Ethi-something
Abstract
This is a narrative journey through my experience as a Portuguese theatregoer since the Nineties. It encapsulates different voices, from the personal to the more academic, in an inner dialogue where the affective dimension is left free to influence the tone and rhythm of the discourse, to interrupt and challenge the logic of argumentation, and to be recognized as a powerful force of knowledge and self-transformation. I begin by addressing the recent socio-political changes in Portugal - especially since the breakdown of the dictatorship regime in 1974 –, and its effects in the way I grew out to look at performances today. From that perspective, I will then confront the relativist standpoint of contemporary Western performing arts, where ethics seems to be increasingly seen as something inscrutable within the realm of the subjective, something about which no one risks a common understanding, something of something lost. In the wake of a postmodernity that has been casting a growing shadow over the construction of foreseeable futures, and that is becoming further apart of its political relevance. I will conclude by directing my attention to the early signs that seems to be leading the performing arts’ practice to rehearse new ethical paradigms. Towards what can point beyond ourselves and to the possibility of a life together.
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Abstract ThisisanarravejourneythroughmyexperienceasaPortuguese theatregoersincetheNinees.Itencapsulatesdifferentvoices,fromthepersonal tothemoreacademic,inaninnerdialoguewheretheaffecvedimensionisle freetoinfluencethetoneandrhythmofthediscourse,tointerruptandchallenge thelogicofargumentaon,andtoberecognizedasapowerfulforceof knowledgeandself‐transformaon. Ibeginbyaddressingtherecentsocio‐policalchangesinPortugal‐ especiallysincethebreakdownofthedictatorshipregimein1974–,andits effectsinthewayIgrewouttolookatperformancestoday. Fromthatperspecve,Iwillthenconfronttherelaviststandpointof contemporaryWesternperformingarts,whereethicsseemstobeincreasingly seenassomethinginscrutablewithintherealmofthesubjecve,something aboutwhichnoonerisksacommonunderstanding,somethingofsomethinglost. Inthewakeofapostmodernitythathasbeencasngagrowingshadowoverthe construconofforeseeablefutures,andthatisbecomingfurtherapartofits policalrelevance. Iwillconcludebydirecngmyaenontotheearlysignsthatseemsto beleadingtheperformingarts’praccetorehearsenewethicalparadigms. Towardswhatcanpointbeyondourselvesandtothepossibilityofalifetogether. EtudesVol.1No.1 Feb2015 ISSN2375‐0758 www.etudesonline.com Ethi-Something By Gustavo Vicente
EtudesVol.1No.1 Feb2015 ISSN2375‐0758 Etudesonline.com Ethi-Something ByGustavoVicente When I finally became a frequent theatregoer, I think I would have been about eighteen years old . ItwastheNinetiesinPortugal,adecadeofgreatexistential questionsformanywho,likeme,carriedtheheavylegacyofsuccessionof thegenerationthatlivedthroughtheCarnationRevolutionin1974.1A generationthathadfelttheoppressionofthesomefiftyyearsfascist regime,whichstillcarriedthescarsofthirteenyearsofcolonialwars–to whichtherevolutionputastop–andthatwitnessedthefinalbreakdown ofanempireofmorethanhalfamillennium.2Agenerationthathadtaken 1Inthe25thofAprilof1974,amilitarycouporganizedbyaheroicgroupofofficersoverthrew thecorporatistauthoritarianregimethatwasinplacesince1926,inordertomakewayforthe implementationofamuch‐desireddemocracy.Themilitaryaction,whicheventuallydeveloped withoutmajorconfrontationswiththepoliceforcesclosetotheregime,wassooncoupledbythe citizens,whichfilledthestreetsofLisbonclamberingfortheliberationofthepeople.Thename CarnationRevolutioncamefromthesymbolicgestureofthepopulationthat,whenittookthe streets,startedtoputcarnationsintothemuzzlesoftherevolutionarymilitarytocelebratethe endofthedictatorshipandtheexpectedendofthewarintheAfricancolonies.Itcamealsoto symbolizethepacifistactoftherevolution,inwhichalmostnoshotswerefiredandfewpeople wereinjured. 2ThePortugueseColonialEmpirewasthefirstglobalempireintheworldhistory,whichbeganin 1415withtheconquestofCeuta,andextendeditselftoBrazilandtoanumberofAfricananda fewAsiaticterritoriessincethen.In1974,Portugalwasfightingtomaintainitslastcolonial territoriesinAfrica,wagingabloodyguerrillawarwithpro‐independencemovements particularlyinAngola,Mozambique,andGuinea.SoonaftertheCarnationRevolution,in1975, Portugalconcededthesovereigntyofthelargemajorityofthecolonies,thusputtinganendto thePortugueseempire,andforcingtheprecipitatedreturnofabouthalfamillionofPortuguese peoplethatlivedintheex‐colonies.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 2 thefirststepsinrebuildingthecountryandthathadputallofitshopesin therisingdemocracy.Agenerationthat,bytheNineties,wasalready showingsignsofdisillusionmentwiththeresultsof"their"democratic system,andstartingtogetimpatientwiththeallegedlethargyofthe youngerpeople;thatintherushtofindascapegoatfortheskewedcourse ofhistoryputtheburdenofresponsibilityonus.Wewerethe“second‐ rategeneration,”assomeofthemcalledus.Atermthatrapidlyspread intothepopularjargon. I prefer to see us as the orphans of the Revolution. Tothiswasaddedtheurgentpressureofbringingthecountryto theeconomic,socialandculturallevelsoftherestofthedemocratic Europe,which,inthemeantime,haddefinitelywelcomeduswiththe accessionofPortugaltotheEuropeanUnionafewyearsearlier.3 Increasinglyopen(andpermeable)totheinternationalinfluences,wehad thentodealwiththeunrestofpostmodernity,whichhadsettled throughouttheWesternworldatalllevelsofcriticalthinkingandartistic production,andforwhichthePortuguesewerenotquiteprepared,since ourhistoryhadnotallowedasequentialtransitiontothisnewera.Anera thatwasstronglyinfluencedbythesocialandpoliticalstrugglesandthe remappingoftheartisticboundariesoccurredintheinternational 3PortugalisamemberoftheEuropeanUnion(calledatthetimeEuropeanEconomic Community)sincetheJanuary,1,1986.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 3 landscape,especiallyintheSixtiesandSeventies4–atimewhenthe Portuguesewereunawareofanynewsfromabroadduetothestrict censorshipregimethatprevailedunderthedictatorship.Butevenafter 1974,postmodernismhadlittleresonanceinPortugal,oncetheCarnation Revolutionhadbroughtarenewedbeliefinthepoliticalidealsand philosophicalthoughtofthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury,which coveredupthemorepragmaticrealityofthe(so‐called)developed countriesatthetime.TheEighties,however,cametoerodethispost‐ revolutionaryenthusiasm.Theideologicalcrisisthatfollowedthe mercantileculture,whichhadstartedtodominatethe"freeworld," deposemanyoftheillusionsofself‐determinationofthePortuguesewho, atthattime,werebeginningtorealizethattheyhadbeenfollowinga coursethattheycouldnothavepredictedorcompletelycontrolled.Atthe beginningoftheNineties,postmodernitywashencereceivedasajoltthat shookthegroundofasocietystillstuckbetweenthecorporatist conservatismandtherevolutionaryidealsofthemodernera.Theacclaim ofsubjectivityastheinescapablefilterof“reality,”andthewide recognitionofpost‐structuralismanddeconstructionasthedrivingforces ofthoughtandknowledgeproduction,clashedwiththePortuguesedocile bodies,5stillconditionedtobelieveinthegrandnarrativesofthepast.This 4Aswereimportantexamplesthedevelopmentoffeminist,gayandethnicdiscourses,orthe emergenceofnewformsofartisticexpression,suchasPerformanceArtandPopArt. 5TouseMichelFoucault’stermabouttheeffectsofdisciplinarypowerinsociety(Cf.Surveilleret punir:NaissancedelaPrison,1975).
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 4 laidthegroundworkforaperiodofintenserelativismthatledusinto“the midstofacrisisofself‐recognitionandofself‐reinvention”–assowell describedAndréLepeckiwhenhearguedaboutthevitalmotivationsof thePortugueseperformingartsofthattime.6Guidedbydistrustinthe collectiveandconfrontationwithapastthatseemedtoustoofullof dogmaticanswers,eachoneofus (who would have been about eighteen years old) ,scattered (not to say lost) ,waseagerlysearching forafreshviewofthemselvesandoftheworld. Perhaps it was this urge to be a spectator of my own that was pushing me towards the theatre .Atthetime,agenerationof youngartistswasemerging(notonlyintheatrebutalsoindanceandin visualarts)that,motivatedbythedesirefornewaestheticpossibilities, positioneditselfalternativelytotheexistingartisticdominance. I will hardly forget my first encounters with the productions of OOlho7 6Lepecki,A.(1998:15),“Transversedbody,intensebody”,Theaterschrift,Nr.Extra, Intensification:contemporaryPortugueseperformance(Lisboa:EdiçãoDançasnacidadee EdiçõesCotovia),pp.19‐29. 7“TheEye”(mytranslation),wasatheatrecompanyfromAlmada–asuburbancitylocatedin theoppositemarginofLisbon.AlongwithLúciaSigalho,MónicaCalleandTeatrodaGaragem, amongothers,OOlhowaspartofanewgenerationofPortugueseartists/companiesthat sproutedinthebeginningoftheNineties,andthatpositionedthemselvesalternativelyto dominanttheatricalpracticeatthetime.Betterknownfortheirexperimentalandcollaborative workingprocesses,theywereoneofthefirsttointegratetheprinciplesandcharacteristicsofthe postdramatictheatreinPortugal.Foundedin1991,theassociationwasextinctin2002.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 5 andLúciaSigalho8(especially these),butalsotheoneswithMónicaCalle,9 TeatrodaGaragem,10VeraMantero,11ArtistasUnidos,12amongothers.It wasthisgenerationofartiststhatbrokewiththeprevailingparadigmof theatre–untilthenconceivedexclusivelyfromtheliterarylanguage,and whererealismwasseenastheindisputableformoftheatricalexpression. Itwasthisgenerationthatbecameawareoftheinstabilityofvalues,ofthe socialandpoliticalaporiasofthattime,ofthediversityofaudiencesthat werestartingtosprout,andthatclaimednewwaysofthinkinganddoing 8LúciaSigalhostartedhercareerin1993andwasbetterknownbyherautobiographical standpointfromwhichshepositionedherselftoengagewiththeaudience.AsnotedbyJohn O’Mahonyina2003articlefromTheGuardian,Lúcia was«afast‐talkingfirebrand(…)whose anarchicbrandofphysicaltheatreseemstospringnaturallyfromherownexuberant personality»(O’Mahony,J.“Thebigexperiment”inTheGuardian,13September2003, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2003/sep/13/theatre1>,accessedin9January2015).She (literally)disappearedfromtheartisticlandscapein2009. 9MónicaCalleestablishedherselfin1992inabohemianneighborhoodofLisbonmostlyknown bythelocalprostitutionandsexshops,fromwhichshecreatedamoreintimaterelationshipwith theurbanspaceandestablishedatheatrepracticeinwhichthebodyandthesensorialpowerof thewordwere(andstillare)hermainartisticpropositions. 10“TheGarageTheatre”(theirowntranslation)wasfoundedin1989anddevotedmostofits workwiththeresearchintonewformsoftheatrewritinganditsconnectionwithnewscenic proposals.Theywerealsothefirsttoexpressthe«perspectiveofageneration»,asstatedCarlos Pessoa(theartisticdirector)ina1994’smanifesto,thuslayingthefoundationforanalternative wayofbeinginthetheatre(Pessoa,C.,“Comunicaçãoemnovecapítulos”,Vértice,62,1994, pp.15‐17,p.16). 11VeraManteroisoneofthepioneerchoreographersfromthelateeightiesthatgavebirthto whatwascalledatthetimetheNewPortugueseDancemovement.Verabecameoneofthe mostacclaimedPortugueseartistsintheinternationallandscapeofPerformingArts,especially, asnotedAndréLepecki,byher«innovativeusesofthebodyasapositivepointofdeparturefora critiqueofcontemporaryPortugueseculture»(Lepecki,A.,MovingWithouttheColonialMirror: Modernity,Dance,andNationintheWorksofVeraManteroandFranciscoCamacho(1985‐97)– abstract,2004,SARMAPublications,<http://sarma.be/docs/2850>,accessedin9January2015). 12The“UnitedArtists”(mytranslation)appearedalittlelaterinthedecade(1995)buttheir creativeprocesseswerefundamentalintherenovationoftheroleofthedramaturgistandinthe investmentinnewcontemporaryPortugueseplaywrights.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 6 theatre;agenerationthatstartedtoincorporatenewliveperforming formatsandnewtechnicalprocedureswithoutobsessionsofthematicor ideologicalconsistency.Onemightsaythattheywerethefirstintherealm ofthePortuguesetheatretoembraceandreacttoapostmodernitythat wasfinallystartingtoinsinuateitselfinourculturallandscape.The TheatreCompanyOOlho,forexample,soondistinguisheditselfbytheir extensivecollaborativeprocesses,inwhichtheyrefusedtheideaofa singleresponsibledirectororplaywrightforthecreativeact.Theirsecond productioncalledHumanauta,13togiveanemblematicidea,tooktwo yearstobedeveloped,andreliedonawideteamofcollaborators(about 30),fromthepuresciencesandengineeringtohumanitiesandarts,who helpedintheirthoroughdramaturgicalresearch.Theperformancewas finallypremieredin1994using32performers,mostofthemyoung performersorotherearlycareerartists.Evenwithverylittlefinancingand support,theywereabletomotivateasignificantnumberofpeople,from theartisticcommunitytothewideraudience,inwhatbecamean influentialalternativeartisticmovement.Thebeliefinthecollaborative work,themultidisciplinaryperspective,thecomprehensivedramaturgical methodsandtheappetenceforthesensorywereallgroundbreaking characteristicsatthetime. I remember seeing myself being pulled by 13“Humanauta”isamadeupcompoundwordthatcanbetranslatedto“Humanaut” (“human”+“‐naut”,asin“astro‐naut”).
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 7 friends to go see what was happening on the other side of the Tagus river, where they were stationed .14 Anothermajorfeaturelaunchedbytheworkoftheseyoungartists wasthesearchfornewrelationsofcomplicitywiththeaudience,inwhich thespectatorswereseenasactiveparticipants,thusemphasizingtheidea ofatheatrebasedontheshared“experience"–asopposedtotheformer perspectivethatreliedinthedialecticalauthorityofthetheatricaltextsto “educate”theaudience.LúciaSigalhowasoneoftheartiststhattook furtherthequestioningabouttherelationbetweenperformerand spectator.InSeresSolitários15(1999)touseoneofhermostacclaimed works,the5monologuesthatconstitutedtheperformancewere presentedatthesametimeby5differentperformersin5different intimateurbanspaces–eachoneofthemofferedtoonlyonespectatorat atime.Followingherpreviousapproachesforincludingtheaudience,this performancefeltliketheultimatecelebrationoftheuniquenessofthelive theatricalexperience,throughthesingleandunrepeatablepresenceof eachofthespectators,withinabusyurbanenvironmentsuchasLisbon, wheresolitudefillsmostofoureverydaylife.Thedesiretomaketheatre withtheaudienceandnotfortheaudience,asLúciaherselfusedtosay,16 guidedherartisticcareeragainstthetraditionalwayofactingthatinsisted 14OOlhowasbasedinAlmada,thecitylocatedintheoppositemarginofLisbon. 15“LonelyBeings”inEnglish–mytranslation. 16Cf.Riso,C.(2002).“Eunãosouumatelevisão”inCemhorasdeconversa,<http://www.c‐e‐ m.org/producao/iniciativas/cemhoras/lucia_sigalho.htm>,accessedin15December2011.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 8 onlimitingtheparticipationofthespectators. If talent was not enough, Lúcia, along with other emerging female artists, emanated a force and a fresh sense of the feminine that were still delightfully subversive at the time. Thecommunicationwiththeaudiencewasthatwayrecalibrated aroundtherelationshipofempathythatwasestablishedineach performance,inwhichthespectatorswereledtotestifyintheirown bodieswhatwasbeingexperiencedbytheperformers.Insteadofthe spectatorsputtingthemselvesinthepositionofa“character”–inwhatis conventionallycalledan"identification"process–theyweretakento embodythesensations,energy,andkinestheticactionoftheperformers, evenifthesituationwasafictitiousone.17Thus,thespectatorsfound themselvescompellednotonlytorelateaffectivelywiththe performances,butalso,andbecauseofthat,toassumetheirshareof responsibilitywithwhateverwashappeningduringthoseliveexperiences, asinanyothersituationofindividualdecision.Thatresponsibilitywasnot feltfromadirectconfrontationwithathesis,antithesis,oropinion,but ratherfromthedirectdemandsoftheliveexperience,thatis,fromhow thespectatorswereledintogivingaresponsetowhatwasbeing experienced–withinthelogicofwhatLehmanncalledanaestheticof 17Asevidencedbytheacclaimedmirror‐neurons,whoserecentdiscoveryhavereaffirmed (scientifically)thisintrinsicconnectivitybetweenspectatorsandperformers–previously addressedbymanyartisticcreatorsandthinkersthroughoutthetwentiethcentury,fromJohn MartintoRichardSchechnerandMarinaAbramović,togivesomecanonicalexamples.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 15 theirattention,justasPutmanstressed,33toeverythingthatframesthe artisticlanguages–foreverythingthatconcernstheperception,andvery littletheconviction.Underthe(oftenmisleading)beliefthatformand contentisoneandthesamething,agrowingnumberofartistshavebeen showingpathologicalsignsofethico‐politicalescapism.Eventheneedfor the“new,”whichremainsfeverishlyattachedtotheartisticmotivationsof ourtime,doesnotrevealmorethanarecurrentnihilistictemptation.By reducingthe“new”totheobjectsthatitproduces,contemporaryarthas beenevadingthepossibilitytoreverberatebeyonditsobjectification.This impulsiverepetitionwherethe“newness”oftherelationshipbetweenthe objectanditscontextispurelyformal–inthenarrowersenseoftheterm –enlargestheunknowablevoidthatseparatesusfromtheworld.Avoid thatSartrecalled"nothing,"34andthatcanonlybetackledbythe consciousactoftheindividual,bythefreeactbywhichhe/shedefines him/herselftotheworld.Butmanycontemporaryartistsseemtohave beenavoidingtakingrisks,thuseludingtheresponsibilitytotrytorecreate themselvesandtheworldweliveintogether.Bythecontrary,manyof themhavebeenmanifestinganethicaldetachmentthatperpetuatesthe sameintellectualanguish,thesameethicalaporia–itislikeacircular relivingofaprelude (a never ending story) . 33Ibid. 34Sartre,J.‐P.(2007),Osereonada:EnsaiodeOntologiaFenomenológica,trans.PauloPerdigão (Petrópolis:EditoraVozes)[1943,originalFrenchEdition].
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 16 I continue to believe that, as Sartre proclaimed ,35thehuman onlytrulyexistswhenhe/shebecomeswhathe/sheproposedhim/herself tobe,andthatthisdemandistheresultofasubjectiveintentionality.Any adoptionofavaluesystemthatisrepresentedasbeing“objective”isonly anattempttotransferthepersonalfreedomtotheworldofobjects,thus endingupgettinglostin“nothing.”Theproblemisthat,aftersomuch timeofindividualizingsearches,ithasinstalledacertainalienationofthe “other,”oftheuniversalethicsbeyondtheSelf,thusdistortingthevery notionofethics–whatunitesusrationallyashumanbeings.Inthis context,thesearchforobjectivity,thoughhopeless(andmisleadingif allegedlyfound),isinevitable.Thissearchisessentialtothecritical understandingoftheworldanditshistory,andtopreventtheexistential resignationaround(whatcouldbeseenas)thesnobtyrannyof subjectivity–howeversensualitmayseems. [Yes, I miss Kant] Thisis notaboutdefendingtheemergenceofnewphilosophiesoflifeornew existentialbeliefs,muchlessisitaboutaddressingtheseissuesexplicitlyin theatre.Itisaboutnotcavingintotheresignationofthedisease,torisk newunderstandingsofourselvesandrevealthemtotheworld.As Heideggerargued,IammoreofmyselfwhenIrecognizetheclamorof somethingthatisanintegralpartofmeandatthesametimepoints 35Ibid.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 17 beyondme.36Ultimately,itisaboutmakingtheatretowardstheothers, thatis,tocommitourselvesinbeing‐for‐others(être‐pour‐autrui),37touse anotherSartreannotion. Do not mistake me, the transformative power of theatre (of performing arts) is still alive, and it is through its manifestations that I have been wielding these questions .Itisalsowithinperforming artsthathavebeingproducedalternativeartisticstances,whichseemto wanttopushaheadtheirethicalconcerns.InPortugal,forexample,the performingartistJoãoFiadeiro,inpartnershipwiththeanthropologist FernandaEugénio,foundedrecentlyaninterdisciplinaryprojectcalled AND‐Lab,whichaimstoaddressthefundamentalconcernof"howtolive together.”Here,theartisticdimensionseemstobeperceivedas simultaneouslyanendandameanstowhattheycall"aninhabited philosophy,anethicsoflivingtogether,apracticeofcom‐position38anda wayoflife."39Itisstillearlytointerprettheresultsofthesekindsof proposals,whichbegintooccuralittlearoundtheglobe,thusbringingthe processofartisticcompositiontoanewformofquestioningandethical 36Scruton,R.(2010:339),Brevehistóriadafilosofiamoderna:deDescartesaWittgenstein,trans. CarlosMarques(Lisboa:EdiçãoGuerraePaz)[1984,OriginalEnglishEdition]. 37Sartre,J.‐P.(2007),Osereonada:EnsaiodeOntologiaFenomenológica,trans.PauloPerdigão (Petrópolis:EditoraVozes)[1943,originalFrenchEdition]. 38“Com‐position”isatermcoinedbyJoãoFiadeiroandFernandaEugéniothatresultedofthe sub‐divisionoftheword“composition”(“composição”inportuguese).Intheliteraltranslation fromtheportuguese,“com‐posição”means“with‐position.”Itwascreatedtoexpressthe processof“positioning‐with‐the‐other,”againsttheclosedsenseof“composition,”which expressesacombinationofpositions. 39Cf.<http://and‐lab.org/o‐and_lab>,accessedin11September2014.
GustavoVicente Ethi‐Something 18 positioning.40Buttheseedsinsistonbeingplanted,onthefringeofthe trendsofpostmodernity. And that, I hope, do not guide us to only another "Post-" turn . Maybe it was the passing of time that made me recognize with more subtlety the contemporary patterns of artistic production. Maybe it is the fact that the future has come roaring by the birth of my son. Maybe it is age. Or maybe it is simply the existential restlessness that we all inherited from the amazement of life, and that immortalized us under the vital doubt of Hamlet. Whatever the reason, whatever the phenomenological synthesis that precedes and contextualizes these words, there is still something that I believe and dream getting stronger: the ethical power of the theatre. Maybe one day, along this path, one might be given some sense to Wittgenstein's idea that aesthetics and ethics are one and the same thing. In the direction of what it means to be human. 40Asignificantnumberoftheseproposalsaresproutingfromecology‐basedconcernsand animiststandpoints,overallfollowingthefundamentalquestionof“howonearthdowelive?”– assharplyputintheeditorialofthePerformanceResearchvolume“OnEcology”(Bottoms,S., Franks,A.andKramer,P.,“Editorial”,PerformanceResearch:Onecology,vol.17,n.4,Routledge, 2012,pp.1‐4,p.1).Acompellingexampleofthiskindofproposalisthe2011KrisVerdonck’s gardeninstallationExote.Butseveralothers,liketheveryrecent(2014)cycleofperformances conceivedbyVeraMantero&GuestscalledMoreorless,butlessthanmore,thatcomprisesa numberofjourneysthroughseveraloff‐screenurbangardensinLisbon;ortheongoingworkby BazKershaw,fromWarwickUniversity,EarthriseRepairShop,arebecomingtogrowasproposals withanethicalresponsibilitytowardswhatonemightcallbeing‐with‐one‐another‐in‐the‐earth.