Identity – Who We Are
Throughout both the Avignon and Fringe festivals, I’ve been wondering about who we are now, at this point in time. I’ve been wondering what theatre has become reflective of. After watching Les Parisiens (Py) & Die Kabale (Castorf), one of my colleagues and I were discussing whether art has to be relevant to be successful or can be simply enjoyable. This brings us to a longstanding debate on what art is. Therefore, in this journal, I wanted to reflect upon who we are and what is art’s role in relation to that.
In an article by Alex Potts, the idea of “art for art’s sake” is challenged by the notion of the latter being ultimately tied to its social and historical context (“What is the History of Art?”). Similar to what Knowles discusses in his essay on performance text and analysis within a larger context (17), Potts brings together several perspectives which discuss how art cannot be separated from the institutions in which it has been created. From this point, art has always been studied as rebellion or reinforcer of existing regimes and ideas. An interesting example is the case studied by Sukhada Tatke who wrote an article that reflected on the Bengal famine and the art that has spread because of it (“Art as rebellion: a Chittaprosad retrospective.”). Tatke claims that such art was even used by leftist newspapers as a form of rebellion to the man-caused disaster.
Nevertheless, an interesting claim that Potts makes is that art and the aesthetic now faces the largest scrutiny ever from scholars. I find that to be mind-blowingly (and terrifyingly) accurate (“What is the History of Art?”). Throughout what I have noticed in the Avignon and Fringe festivals, many shows presented some form of either criticism, acceptance, or rejection of the age of information. Therefore, today art’s rebellion is against that of its opposite nature. Art faces one of the biggest challenges which is the dominance of science and information. The world is becoming of a rational nature.
To further clarify this point, one of the major ideas discussed in Die Kabale by Castorf was on the ways media has intervened in our day to day lives. On the other hand, the Great Tamer (Papaioannou) discussed meaning and rejected in so many ways the rational, the scientific. To me, the representation of the Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Nicolas Tulp portrait (Van Rijn) and the twist of eating the subject’s organs was a representation for our thirst for knowledge and information. The stage, the bodies, the events were repeatedly distorted and reconstructed. It completely rejected the use of digital means and rational sequence of events. From this point, we wish to further discuss this changing identity and how such performances used structure, actors, scenography to rebel or to accept this identity.
Works Cited
Richard Paul Knowles "Introduction" p.1-7 and "Theory: Towards a materialist semiotic" p.9-23 Reading the Material Theatre. Cambridge University Press 2004. p.1-23 (Pdf)
Potts, Alex. “What is the History of Art?” History Today, History Today, 11 Nov. 1985, www.historytoday.com/alex-potts/what-history-art. Accessed 10 Aug. 2017
Van Rijn, Rembrandt. The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. 1632. Mauritshuis Museum, The Hague, Netherlands. Rembrand Huis. Museum Het RembrandtHuis. Web. 30 July 2017.
Tatke, Sukhada. “Art as rebellion: a Chittaprosad retrospective.” The Hindu, 25 July 2014, www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/art-as-rebellion-a-chittaprosad- retrospective/article6250287.ece. Accessed 14 Aug. 2017.
Sky Gilbert. Dramaturgy for radical theatre. Canadian Theatre Review, (87), 1996. 25-27.
“The Great Tamer.” Dir. Dimitris Papaioannou. La FabricA 11 rue Paul-Achard 84000, Avignon. 19 July 2017. Performance. Festival D’Avignon.
“Die Kabale Der Scheinheiligen Das Leben Des Herrn De Moliere.” Dir. Frank Castorf. Parc des Expositions chemin des Félons (enter n°2) 84000 Avignon.13 July 2017. Performance. Festival D’Avignon.
“Les Parisiens.” Dir. Olivier Py. La FabricA 11 rue Paul-Achard 84000, Avignon. 14 July 2017. Performance. Festival D’Avignon.
