‘Imponderable. Such imponderable human factors as one’s aesthetic sensitivity/the overriding importance of imponderables in determining human conduct’ ( Abramovic and Ulay, 1977)
This is the opening text to Abramovic’s and Ulay’s performance Imponderabilia (1977), it offers an insight to the social experiment their performance is carrying out. The performances consists of Abramovic and Ulay standing naked in a narrow doorway, to an exhibition at the Museum of the Galleria d’arte Moderma, forcing the audience to squeeze through them to enter the exhibition.
Space is a important element to Imponderablilia as it creates the premises of the performance. The tight space of the doorway forces the unknowing audience to think spontaneously, and not able to observe what is happening until they have already participated. If, for example, the performance took place in an open room the audience would become observers not participants, changing the meaning behind the performance, and defeating the object of the social experiment.’Space is a fundamental element of performance which frames and contains activity.’ (Govan et al, 2007, p. 103).
The quote above relates to the imagery provided by the performance, the doorway acting as the the frame and the the performance being the activity in which it is framing. Although the specific building is not as relevant, besides it being a Museum, the location of the doorway, which was purpose built, is. The word ‘Opening’ represents many different elements of the performance, the performance took place at the opening of the exhibition, the doorway which was used as the entrance is also an opening, and the lack of openings between the naked bodies forced the audience to choose to face either the female body or the male body.
The forcing of the audience to enter between the performers makes them become part of the performance. The audience were unaware of that the performance had taken place, so they was unable to predetermine which way they were going to face. Spontaneity was particularity important for the social experiment, as it provides the subconscious decisions made by audience. The social experiment is to see how people react in close and intimate spaces, and also how societies ideology of sexuality have influenced peoples subconscious and conscious decisions on where to face. When watching the performance we noticed how the women tented to face whoever the person in front of them faced, but the men, some not all, tented face more towards the women, this could be down to them reinforcing their sexuality and fear or being judged by other males.
This performance influences ours at the drill hall, as during the Typhoid epidemic people were keep in close and intimate space that would of created a sense of discomfort. This is effect we want to create in our performance and this can be inspired by Imponderabilia.
Abramovic, M. ( 1977) Imponderabilia [performance] accessed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgeF7tOks4s
Govan, E., Nicholson, H., Normington, K. ( 2007) Making a performance: Devising Histories and Contemporary Practices. Oxon: Routledge