PERFORMANCE IN THE CREATIVE PRACTICE OF AVANT-GARDE ARTISTS

Abstract

The study of avant-garde artistic practices has now revived, driven not only by academic interest but also by the popularity of performances among artists. The purpose of the article is to characterise the purpose and ways of realising avant-garde performances, to highlight the common and distinctive features of performances by representatives of futurism, Dadaism and surrealism. Research methodology is determined by the purpose and objectives of this article. In the course of the research, general scientific methods were used: analysis and synthesis, as well as interdisciplinary methods: abstraction, specification and generalisation. Analysis – when considering the theoretical foundations of performance in art history; synthesis – in order to generalise the experience of performative practices in avant-garde art; comparison – to determine the essential features of performance for avant-garde movements (futurism, Dadaism, surrealism); systematic – when considering performance as an integral part of the artistic process. The scientific novelty of performances, the peculiarities of their conduct by avant-garde artists are revealed. Conclusions. Performance for Italian Futurists, Ukrainian Futurists, Dadaists, Surrealists becomes a popular artistic practice during the opening of artists’ exhibitions. The artists organised art actions as a method of expanding the influence of their group to break down the traditional boundaries between performers and spectators, to promote ideas. As for the peculiarities of performative practices: Italian futurists‘ performance was scandalous, while Ukrainian futurists’ was playful. The initiators of futuristic and surrealist performances were primarily artists, while dadaist performances were initiated by theatre artists and poets.