Corpul în suferință, mintea în competiție: o analiză a durerii și a actului performativ

Abstract

The Suffering Body, the Competing Mind: an Analysis of Pain and the Performative Act
This article examines the relationship between represented pain in dramatic theatre and bodily pain in performance art. Its central question is concerned with the conditions under which real suffering may become a legitimate artistic means and the point at which bodily exposure risks turning into coercion, exploitation, or mere visual shock. The analysis focuses on three main issues: the function of pain in tragedy, the transformation of the body into artistic material in performance, and the ethical limits of physical and psychological exposure. Particular attention is given to the role of theatrical convention, the spectator’s position, the performer’s consent, and the responsibility of the director or creator. The discussion is developed through two case studies. The first concerns Oedipus, whose physical suffering acquires meaning through its connection with inner trauma, guilt, and tragic structure. The second examines Marina Abramović’s Rhythm 0, in which the artist’s body is directly exposed to the actions of the audience and pain becomes a real possibility rather than a fictional representation. The comparison shows that artistic value does not arise from the intensity or reality of pain alone. Pain becomes artistically meaningful only when it is integrated into a coherent structure, serves a clear expressive function, and respects the consent and limits of the person involved. Otherwise, it risks becoming a form of spectacle or bodily exploitation.