Ritual in Contemporary Performance

Description:

This was a performance art series with seven performances and one workshop from 2002 to 2003. The events in chronological order were Liminal Acts by Sharon Alward, Belonging by Reona Brass, Absent/Presence and Respecting the Endocrine System by Linda Montano, Burning Head by Julie Andrée T, Barbed Wire by Jamie McMurry, Intimate Investigations by Lezli Rubin-Kunda, and A Simple Truth by Rebecca Belmore. A publication with the same title of the program was produced with interviews with the artists and responses to the performances.

Curator Victoria Singh was interested in the resurgence of contemporary practices of ritual in response to modern life while acknowledging the mainstream misconceptions, parody, and skepticism of performance art. Singh sought to present works that demonstrated diversity in approach and style by artists working in a ritualistic manner. 

Singh wrote in her publication introduction that “the experience of creating contemporary performance art is a form of ritual in its preparation, execution, and aesthetic. Although they may include primitive elements and make references to ideals from bygone eras, the intent of the actions belong in ‘the now’—offering poignant commentary and insight into our current lifestyles, society, and the human condition.”