9 May 2024
The Symposium on Power of Performance: Laughter, Carnival and the Reversal of Order was jointly organised by London Metropolitan University’s Interdisciplinary Research Forum, Global Diversities and Inequalities Research Centre, CREATURE and CUBE. The event explored themes of performance in urban, artistic, and political contexts.
Professor Christian Frost (School of Art, Architecture & Design, London Metropolitan University) opened with a discussion on the ontological aspects of festival experiences, using the San Giovanni festival in Florence as an example. He highlighted the continuity and evolution of such festivals through centuries of political and social changes, emphasising their significance in shaping civic identity.
Dr Jacek Ludwig Scarso (CREATURE, London Metropolitan University) followed with an analysis of performative strategies in Futurism. He noted that Futurism's performative essence extends beyond traditional performances, influencing various artistic expressions and manifestos. His contribution linked these strategies to a broader cultural subversion and the creation of total artworks.
In his keynote speech, Dr Theo Aiolfi (University of CY Cergy Paris University) examined the relationship between populism and transgression. He outlined how populist leaders use transgressive performances to distinguish themselves from political elites and discussed the aesthetic dimensions of populism that make marginalised voices visible while challenging dominant power structures.
The final session focused on political performances. Dr Angelos Cryssogelos (School of Social Sciences and Professions, London Metropolitan University) discussed how foreign policy is used by political actors to 'perform sovereignty,' thereby addressing domestic crises of legitimacy. He argued that these performances often serve to foster national pride and distract from socioeconomic issues.
Professors Svetlana Stephenson (School of Social Sciences and Professions, London Metropolitan University) and Simon Hallsworth (University of Suffolk) concluded the symposium by analysing the carnivalesque performances of power in Putin’s Russia. Drawing on Bakhtin’s theories, they illustrated how Russian state actors use transgressive and festive performances to assert sovereignty and marginalise enemies, thereby presenting themselves as a counter-hegemonic force.
Overall, the symposium provided a comprehensive examination of how performance operates across various domains to challenge, subvert, and reinforce social and political orders.
Image credit: Pixabay