Experimentul artistic în practicile performative

The Artistic Experiment in Performative Practice

Co-publisher: Editura Universitaria, Craiova

Compared to previous centuries, the 20th century was marked by an intensification of exploration, contestation, profound transformation, and remarkable innovation in the field of performing arts. This research aims to map the landscape of 20th-century performing arts and to identify its essential characteristics, using artistic experiment as the primary analytical framework and interpretive lens. The analysis begins with an articulation of the theoretical foundations initially formulated in avant-garde manifestos, and proceeds with an examination of the successive transformations and (re)configurations that contributed to shaping its contemporary forms. The study adopts a multidisciplinary perspective, situating the performing arts within the historical and cultural context that enabled the emergence of avant-garde movements, and emphasizing the pivotal role of artistic experiment in enriching scenic languages and performative practices. Various manifestations of artistic experiment are analyzed, with particular attention given to tendencies toward diversification and hybridization, as well as to marginal or niche artistic phenomena that fall outside mainstream currents but have played a decisive role in the (re)definition of the performing arts field. Although inherently difficult to define – since, by its very nature, it resists any fixed categorization – artistic experiment is often associated with postmodern artistic expressions or with creative methodologies that challenge traditional aesthetic conventions. After centuries in which academicism imposed rigid aesthetic norms that were difficult to challenge, early 20th-century artists initiated a paradigm shift by renouncing traditional canons and embracing absolute creative freedom. Starting from this premise, the research seeks to examine the concerns and accomplishments of major theater innovators concerning artistic experiment. Within this framework, the experiment – a catalyst for artistic innovation in the 20th century – is analyzed in relation to tradition as well as contemporary artistic trends, with particular emphasis on the interactions between the local and the global, and the dialogue between Eastern and Western cultural paradigms.