which"I"have"described"as"being"broader"than"the"public"which,"
according" to" van" Eikels," is" assumed" to" be" prefigured" in" any" theatre" audience" in" the"
context"of"the"German"city"and"state"theatre"system)"gathers"yet"again,"and"constitutes"
itself" independently" of" this" institutional" context." While" according" to" Warner" publics"
organise"themselves"independently"of"institutions,"I"argue"that"the"lecture"performances"I"
have" discussed" in" this" chapter" show" that" publics," even" if" they" are" addressed" in"
institutional" contexts," always" have" the" potential" to" transcend" those" contexts." Or," as"
Raunig" puts" it" in" his" conception" of" “instituent" practices”," they" can" aim" to" participate" in"
“processes"of"instituting"and"in"political"practices"that"traverse"the"fields,"the"structures,"
the"institutions.”"(Raunig"2009:"11)"
While" the" lecture," according" to" Peters," is" a" speech" in" the" name" of" knowledge,"
lecture" performances" can" appropriate" the" speaking" “inUtheUnameUof”" in" order" to"
negotiate" their" position" with" regard" to" different" institutional" contexts:" addressing" this"
position" ironically," as" in" Museum! Highlights;" contaminating" it," as" in" Product! of!
Circumstances;" or" using" it" to" temporarily" establish" another" institution," as" in" the"
Schwarzbank"project.""
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Chapter#5#
CONTEXTS#OF#ASSEMBLING#AND#DISSEMINATING#
#
How%to%Explain%Pictures%to%a%Dead%Hare%%
From#a#distance#
"
On" the" 26th" of" November," 1965," in" Düsseldorf’s" Galeria" Schmela," Joseph" Beuys"
explained"pictures"to"a"dead"hare,"in"the"appropriately"titled"performance"Wie!man!dem!
toten! Hasen! die! Bilder! erklärt," or," as" most" English" translations" would" have" it," How! to!
Explain!Pictures!to!a!Dead!Hare."The"title"ignores"the"question"why"one"would"choose"to"
explain"pictures"to"a"dead"hare."Instead"it"suggests,"in"its"reference"to"a"howUtoUguide,"an"
applicability"to"any"situation"in"which"one"would"choose"to"do"so."This"reference"is"more"
evident"in"the"English"translation"than"in"the"original"German"title,"where"it"nevertheless"
also"resonates:"a"more"literal"translation"of"the"title"would"be"How!to!Explain!the!Pictures!
to!the!Dead!Hare,"suggesting"an"applicability"only"to"a"specific"dead"hare"and"to"specific"
pictures."Other"dead"hares"and"other"pictures"might"require"a"different"approach."While"
not"the"first"lecture"performance"(contrary"to"Archey’s"assessment;"see"chapter"2),"How!
to! Explain! Pictures! to! a! Dead! Hare" might" well" be" the" first" artistic" appropriation" of" the"
howUtoUguide" –" although" the" performance" is" a" howUtoUguide" only" by" way" of" its" title,"
because"at"no"point"does"Beuys"spell"out"what"is"actually"required"in"order"to"explain"the"
pictures"to"the"dead"hare."The"audience"has"to"gather"this"solely"from"Beuys’s"actions."In"
relation"to"its"title,"the"performance"takes"on"the"character"of"a"demonstration,"but"one"
that" the" audience" can" only" follow" through" the" gallery" windows." This" means" that" the"
audience"can"only"see"Beuys"–"whose"head"is"covered"in"gold"leaf"and"honey"–"carry"the"
hare" through" the" gallery" from" picture" to" picture" and" speak" or" whisper" to" it," but" cannot"
know"what"Beuys"is"speaking"or"whispering."It"is"only"after"Beuys"has"stopped"his"threeU
hour"long"task"of"explaining"the"pictures"to"the"dead"hare"that"the"audience"is"invited"into"
the"space."At"this"point,"Beuys"has"sat"down"on"a"stool,"holding"the"hare,"his"back"facing"
the"audience"as"they"enter"the"gallery."There"is"more"to"be"said"about"other"materials"and"
elements" of" the" work," but" what" interests" me" here" is" the" position" of" the" audience" in"
relation"to"the"performance.""
As"already"described,"the"spectators"are"watching"the"performance"from"a"distance,"
from"outside"the"gallery"space,"without"ever"being"addressed"directly,"and"thus"they"have"
176"
"
no" way" of" knowing" the" content" of" Beuys’s" explanation" to" the" hare." The" only" source" for"
what"Beuys"has"uttered"is"Beuys"himself;"the"audience"present"at"the"performance"has"no"
privileged"access"to"this"information."The"question"is"indeed"how"relevant"this"knowledge"
would" be" for" an" understanding" of" the" performance" if" Beuys" never" intended" for" the"
spectators" to" know." But" the" situation" is" complicated" by" the" fact" that" Beuys" later," in"
accounts" of" the" performance," explicated" what" he" had" told" the" hare." Therefore," in" the"
aftermath"of"the"performance,"this"information"has"become"available"to"what"Warr"calls"
the"“audiences"of"posterity”"(Warr"2003:"31)."Moreover,"in"all"accounts"of"Beuys’s"piece"
that" I" have" been" able" to" locate," the" description" of" the" piece" is" contextualised" by"
statements" that" Beuys" made" either" about" the" piece" itself" or" about" his" wider" artistic" or"
pedagogical"programme."This"means"that"it"is"almost"impossible"today"to"encounter"the"
work" through" its" documentation" without" also" encountering" this" contextualising"
information."
In"a"text"that"itself"at"points"depends"heavily"on"Beuys’s"own"statements"about"the"
work,"Gregory"L."Ulmer"comments"on"this"aspect"of"the"reception"of"Beuys’s"work:"
"
[...]" commentators" thus" far" have" tended" to" confine" themselves" to" descriptions" of" his"
work," venturing" by" way" of" explanation" little" more" than" paraphrases" of" Beuys’s" own"
statements."But,"as"Lothar"Romain"and"Rolf"Wedewer"stress"in"calling"for"analyses"that"
bring" to" bear" other" categories" and" contexts," Beuys’s" interviews" and" lectures" do" not"
constitute" interpretations" but" exist" at" the" same" level" as," even" as" part" of" (verbal"
extensions"of),"the"art."(Ulmer"1985:"228)"
"
From"this"perspective,"Beuys’s"statements"are"difficult"to"ignore"in"discussions"of"his"
art" practice" because" they" are" part" of" it" and" because" there" can" no" longer" be" a" clear"
distinction"between"the"different"manifestations"of"his"practice."In"this"chapter,"I"will"look"
at" works" that" transcend" a" singular" manifestation" as" event" by" engaging" with" a" wider"
discursive" context" as" part" of" the" work" through" different" strategies" of" assembling" and"
disseminating.""
I" have" already" in" chapter" 2" extensively" reflected" on" the" model" of" aesthetic"
perception" that" Ulmer" develops" in" relation" to" Beuys’s" practice," which" for" him" is"
paradigmatic"for"a"“collapse"of"the"distinction"(opposition"or"hierarchy)"between"criticalU
theoretical" reflection" and" creative" practice”" (225)." As" I" have" outlined," Ulmer" suggests"
that,"while"the"“primary"effect”"of"Beuys’s"work"is"one"of"not"understanding,"of"“shock”,"

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this"in"turn"triggers"an"“aftereffect”"that"can"produce"an"understanding"that"is,"as"we"will"
see"later,"primarily"conceived"of"as"a"rational"understanding:"
"
Beuys’s" objectUactions" [...]" are" expressly" intended" to" function" by" means" of" an"
aftereffect," working" thus" directly" with" the" ‘time" of" understanding,’" the" way" the"
Impressionists," for" example," worked" with" the" effects" of" space" and" light" –" one" has" to"
experience" Beuys’s" works" from" the" proper" distance" in" time," as" integrated" by" the"
operation" of" memory," just" as" one" has" to" be" at" the" right" spatial" distance" from" an"
Impressionist"painting"to"allow"the"eye"to"integrate"the"colors"properly."(252)"
"
At" other" points" Ulmer" considers" the" role" of" Beuys’s" own" statements" for" an"
understanding" of" his" work" and" also" emphasises" the" importance" of" the" discussions" with"
audiences"that"often"follow"Beuys’s"performances"(246)."But"he"does"not"directly"address"
the"role"of"the"discursive"context"that"is"generated"around"or"as"part"of"the"work"in"his"
characterisation"of"Beuys’s"work"as"primarily"aiming"at"a"retrospective"understanding."As"
his" comparison" with" the" reception" of" an" Impressionist" painting" illustrates," Ulmer" is"
concerned"with"the"individual"experience"of"a"specific"work"of"art,"and"precisely"with"the"
role" that" distance" plays" in" the" process" of" understanding." Experience" is" linked" to" the"
“operation" of" memory”," which" means" that" memory" is" here" conceived" not" simply" as"
something" that" remains" after" an" experience," but" as" belonging" to" this" experience" or" as"
enabling"some"kind"of"continuation"of"it.245"However,"Ulmer’s"image"of"a"“proper"distance"
in"time”"from"which"the"work"needs"to"be"experienced"“properly”"also"suggests"that"there"
is"a"transition"from"experience"to"understanding.""
The" proposition" of" a" “proper" distance”," though," seems" questionable," even" with"
regard" to" the" comparison" Ulmer" makes" to" the" spatial" distance" required" in" order" to"
appreciate"an"Impressionist"painting:"is"it"not"the"process"of"moving"between"distances"–"
of" seeing," to" use" Ulmer’s" own" words," the" colours" “integrate”" and" disintegrate" –" that"

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245
"By" extending" the" temporal" frame" of" the" engagement" with" the" work" beyond" the" singular" moment" or"
event,"beyond"the"“primary"effect”"(Ulmer"195:"252)"of"encountering"the"work,"Ulmer’s"conception"of"the"
reception"of"a"work"of"art"seems"to"challenge"the"idea"of"the"primacy"of"the"performance"event."But"even"
though" Ulmer" explicitly" discusses" Beuys’s" work" as" part" of" “contemporary" movements" such" as" conceptual"
art,"performance"art"and"video"art”,"he"does"not"specifically"account"for"Beuys’s"work"as"performance."His"
concern"is"with"the"“evocative"function"of"the"Beuysian"object”"(252),"and"he"does"not"consider"whether"it"
makes"a"difference"if"this"object"is"encountered"in"the"context"of"a"performance"or"an"exhibition"(indeed,"in"
building" his" argument" Ulmer" moves" between" discussions" of" Beuys’s" performance" work," his" “multiples”"
(250)" and" other" types" of" works)." So" while" some" of" his" propositions" might" transcend" the" discourse" of"
immediacy" and" presence" that" has" been" established" around" performance" art" by" indicating" how" an"
engagement"with"a"performance"work"continues"after"the"event"(and"by"attributing"an"experiential"quality"
to"this"engagement),"he"takes"no"notice"of"this"discourse"in"his"writing.""
178"
"
characterises" the" experience" of" encountering" an" Impressionist" painting?" In" a" linear"
conception" of" time," such" a" moving" back" and" forth" between" distances" seems" difficult" to"
imagine" with" regard" to" performance." Metaphorical" conflation" of" spatial" and" temporal"
distance"aside,"what"Ulmer"seems"to"describe"is,"as"I"have"already"pointed"out"in"chapter"
2," a" moving" between" different" faculties:" on" the" “primary" level”," it" is" the" failure" of" the"
faculties" of" “criticalUtheoretical" reflection”," the" failure" to" understand" right" away," that"
invites"an"emotional"response;"this"emotional"response"stimulates"a"process"that,"after"a"
“proper”"temporal"distance,"leads"to"understanding.""
Understanding"in"Ulmer’s"model"of"the"reception"of"Beuys’s"work"is"thus"something"
that" is" deferred." In" his" discussion" of" Lacan’s" teaching" methods," Ulmer" introduces" the"
concept" of" a" “time" of" understanding”," which" is" related" to" the" Freudian" notion" of"
“Nachträglichkeit”," as" a" retroactive" understanding" and" links" it" to" Lacan’s" advice" to" his"
students" to" “avoid" understanding" too" quickly”" (in" Ulmer" 1985:" 196)." Understanding" is"
something" that" needs" time;" although" that" in" itself" calls" into" question" the" image" of" a"
“proper" distance”," as" it" suggests" that" the" process" of" understanding" could" be" completed"
once"the"“proper”"amount"of"time"has"passed.""
While"Ulmer"never"explicitly"states"what"might"constitute"such"an"understanding,"it"
seems" reasonable" to" assume" that" his" own" reading" of" a" piece" like" Wie! man! dem! toten!
Hasen! die! Bilder! erklärt! can" serve" as" an" example." Here," Ulmer" accumulates" in" detail"
etymological," cultural," historical" and" mythological" connotations" of" the" objects" used" by"
Beuys"in"his"performance"and"of"their"names,"i.e."the"kind"of"lexical"knowledge"that"we"
can"assume"not"everyone"can"readily"access"when"witnessing"a"performance"event."The"
hare,"for"instance,"is"read"as"a"sign"of"“birth”,"of"“reincarnation”"(Ulmer"1985:"256),"or"of"
“an"embodiment"of"Troth,"the"god"of"Writing”"(257).#
Ulmer’s"writing"about"and"reading"of"Beuys’s"performance"(a"performance"that"he"
did"not"personally"witness)"can"only"make"assumptions"about"the"emotional"response"a"
spectator"might"have"had"to"it,"while"providing"an"interpretation"that"in"no"way"accounts"
for" this" response;" he" clearly" does" not" aim," as" Phelan" does" in" her" conception" of"
performance" writing," to" “enact" the" affective" force" of" the" performance" event" again”"
(Phelan"1997:"12)246."Indeed,"the"“affective"force”"of"Beuys’s"work"is"mentioned"by"Ulmer"
only" as" a" trigger" for" something" else." And" while" this" something" else" is" not" expressly"
identified"as"the"learned,"wellUinformed"interpretation"that"Ulmer"puts"forward,"it"is"the"
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246
"See"also:"Ladnar"2011:"238."
179"
"
fact"that,"for"Ulmer,"Beuys’s"work"warrants"such"an"interpretation,"that"shapes"his"model"
for"the"reception"of"the"work.""
Ulmer" develops" his" reading" of" Beuys’s" work" from" a" comparison" with" Derrida." The"
comparison"is"based"on"Ulmer’s"assessment"that"“the"specific"elements"of"grammatology"
as"Derrida"defines"them"are"also"available"in"Beuys’s"work,"although"Beuys"himself"never"
makes" them" explicit”" (Ulmer" 1985:" 256)." From" this" observation," Ulmer" develops" his"
methodology"in"approaching"Beuys’s"work:"“My"procedure"here"will"be"to"treat"Beuys’s"
objects"or"‘ciphers’"the"same"way"Derrida"treats"vocabulary,"that"is,"in"terms"of"the"entire"
semantic" field" or" symbolic" topos" that" is" evoked.”" (256)" What" Ulmer" here" proposes,"
however," is" merely" to" apply" a" specific" procedure" or" programme" to" Beuys’s" objects" that"
could" be" applied" to" any" cultural" product." And" while" Beuys" indeed" attaches" specific"
meaning" to" the" materials" he" uses" in" the" sense" of" evoking" a" “semantic" field" or" symbolic"
topos”," this" aspect" (again)" comes" into" view" primarily" through" Beuys’s" own" statements"
about"his"work:"“And"Beuys"is"not"at"all"reluctant"to"state"specifically"what"he"intends"the"
objects"to"mean,"what"concepts"he"wants"attached"to"the"Actions.”"(244)"
Moreover," Ulmer’s" proposed" “procedure”" –" especially" if" applied" to" performance"
work"–"implies"a"certain"indifference"towards"the"aesthetic"experience"itself"insofar"as"it"
focuses"on"a"reading"of"the"“semantic"field”"evoked"by"the"objects."This"suggests"that"a"
register"of"these"objects"(and"possibly"their"uses,"although"Ulmer"shows"little"regard"for"
this"aspect)"would"in"theory"suffice"to"arrive"at"some"sort"of"understanding"of"the"work."
The"temporal"distance"required"to"understand"the"work"could"then"easily"be"measured"as"
the"time"it"takes"to"go"to"the"library"and"read"up"on"the"“semantic"field”"evoked"by"the"
work.""
What"is"striking"is"that"the"hypothesis"that"Ulmer"formulates"at"the"beginning"of"his"
discussion" of" Beuys’s" work" –" that" here" is" an" example" of" a" “collapse" of" the" distinction"
(opposition"or"hierarchy)"between"criticalUtheoretical"reflection"and"creative"practice”"–"is"
not" in" fact" reflected" in" his" model" of" aesthetic" perception." I" would" like" to" suggest" that"
Ulmer" names" all" the" elements" that" would" support" such" a" hypothesis" by" hinting" at" and"
participating" in" the" discursive" field" produced" in" the" context" of" Beuys’s" work," but" then"
limits"himself"to"a"reading"of"what"he"calls"the"“semantic"field”."Thus,"while"he"does"refer"
to"statements"by"other"authors"and"by"Beuys"himself,"he"treats"them"as"statements"about"
the"art"rather"than"(as"he"himself"puts"it"in"reference"to"statements"made"by"the"artist"in"
“interviews"and"lectures”)"as"“part"of"(verbal"extensions"of),"the"art”.""
180"
"
 Superficially," a" performance" such" as" Wie! man! dem! toten! Hasen! die! Bilder! erklärt"
shows"little"regard"for"discursivity,"especially"considering"Beuys"statement"that"“[a]"hare"
comprehends" more" than" many" human" beings" with" their" stubborn" rationalism”" (in" Warr"
and"Jones"2000:"76)."Beuys’s"statement"itself,"however,"somewhat"paradoxically"appeals"
to" a" rational" understanding" of" the" performance;" in" thus" stating" his" intentions" for" the"
piece," Beuys" seemingly" undermines" them." To" what" extent" can" these" statements" be"
considered" “part" of”" the" work?" And" to" what" extent" might" such" statements" also" include"
accounts"of"Beuys’s"work"by"other"people,"by"those"who"have"witnessed"it,"and"by"those"
who,"like"Ulmer,"have"not?"Because"if"the"focus"was"on"this"discursive"context"rather"than"
on"what"Ulmer"refers"to"as"the"“semantic"field”,"if"it"was"indeed"considered"part"of"the"
work,"then"the"“collapse"of"the"distinction"[...]"between"criticalUtheoretical"reflection"and"
creative"practice”"might"indeed"be"realised"to"some"extent.""
"
The#discursive#context#
"
I" have" already" stated" in" chapter" 2" that" despite" Archey’s" somewhat" random"
classification" of" Wie! man! dem! toten! Hasen! die! Bilder! erklärt! as" the" first" lecture"
performance," other" works" by" Beuys" might" be" more" suitably" included" in" a" lecture"
performance"lineage;"but"while"Beuys"has"used"more"distinctly"discursive"formats"in"his"
practice,"Ulmer"insists"on"the"importance"of"“discussion”"generated"by"all"his"works:""
"
The"discussion"following"the"performances,"whether"led"by"Beuys"himself"or"whether"
taking" place" among" the" spectators," is" a" direct" part" of" the" production" (at" times" it"
becomes"nearly"the"whole"production,"as"in"‘Honey"Pump,’"Documenta"6"in"Kassel,"in"
which" Beuys" managed" an" information" booth" and" organised" discussion" workshops"
throughout"the"one"hundred"days"of"the"exhibit)"[...]."(Ulmer"1985:"246)"
"
Interestingly," Ulmer" here" suggests" that" not" only" Beuys’s" “interviews" and" lectures”"
but" also" discussions" among" the" spectators" in" which" the" artist" does" not" necessarily"
participate," can" be" considered" part" of" the" work." However," that" a" work" of" art" generates"
discussions," even" if" they" are" characterised" as" “part" of”" the" work," is" something" very"
different" from" a" work" in" which" discussion" is" “nearly" the" whole" production”." In" another"
statement"quoted"by"Ulmer,"Beuys"maintains"that"he"decides"which"form"his"work"takes"
in"relation"to"the"context"in"which"it"is"presented:"

181"
"
 "
In"which"sphere"and"in"which"sector"can"I"reach"something"with"these"media,"in"which"
domain"can"I"bring"about"something"with"each"medium."Sometimes"I"can"do"something"
with" a" complete," determinate" combination," for" example" object" and" action" or" action"
and"discourse,"or"only"with"speech"or"only"thought"or"only"writing"or"only"drawing"and"
so"forth."(in"Ulmer"1985:"246)"
"
Beuys" here" does" not" explicate" what" he" aims" to" “reach”" or" “bring" about”." But" in"
explaining"that"the"choice"of"the"“medium”"in"which"he"presents"his"work"is"dependent"
on" its" presumed" effect" in" a" specific" context," he" also" suggests" that" this" context" is" more"
important"than"the"content"with"regard"to"the"form"in"which"this"content"manifests."This"
implies"that"in"a"different"context"the"same"content"could"be"presented"differently."The"
form"his"work"takes,"its"“medium”,"for"Beuys"only"has"the"character"of"a"“demonstration”"
of"“the"thought"behind"it”:"
"
To"be"a"teacher"is"my"greatest"work"of"art."The"rest"is"waste"product,"a"demonstration."
If"you"want"to"explain"yourself"you"must"present"something"tangible."But"after"a"while"
this"has"only"the"function"of"a"historic"document."Objects"aren’t"very"important"for"me"
anymore." I" want" to" get" to" the" origin" of" matter," to" the" thought" behind" it." (in" Ulmer"
1985:"245)"
"
Beuys’s"conception"of"the"relation"between"content"and"form"in"his"art"resembles"
Goffman’s" ideas" about" the" lecture;" while" the" form" of" his" work" for" Beuys" is" not" purely"
“incidental”" but" dependent" upon" the" context," its" characterisation" as" a" “waste" product”"
comes" close" to" Goffman’s" image" of" the" “cake”" and" the" “box”." Like" Goffman," Beuys"
suggests"that"“the"thought"behind"it”"remains"largely"unaffected"by"the"particular"mode"
of"its"presentation"or"“demonstration”;"although"his"insistence"that"“something"tangible”"
is" needed" when" communicating" this" “thought”" relativises" this" idea." There" are" two"
questions" that" follow" from" Beuys’s" argument" here:" what" conception" of" teaching" or"
pedagogy"is"expressed"in"Beuys’s"statements,"and,"what"is"the"relation"between"“work”"
and"discursive"context"that"is"envisioned"here?"
In" the" above" quote," Beuys" expresses" his" desire" to" “explain”," and" we" can" assume"
that" this" activity" is" for" him" related" to" his" role" as" teacher." In" her" book" Fluxus! Experience"
(2002)," Hannah" Higgins" devotes" one" chapter" to" the" pedagogical" practices" of" artists"
associated"with"Fluxus."Higgins"detects"a"contradiction"between"Beuys’s"expressed"desire"
for" dialogue" (Higgins" 2002:" 203)" and" his" “shamanistic" persona”" (204)," asking:" “One"

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wonders:"In"the"presence"of"such"a"forceful"personality,"is"real"exchange"even"possible?”"
(204)"Barbara"Lange"identifies"a"similar"contradiction"in"Beuys’s"Fat!Transformation!Piece"
(1972)."In"this"sixUhour"performance"at"the"Tate"Beuys,"from"a"podium"in"front"of"a"wall"
with"blackboards,"addressed"his"audience"while"his"voice"was"transmitted"to"other"rooms"
in" the" gallery." In" the" discussion" part" of" the" performance," Beuys" “made" it" clear" that," for"
him,"the"formal"aspects"of"his"work"were"of"less"importance"than"the"democratic"ideas"it"
propagated,"ideas"which"he"could"best"disseminate"in"these"kinds"of"public"discussions.”"
(Lange"2007:"182)"However,"as"Lange"describes,"Beuys"took"a"“dominant"role”"(183)"not"
only"in"the"discussion"but"also"throughout"the"performance:"“The"enquiry"he"repeated"–"
‘Questions," you" have" questions?’" –" reveals" that" Beuys" did" not" aspire" to" change" roles,"
where" he" then" would" have" had" to" give" up" his" position" of" transmission," or" his" role" as"
teacher.”"(182)""
The" criticism" directed" at" Beuys" by" Higgins" and" Lange" focuses" on" his" authoritative"
position,"and"on"the"fact"that"certain"factors"–"his"persona,"his"“position"of"transmission”"
–" undermine" the" possibility" of" discussion" and" “real" exchange”." This" criticism" mirrors"
Gardner’s" criticism" of" the" lecture" performance" as" being" about" the" passing" on" of"
“straightforward"expertise”."As"I"have"discussed"in"chapter"4,"such"criticism"often"appears"
in"the"context"of"any"“oneUtoUmanyUcommunication”."And"indeed"Higgins"not"only"speaks"
of" the" benefits" of" “restructuring" lecture" methodologies" to" be" more" conversational”"
(Higgins" 2002:" 199)" but" overall" locates" the" potential" of" the" pedagogical" methods"
developed"in"the"context"of"Fluxus"in"a"“status"equality"between"educators"and"students”"
(203)" that" could" guarantee" “active" engagement," as" opposed" to" passive" absorption" of"
information”"(203)."“In"this"way,”"Higgins"purports,"“the"role"of"teacher"as"gatekeeper"to"
an"official"culture"of"expertise"becomes"obsolete.”"(203)"
In" her" characterisation" of" the" traditional" role" of" teacher" and" in" her" demand" for"
“status" equality" between" educators" and" students”," Higgins’s" ideas" resemble" those" put"
forward"by"Rancière"in"The!Ignorant!Schoolmaster"and"in"The!Emancipated!Spectator."For"
Rancière,"too,"as"I"have"already"quoted,"an"“inegalitarian"principle”"(Rancière"2009:"14)"is"
at" work" when" the" teacher" defines" the" “knowledge" of" the" ‘right’" distance" and" ways" to"
abolish"it”"(14)."However,"while"Beuys"seems"to"interpret"his"role"as"teacher"in"a"way"that"
would" perpetuate" what" Rancière" calls" the" “explicative" order”" (Rancière" 1991:" 4)," this"
would"for"the"philosopher"not"be"due"to"the"form"in"which"Beuys"aims"to"communicate"

183"
"
his"ideas."What"Higgins"calls"“active"engagement”"is"for"Rancière"always"already"what"a"
spectator"does:"
"
There" is" the" distance" between" artist" and" spectator," but" there" is" also" the" distance"
inherent" in" the" performance" itself," in" so" far" as" it" subsists," as" a" spectacle," an"
autonomous"thing,"between"the"idea"of"the"artist"and"the"sensation"or"comprehension"
of"the"spectator."[The"performance]"is"not"the"transmission"of"the"artist’s"knowledge"
or"inspiration"to"the"spectator."It"is"the"third"thing"that"is"owned"by"no"one,"but"which"
subsists"between"them,"excluding"any"uniform"transmission,"any"identity"of"cause"and"
effect."(Rancière"2009:"14U15)"
"
While"my"main"criticism"of"Rancière’s"concept"of"performance"as"the"“third"thing”"
was"that"it"suggests"a"symmetrical"relation"between"artist"and"spectator"that"ignores"the"
role" of" what" Rancière" himself" calls" the" spectator’s" “own" poem”," I" have" also" questioned"
the"possibility"of"thus"distinguishing"between"performance"and"performer."In"the"case"of"
Beuys’s"work,"which"so"much"depends"on"Beuys’s"persona"and"his"presence,"this"question"
seems"all"the"more"pertinent."Moreover,"Rancière’s"model"ignores"the"role"of"the"other"
spectators" and" the" interaction" between" spectators" in" the" production" of" meaning" in" a"
performance" (“what" exactly" occurs" among" theatre" spectators" that" cannot" happen"
elsewhere?”" (16)," asks" Rancière)." But" while" I" believe" that" Higgins’s" criticism" of" Beuys’s"
teaching" practice" is" to" some" extent" valid," a" more" dialogical" structure" as" demanded" by"
Higgins" (as" well" as" Gardner" and" others)" does" not" necessarily" constitute" a" more" “real"
exchange”." This" demand" itself," especially" paired" with" the" demand" for" “active"
engagement”,"could"be"seen"to"perpetuate"the"myth"of"the"passive"spectator"criticised"by"
Rancière.""
I"have"already"quoted"Rancière’s"assertion"that"“One"always"learns"when"listening"
to" someone" speaking”" (Rancière" 1991:" 102)." This," as" the" sentence" preceding" this" quote"
shows,"is"also"the"case"if"that"someone"participates"in"the"“stultifying"logic”:"“There"are"
hundred" ways" to" instruct," and" learning" also" takes" place" at" the" stultifiers’" school:" a"
professor"is"a"thing,"less"easily"handled"than"a"book,"undoubtedly,"but"he"can"be"learned:"
he" can" be" observed," imitated," dissected," put" back" together;" his" person," available" for"
observation," can" be" tested.”" (102)" From" this" perspective," the" assumed" identity" of" work"
and" person," of" performance" and" role" or" persona" in" the" case" of" Beuys," which" becomes"
evident" in" a" statement" like" “[t]o" be" a" teacher" is" my" greatest" work" of" art”," does" not"
challenge"Rancière’s"concept"of"the"“third"thing”,"as"Beuys"too"can"be"seen"as"a"“thing”"

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that"the"spectator"can"“learn”."If,"however,"the"discursive"context"is"considered"“part"of”"
the" work" –" and" this" does" not" only" refer" to" the" context" in" which" Beuys" personally"
participates" –" the" concept" of" the" “third" thing”" does" no" longer" suffice" to" describe" the"
relations" organised" by" the" work." It" becomes" difficult" to" account" for" all" the" “things”"
involved"(unless"the"spectator’s"“own"poems”"could"not"aspire"to"the"status"of"becoming"
autonomous" “things”):" “The" art" historians" will" never" record" the" many" questions" posed"
after"his"Actions,"Beuys"complains,"even"though"these"are"an"important"part"of"the"total"
work.”" (Ulmer" 1985:" 246)" Again," Beuys," as" he" is" here" paraphrased," seems" to" confuse"
being" asked" questions" with" a" discussion." Nevertheless," his" equation" of" being" a" teacher"
with"a"“work"of"art”,"his"description"of"the"questions"discussed"after"his"performances"as"
“part"of”"the"work,"and"his"assertion"that"the"objects"he"produces"are"“waste"products”"
and"what"is"really"important"is"the"“thought"behind”"them,"all"show"that,"for"Beuys,"his"
art"cannot"be"reduced"to"a"single"event"or"object."Beuys"both"calls"the"physical"products"
of" his" art" “historic" document[s]”" and" complains" that" important" parts" of" his" work" (the"
“questions" posed" after" his" Actions”)" are" not" represented" in" the" documentation" of" his"
work"by"“art"historians”."On"one"level,"this"position"recalls"statements"about"the"failure"of"
performance" documentation" to" appropriately" represent" performance" events." But" other"
than," for" instance," Warr," who" ascertains" that" photographs" reduce" “complex"
performances”"to"“just"one"image”"(Warr"2003:"32),"or"Burden,"who"insists"that"watching"
a"video"is"different"from"the"“actual"experience”"(Burden"1975)"of"a"performance,"Beuys"
is"concerned"with"the"potential"failure"of"documentation"to"represent"that"which"happens"
beyond" what" would" usually" be" considered" the" frame" of" the" performance" event247:" the"
“thought"behind”"it"and"the"discussions"surrounding"it"–"in"short,"what"I"have"called"the"
discursive"context"of"the"work.""
Of" course," there" are" valid" points" to" be" made" that" Beuys’s" authoritative" and"
sometimes"even"authoritarian"demeanour"might"get"in"the"way"of"a"discussion"on"equal"
terms," as," does" his" role" of" defining" what" it" is" that" needs" to" be" learned" (his" assumed"
“knowledge" of" the" ‘right’" distance" and" ways" to" abolish" it”)." Beuys’s" insistence" on" the"

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247
"Lange’s" reading" of" the" audio" documentation" of" Fat! Transformation! Piece," as" well" as" of" the" blackboard"
drawings" produced" in" the" event," would" be" an" exception" to" this" assumed" indifference" of" art" historians"
towards"reflecting"on"the"discussions"surrounding"Beuys’s"work."However,"while"Fat!Transformation!Piece!
does" not" only" consist" of" discussions," the" format" is" primarily" discursive," and" the" discussion" element" was"
staged"as"part"of"the"work"itself."In"other"works,"where"not"“nearly"the"whole"production”,"as"Ulmer"has"it,"
functions" primarily" discursively," the" discussions" surrounding" the" work" will" often" really" remain"
undocumented.""
185"
"
importance"of"discussion"for"his"art"might"thus"merely"reflect"his"intentions"rather"than"
being"represented"in"the"actual"work."However,"as"Ulmer"has"it,"Beuys’s"presence"is"not"
necessarily"required"for"this"discursive"context"to"manifest;"moreover,"I"would"argue"that"
it"is"not"only"discussions"surrounding"the"performance,"but"everything"uttered"in"relation"
to" the" work" (also" potentially" at" a" much" later" point)" that" makes" up" this" context." And" as"
Ulmer’s"reading"of"Beuys’s"work"shows,"a"presence"at"the"original"performance"event"is"
not" required" to" participate" in" this" context." The" validity" of" the" model" of" aesthetic"
perception" as" put" forward" by" Ulmer," which" proposes" that" an" initial" emotional" response"
after" a" “proper" distance”" in" time" leads" to" a" rational" understanding," is" undermined" not"
least"by"his"own"assertion"of"the"importance"of"discussions"surrounding"the"work,"as"this"
suggests" that" audiences" to" these" events" can" access" different" perceptive" registers"
simultaneously." Ulmer’s" model" definitely" does" not" account" for" the" reception" of" works"
where,"as"he"puts"it,"discussion"is"“nearly"the"whole"production”.""
There"is,"of"course,"as"I"have"pointed"out"before,"a"difference"between"such"works"
and" other" works" that," as" any" work" of" art," might" generate" discussion" regardless" of" their"
form."In"this"chapter,"I"will"look"at"works"that"are"framed"in"a"way"that"lets"the"discursive"
context"appear"in"the"work"itself."In"doing"so,"I"will"for"the"first"time"in"this"thesis"look"at"
contemporary"works"that"are"not"primarily"defined"as"lecture"performances"–"because"of"
their"participation"in"the"contexts"that"the"lecture"performance"also"participates"in,"and"
to"examine"if"and"how"they"can"be"distinguished"from"the"lecture"performance."
"
Blackmarket%for%Useful%Knowledge%and%NonGKnowledge%
Expertise#and#authority#
"
When" Gardner" claims" that" the" “fascination" with" performance" lectures" of" a" few"
years"ago"appears"to"be"being"replaced"by"forums"and"performances"that"are"more"about"
knowledge" sharing" rather" than" straightforward" expertise”" (Gardner" 2008)," her" central"
example"for"such"work"is"Hannah"Hurtzig’s"series"Blackmarket!for!Useful!Knowledge!and!
NonAKnowledge." What" Gardner" praises" about" “forums" and" performances”" like" the"
Blackmarket"is"their"dialogical"and"collaborative"structure."Since"she"does"not"expand"on"
her" comments" in" her" short" blog" entry," we" have" to" assume" that," for" her," lecture"
performances"are"missing"the"elements"of"dialogue"and"collaboration,"and,"furthermore,"
that" these" elements" are" essential" to" Gardner’s" conception" of" “knowledge" sharing”."
186"
"
Gardner" announces" the" Blackmarket! event" in" Liverpool" in" 2008" as" “a" live" performance"
installation" in" which" 50" experts" will" offer" 30" minutes" of" onUtoUone" [sic!]" dialogues”"
(Gardner"2008)."Indeed,"Hurtzig"herself"refers"to"these"events"as"installations,"usually"also"
adding"the"number"of"experts"that"are"involved:"on"the"MobileUAcademyUwebsite"(Mobile"
Academy" being" the" label" under" which" Hurtzig" and" her" collaborators" organise" the"
Blackmarkets"and"other"events),"which"also"features"an"extensive"archive"of"audioUvisual"
documentation" of" previous" Blackmarkets" (an" aspect" that" I" will" return" to" later)," a"
Blackmarket" in" Berlin" in" 2006," for" instance," is" advertised" as" “An" installation" with" a" 100"
Experts”"(Mobile"Academy"2013).""
While" these" brief" descriptions" of" the" format" already" show" that" the" figure" of" the"
expert" is" central" to" the" Blackmarket" concept," Gardner" describes" the" emergence" of" the"
forums"for"knowledge"sharing"as"related"to"a"“mistrust"of"expertise”:"“In"part"this"may"be"
a"manifestation"of"the"growing"importance"of"collaborative"processes"in"theatre,"and"in"
part"I"suspect"it"is"driven"by"a"wider"public"mistrust"of"expertise"[...]”"(Gardner"2008)."
Contrary"to"Gardner’s"assessment,"the"expert"has"become"quite"a"prominent"figure"
in" contemporary" theatre" and" performance" in" recent" years." Paradigmatic" for" the"
recruitment" of" experts" from" all" areas" of" life" for" the" theatre" stage" is" the" work" of" the"
German"group"Rimini"Protokoll."A"monograph"on"the"group’s"practice"has"been"fittingly"
titled!Experten!des!Alltags,"(Experts!of!the!everyday),"and"a"list"of"the"“experts”"involved"
published" in" the" introduction" to" the" book" shows" the" range" of" backgrounds" from" which"
they" are" recruited:" “elderly" ladies," teenagers," unemployed" air" traffic" controllers," failed"
mayoral" candidates," Vietnam" veterans," funeral" speakers," truck" drivers," lawyers," callU
centre"agents,"policemen”"248"(Dreysse"and"Malzacher"2007:"9)"The"list"underlines"that"in"
the"context"of"Rimini"Protokoll’s"work,"potentially"everybody"can"be"considered"an"expert"
for"something."And"while"the"Blackmarkets"also"invite"experts"in"a"more"traditional"sense"
–" scholars," artists," professionals" or" institutional" representatives" –," they" have" a" similarly"
open"concept"of"what"constitutes"an"expert,"and"amateurs"or"hobbyists"(albeit"usually"in"
smaller" numbers)" are" invited" alongside" people" whose" expertise" and" authority" is"
institutionally"legitimised.""
I"have"previously"quoted"Goffman’s"somewhat"contradictory"remark"that"a"lecturer"
is" “assumed" to" have" ‘authority’”," that" this" authority" is" “intellectual," as" opposed" to"