A Discussion on the Subject of Intimacy in Performance, and an Afterword

Abstract

This discussion is formed of three parts that together reveal a conversation that took place between us — Maria and Rachel — towards the end of 2011. Underpinning our curatorial role in co-editing this collection lies an opportunity we have taken advantage of here; that of examining, interrogating and questioning our own thoughts on the subject of intimacy as well as the environments that house and musings that echo their staged manifestations. In broaching our responses to these areas of exploration we devised questions to ask one another, which, by chance rather than design, came to be aimed at focusing reflections on the developments in our respective fields of interest, particularly since the Intimacy event in 2007. These reflections take into consideration both the advances in the visibility of visceral and digital encounters — through curation and programming, marketing and representation, and funding — as well as our thoughts about recent theoretical writings that can be applied to critiques and analyses of these art forms still in their relative infancy. The third section that completes this dialogue attempts a summative survey of various questions, states, issues and ideas that have recurred across these writings, across genres and across the artist-practitioner/theorist mouthpieces. Like the dinner party that triggered the Intimacy event, the dialogue that follows is informal, unrestrained and unfinished. We hope you agree that that’s an interesting basis for the furthering of future debate.