What is performance? 

Several years ago I walked into the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle to see an exhibition of contemporary art that was being advertised all over the city. There was a room whose entire surface area was covered with enlargements of photographs that had been developed on the wall. The dried drip marks from the chemicals were as long as arms. 
In the next room there was a projection of a sphere on the ceiling. The room was dark except for this. Underneath the projection was a stand with a concave top. A person was standing at this plinth looking into the reflections the moving projection above him was making. There were other objects at the perimeter of the room. I watched the person for some time. For some time we were the only ones in there. 
I did not know what this experience was called. I had no terms of reference for what I was looking at, looking for any was irrelevant. I already knew what the person in the room was talking about. 
Now I am writing what is performance about because now I want to talk about it. Performance should not be a complete activity. It must be more concerned with the present more than any other time. It’s audience cannot be measured. It must not rely on insecurity for interest. Performance art is not Romantic, nor is it a Society. Performance art recognizes the fallibility of all expression, including therefore it’s own. Performance art knows all about The Spectacle. 

Julie BACON, Hull

Ce este performance? 

Acum câţiva ani am intrat în Laing Art Gallery din Newcastle pentru a vedea o expoziţie de artă contemporană căreia i se făcea reclamă în tot oraşul. Am văzut o încăpere a cărei pardosea era acoperită cu copiile fotografiilor developate pe perete. Urmele uscate ale substanţelor chimice erau asemenea unor braţe lungi. 
Într-o altă sală am văzut pe tavan umbra unui balon. Cu această excepţie, camera era total întunecată. Sub umbră era un postament cu vârful concav, pe care stătea în picioare un om care privea reflexele umbrei în mişcare, aflate deasupra lui. La marginea încăperii erau şi alte obiecte. Am privit acel om. O perioadă am fost doar noi doi înăuntru. 
Nu ştiam cum să numesc impresia. N-aveam nici un punct de referinţă pentru a evalua ceea ce am văzut, şI nici nu avea rost să îl caut. Deja ştiam, despre ce vorbea omul în sală. 
Acum scriu despre ceea ce înseamnă performance, deoarece vreau să vorbesc despre acest lucru. Performance-ul nu trebuie să fie o acţiune integrală. În schimb, ar trebui să fie atent mai degrabă la prezent, decât la alte perioade de timp. Publicul nu-i poate fi evaluat. Nu trebuie să se sprijine, din interes, pe nesiguranţă. Arta performance nu este Romantică, şi nici nu este o societate. Arta performance recunoaşte efemeritatea oricărui mod de expresie, inclusiv al celui propriu. Arta performance ştie tot despre Spectacol.

Mi a performansz? 

Jó pár évvel ezelőtt bementem a Newcastle-i Laing Art Gallery-be, hogy megnézzek egy városszerte reklámozott kortárs művészeti kiállítást. Láttam egy termet, amelynek a teljes padlózata olyan fényképek nagyításaival volt lefedve, amelyeket a falon hívtak elő. A vegyszerek megszáradt nyomai olyanok voltak, mint hosszú karok. 
A következő teremben egy gömb árnyékát láttam a plafonon. Ennek kivételével a szoba teljesen sötét volt. Az árnyék alatt egy homorú tetejű talapzat volt. Ezen egy ember állt, és a felette mozgó árnyék reflexióit nézte. A terem szélén más tárgyak is voltak. Néztem azt az embert egy darabig. Egy ideig csak mi voltunk odabent. 
Nem tudtam, hogyan lehet ezt az élményt megnevezni. Nem volt semmi viszonyítási alapom ahhoz, amit láttam, és keresni lényegtelen lett volna. És már tudtam, miről beszélt az az ember a teremben. 
Most arról írok, miről szól a performansz, mert most beszélni akarok róla. A performansz nem kell teljes cselekvés legyen. Sokkal inkább kell figyelnie a jelenre mint bármilyen más időre. A közönsége nem megmérhető. Nem szabad érdekből a bizonytalanságra támaszkodnia. A performansz művészet nem Romantikus és nem is egy Társadalom. A performansz művészet felismeri bármiféle kifejezési mód esendőségét, így a sajátjáét is. A performansz művészet mindent tud a Látványról.