Performance art

Some art is made by doing things.

Artists use their bodies to make art. They may act or move in a room. This art happens right in front of you. It makes people think and feel.

Artists use time and space to work. They also use their own bodies. They want to show life experiences. They may even want to change things.

This art can happen anywhere. It can be in a museum. It can be in a gallery. Some art is not a play. It does not use a script.

Some artists use machines or robots. They may use dance or music too. This can be a surprise for the crowd. It makes people see art in new ways.

Long ago, people did this in a club. They called it Dada. It was a way to be new.

Performance art is a special way to make art. Instead of just painting, artists use their own bodies. They use actions to share ideas. This art uses five main parts. These are time, space, the body, the artist's presence, and the link to the public.

Artists often work in museums or galleries. They may use a script, like in a play. But many do not use a script. They might use dance, music, or even robots. Some artists want to challenge what people think art is. They want to create a real moment that cannot be bought or repeated.

This kind of art has a long history. In 1916, a group called Dada started in a place called Cabaret Voltaire. They used wild shows to break old rules. Later, groups like the Futurists held meetings in public. In the 1960s, the term "performance art" became very common. Many famous artists, like Marina Abramović and Joseph Beuys, helped make it a real way to express ideas.

Performance art is a special way to make art through live actions. Instead of just making a painting, the artist uses their own body to share ideas. This art form is meant to create a real reaction from the people watching. It often uses five main elements to work. These are time, space, the artist's body, the artist's presence, and the link between the artist and the public.

Artists can perform in museums or art galleries. They can also use any kind of space or time they choose.

How an artist performs can change a lot. Some artists use a script, which is a written plan like in a play. Other artists do not use a script at all and might just improvise. They might use spoken words to talk to the audience. Some even use robots or machines to perform for them.

Performance art can also borrow from other things like dance, music, or the circus. It can even connect to architecture or religious practices. The goal is often to make an experience that is authentic and cannot be repeated or bought.

The history of this art goes back many years. It began to grow in the early 1900s. One important group was the Futurists, who started in 1909. They held meetings and conferences in public spaces. Another group was called Dada, which started in 1916. They wanted to break all the old rules of the art world.

Dada was an "anti-art" movement. This means they used chaos and randomness to challenge what people thought art should be.

A famous place for these new ideas was the Cabaret Voltaire. It was founded in Zürich, Switzerland, by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings. This small space was where the Dada movement was born.

Many pioneers helped make performance art what it is today. These include artists like Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys, and Yves Klein. The term "performance art" became very popular in the 1970s. A critic named John Perreault says Marjorie Strider may have invented the term in 1969.

Performance art is linked to many other ways of making art. It is connected to movements like Fluxus and many types of "body art."

In the 1940s and 1950s, a style called action painting became important. Artists like Jackson Pollock used the canvas as a place to act. This helped lead to the performance art we see today. Even art schools like the Bauhaus explored how the body works with light and sound. All these different ideas come together to help artists challenge the world.

Performance art is a unique genre of fine art created through actions. These actions are executed by the artist or other participants. It is often presented to a public in an interdisciplinary mode. This means it combines different types of art, like music or dance. The art can be witnessed live in person. It can also be seen through documentation like photos or video. Performance art is often used to generate a reaction from the viewer. Artists use it to share life experiences or to offer social criticism.

To understand how it works, one must look at its five basic elements. These elements are time, space, the body, the presence of the artist, and the relation between the artist and the public. The artist uses their body as a tool within a specific space. This happens during a specific period of time. The setting can be anywhere. Many artists work in museums or art galleries. However, they can also use any other kind of space. The goal is often to create an authentic experience. This experience is frequently ephemeral, meaning it is temporary and cannot be repeated or purchased.

Performance art can take many different forms. Some artists use a script, which is a written plan. Others rely on improvisation, where they make things up as they go. Some works use spoken word to communicate directly with the audience. In some cases, the artist might even ignore the audience's expectations. Performance art can also include robots or machines as performers. It can borrow elements from the circus, music, or dance. Some artists use ritualized elements in their work. Other genres include body art, happenings, and action poetry.

The history of performance art reaches back to the early 20th century. It emerged alongside movements like Futurism and Dadaism. Futurism began in 1909 as a literary movement. Its members held meetings and conferences in public spaces. This anticipated the live nature of performance art. Dadaism emerged in 1916. It was an "anti-art" movement. Dadaists wanted to destroy established norms in the art world. They used chaos, randomness, and provocation to challenge traditional ideas.

A very important location for these early actions was the Cabaret Voltaire. This was founded in Zürich, Switzerland, by Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings. It was a small space of only ten square meters. The Cabaret Voltaire was a place where new, experimental ideas were explored. It hosted the first Dada actions and hybrid poetry presentations. Although it only lasted about six months in 1916, it was fundamental. It provided the basis for the anarchist movement known as Dada.

In the mid-20th century, other movements helped shape the discipline. The Bauhaus art school, founded in 1919, held experimental workshops. These workshops explored the relationship between the body, sound, light, and space. In the 1940s and 1950s, action painting became an important influence. Critics like Harold Rosenberg saw this as an initiating process. Artists like Jackson Pollock treated the canvas as an area to act in.

Later, the term "performance art" became widely used in the 1970s. Art critic John Perreault credits Marjorie Strider with inventing the term in 1969.

Many famous pioneers have shaped this field. These include artists such as Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys, and Yves Klein.

Other notable names are Carolee Schneemann, Ana Mendieta, and Nam June Paik. More recent exponents include Tania Bruguera and Melati Suryodarmo. Performance art is deeply linked to other concepts. It connects to the Fluxus movement and Viennese Actionism. It also intersects with architecture, religious practice, and theology. By breaking conventional ideas, performance artists challenge us to think in new ways.