"From an image to an action"
Putting permanence to an extreme moment
A performance work in theory and practice

Starting Friday night, an action-oriented talk provides an introduction to the history and the current avantgarde of performance arts. The talk, illustrated by image and text material, describes the developement of human actions into an art form. From the futurists of the early last century and their provocing demands for 'burning all museums' to state-of-the-art performance works by artists like Stelarc and Orlan, experimenting with augmentation and the enhancements of the body by technology and plastic surgery. An opportunity for an open dicussion concludes the talk.

Over the next two days the participants of the workshop learn about a variety of approaches to performance action through individual and group exercises. The practical work is reinforced by in-depth excusions on the work of selected artists like Marina Abramovic or Vito Acconci. The participants themselves determine the ratio between theoretical and practical parts of their work to a large degree.

On the second day we will make use of the surrounding environment for our actions to emphasize the public and open character of the work. The participants will learn about the differences between the principles of performance work and other art forms, to recognize a distinctive yet diverse form of expression. The starting point and the center of the performance action will always be the body of the performer.

The participants can present the results of the workshop during a public performance on Sunday. As a preparation for the workshop, each participant will receive a workbook upon registration. Furthermore every particpant will receive a collection to lecture notes on important theoretical fundamentals.