Two Live Artists in the Theatre

Abstract

Engage in a playful, theatre-inspired dialogue (complete with stage directions) in which they discuss their complicated relationships, as live artists, working within theatre institutions. Chatting over Skype, Tania and Deborah discuss the ways in which work is read differently depending on the context within which it appears, and the difficulties from both the artist's and institution's perspective in offering appropriate financial compensation to artists for their work (particularly one-on-one performances). They discuss the nature of a theatre audience experiencing live art. Making specific references to some of their own works including Gardens Speak, Maybe if You Choreograph Me You Will Feel Better, The Future Show and The Advice Booth, El Khoury and Pearson situate themselves as live artists who work in the theatre institutions, and attempt to unpick and challenge the complexities that arise from that situation.

Notes

1 Aristotle believes both painting and poetry to be forms of mimesis, a word I shall translate as ‘imitation’. Many scholars would object to this rendering and prefer ‘representation’

2 Menezes, C. (2013) ‘Our voice as protagonist: A meeting with Tania Bruguera’, Studio International, 11 November, In Bruguera's words: “In a museum, there is a safety that you don't have on the outside. Even if it is something aggressive, offensive or transgressive, you can always turn back and go home, you have the option to ignore it.” www.studiointernational.com/index.php/our-voice-as-protagonist-a-meeting-with-tania-bruguera, accessed 28 April 2015.

3 Tino Sehgal, November 30, 2007 - January 10, 2008 Marian Goodman Gallery, New York. For information see: http://www.mariangoodman.com/exhibitions/2007-11-30_tino-sehgal/