Durational Practices and Residencies (Alexis Rongo)

 

Durational Practices and Residencies

Alexis Rongo

Critical Issues in Contemporary Art

October 4th, 2020

At first glance, a title such as this one might be confusing to grasp. However, it is quite simple; durational “practices” or “performances” are a type of art form in which artists will, essentially, put on a show for a specific amount of time. These shows may include, but are not limited to, dance, theatre, fine arts, film, and more. Some may even include specific tasks or have much deeper meaning to them. For many of these practices, the artists may go through very physically and/or mentally demanding challenges. For many people, the thought of putting themselves through such a physical and emotional pain for a performance seems maddening. However, the artists showcased in the text that follows are all a different breed of creator. They push their limits to different means, just as if they were an athlete or a medical professional. As with any art in general, there are no rules or guidelines to durational performances. The artist who partakes in this can do whatever they please. In other words, durational performances consist of the artist performing whatever it is that the exhibition is about, for however long it’s running for. On average, these take at least one year or more.

One of these artists that have been doing these performances for a long time is Despina Zacharopoulou, a woman based in Athens, Greece and London, England. Her practice includes performances, installations, video art, sculpture, costumes (design), objects, and architecture. A specific performance to note is “Corner Time (2016).” This practice ran for a total of seven weeks at the end of 2016. Zacharopoulou intended this practice to showcase a multitude of mental spaces and the tendencies that humans go through while in relationships. For a total of seven weeks, for eight hours a day, the artist will host a performance of specific actions and tasks that highlight the control exchange of human relationships. The premise of “Corner Time” was very experimental and mentally/physically exhausting, as shown in the photos below.

Another example of durational practice Tehching Hsieh’s “Doing Time (2017).” Hsieh is a Taiwanese artist, currently residing in Brooklyn. Hsieh was big on combining art with life itself. He believes that they work in tandem with each other. In 1978, the young artist decided that he was going to produce multiple year-long performances, each with different techniques and a specific set of rules that he was to follow for the year. He did these for five years, consecutively. “Doing Time” was a performance consisting of two yearlong performances at once. These included One Year Performance 1980-1981, where Hsieh subjected himself to the task of clocking in onto a worker’s time clock every hour, for one full year, and One Year Performance 1981-1982, where he pushed his limits even further as he stood outside without taking any shelter for one year. Hsieh was known for these sorts of performances, and even had a documentary made about him and his work. It highlighted his practices and how he used his body to test its limits. Hsieh’s work is a prime example of what exactly durational practices are. He puts himself through much mental, physical, and probably some emotional turmoil, all for his art.

This performance by Thodoris Trampas was part of the same exhibition as the first one mentioned, recognized by the same organization. It is named “Pangaia (2016).” The main goal of this practice is to showcase the creation of nature and new life from destruction, or repetition. Trampas would attempt to showcase nature in a way that highlights the beauty of its natural state, even if the purpose was to manipulate it. For this durational practice, seven weeks and eight hours a day, Trampas would go and attempt to destroy this rock in order to create something new from it. In doing so, the rock would take on a new form, differentiated itself from the old form. He used plaster to set the new form as a replica to the original. It was very back-breaking, messy work. Like many other durational artists, Trampas put his body through much physical turmoil, for the sake of his work. Highlighted below are stills of the artist in action.