Friday lates: to dare or be reckless? Dangerous performances in contemporary art

About this course

This course examines how artists have used physical risk and danger as artistic strategies, with examples including Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece and Marina Abramovic’s Rhythm 5. It considers feminist, decolonial and posthuman performance practices, and explores how performance art can express resistance to oppression. Teaching combines lecture, slide presentations and class discussion. Participants will also analyse how the meaning of risk changes according to the social and political circumstances surrounding a work.

What you'll learn

• Explain how risk-taking has functioned as an artistic strategy in performance art since the 1960s
• Describe at least three influential performance artworks that directly engage with risk
• Distinguish between risk and danger in performance art
• Analyse how social and political contexts shape interpretations of risk in performance

Is this course right for you?

The course is listed as suitable for all levels, so it is intended for learners approaching the subject from a range of backgrounds. Participation involves listening to illustrated lectures and contributing to class discussion. The material includes representations of violence, dangerous acts, guns, nudity and partially clothed bodies, which some learners may find challenging.

• Includes frank discussion of sensitive performance-art content
• Class discussion accompanies the lecture and slide presentations

Before you go

• Learners may wish to bring something to write with.
• Suggested books may be available for learners who wish to buy them.