Theyear2006wascelebratedasaturningpointinthehistoryoftheHellenicFestival,halfacenturyafteritsofficialestablishmentin1955.

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1 109 Crisis, Ruptures and the Rapture of an Imperceptible Aesthetics: A Recent History of the Hellenic Festival Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli ThefocusofthisarticleliesontherecenthistoryoftheHellenicFestival, discussingtheso-callednewphaseafter2006,whengiorgosloukostook overasartisticdirector.whilethefestivalclaimedaninternationalprofile promotingcollaborationswithmajoreuropeanfestivalsandtheatrecompanies,itspolicieshadtogothroughrestructuringduetotheragingeconomiccrisis.theyearsfrom2010tothepresentmarkedarupturewith previousdiscoursesandpolitics,turningthefestivalintoatopos oftransformationandfluiditywhichseemstoeludecertainconditionsofproductionandreceptionpertainingtoitspasthistory.thearticlepresentsaninquiryintotheofficialpoliciesasmuchastheartisticpracticeswhichconstitutethistopos, whilealsomappingouttheemergenttrendswhichproduceitsparticulardynamic. Theyear2006wascelebratedasaturningpointinthehistoryoftheHellenicFestival,halfacenturyafteritsofficialestablishmentin AmongtheprioritiesofthenewartisticdirectorGiorgosLoukoswasto enhancetheinternationalprofileandappealoftheevent,predominantlybypromotingcollaborationswithlargeeuropeanfestivalsandworld-renownedtheatre companies.alongwithseveralartistsandintellectuals,giorgosveltsoswelcomedthechangeinthefestival spolicies,suggestingthatthenewdirector s choicessignifiedadifferent receptionofthedramatic text.inhiswords,the textwasnolongerviewedasa corpseinanengonopoulos-fashionedfolkcostume [Εγγονοπούλεια φουστανέλλα]burdenedwiththe heritageofrondiris [παρακαταθήκη Ροντήρη]butasabodywhichisenlivenedbymutilation(2008). Bycontrast,theengagementwiththefragmentaryaestheticsofpostmodernism inseveralproductionsfeaturingintheprogrammeweredeemedtodepartnot justfromwesternphilologicaltradition,butalsofrommodernistimaginingsof 11.TheHellenicFestival,alsoknownastheAthensandEpidaurusFestival,developedfrom theathensandepidaurusfestivals,whichwerebothfoundedin1955.

2 110 Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli anauthenticgreekness.theimageofbodilydismembermentinvokedpoststructuralistconceptualizationsoftheliterarypast,fromthenotionsofpastiche andbricolage toheinermüller smetaphorthat,inordertoknowthedeadancestors,oneneedstodevourthemandregurgitatethelivingparticles(müller 43).Inthiscontext,classicalcultureitselfcouldbeconceptualizedasaniconoclasticandtransformabletext-body,breakingwiththeantiquarianprojectof restorationaswellaswiththenostalgiathatsurroundstheimpossibilityofpiecingtogetherthefragmentsofthepast. 2 AlthoughtheHellenicFestival,andespeciallyperformancesattheancient theatre ofepidaurus,playakeyroleinreproducingorchallengingrepresentationsofgreekantiquity,itwouldbefairtoquestionthepoliciesintroducedin therecentyearsastotheirefficacyinrefashioningestablishedculturaldiscourses andpracticesintheperformanceoftheancienttextsingreece.suchareevaluationofthefestivalisallthemorenecessaryinthelightoftheeconomiccrisis thateruptedin2010.whereasinthefirstyearsfollowingloukos appointment thefestivalfundedhigh-budgetproductions,itspolicieshadtogothroughrevisionsduetoseverecutstopublicspending.atthesametime,thepost-olympic euphoriaoverthecountry smodernizationgraduallygaveitsplacetowidespread skepticismabouttheuseandmisuseofpublicfunds,thequestionablemanagementofstateorganizations,alongsidecriticismovergreece sespousalofthe neoliberalmodel.thehellenicfestivalfounditselfenmeshedinasimilardebate,whichoftenmanifesteditselfinacritiqueofitsambitiousreformagenda oftherecentyears. ThepresentarticleexplorestheeffectofthesetensionsontheHellenicFestival,whilealsodiscussingthevariousresponses,reactionsorproactionsofcontemporaryperformancemakerstothecountry srapidlydecayingsocialandpoliticallandscape.theanalysisthatfollowsexaminesperformancewithinthe complexinterrelationshipsbetweeninstitutionalchallenges,culturaldiscourses, andtheartisticpracticescurrentlyinthemaking.thedisruptionstolarge-scale internationalcollaborationsopenedupaspaceforyoungerartistsandtheatre groups.whilsttheculturalrepercussionsofthecrisisentailedtheresurgenceof traditionalistviewsoftheclassicalpast,theperformancesunderexamination hereseemtoescapepreciselytraditionalistconditionsofproductionandreception.inthisprecariousmoment,themoveawayfromthe sacred textcanbe seenasanemergenceofaperformativeaesthetics,whichfurtherallowsusto utilizethenotionofperformanceinordertocontemplatetheexperienceofthe crisis,inabroadersense. 12.Onperformanceswhichhavedrawnemphasistotheimpossibletaskofrestoringthewholenessoftheancienttextasameanstocontemplatetherelationshipwiththeclassicalpast, seeerikafischer-lichte sdiscussionofklausmichaelgrüberstagingofeuripides The Bacchae (1990)and,morerecently,Fischer-Lichte(2014).Fischer-Lichtealsousesthe notionsofsparagmos andômophageia inordertoanalysesimilartakesontheancient texts.

3 Crisis,RupturesandtheRaptureofanImperceptibleAesthetics 111 Renewal Interrupted InordertoexaminethetransformationsoftheHellenicFestivalamidstthe crisis,itwouldbeusefultolookatthewaysinwhichtheatrefestivalsrelateto theirsocial,cultural,andpoliticalcontexts.asmatthiaswarstatnotes,festivals aredefinedthroughthe doubledialecticsofliminalityandperiodicity,onthe onehand,andceremoniousnessandexcessivenessontheother (101).Inthe secondhalfofthenineteenthcentury,theatrefestivalsemergedasanattemptto retrievetheauthenticur-experienceofthefeastortheritualthatwasthoughtof asirrevocablylost. 3 Thisnostalgiaoflatemodernityforthepre-modernaccounts concerning the central place of ancient Greek theatre dominated a series of prominenteventsofthatkind,rangingfromwagner sbayreuthfestivaltofestivalsinancientsitesintheearlytwentiethcentury.thesewereenvisagedas eventsallowingforanuntrammeledcelebrationwithinwhichtheatricalandother formsofperformancecouldbeexperiencedoutsideeverydaytimeandspace. Yet,totheextentthatfestivalsoperatewithininstitutionalframes,theyareby definitioncelebrationsthathappenwithinaregulatedspaceandtime.inthatregard,theatricalfestivalsareculturalprocessesthatcandecisivelyforgenational andpoliticalcommunities. 4 Establishingtheplaceofcelebrationisvitalindeterminingthecontextofsharingtheaestheticexperienceofperformanceaswell asofthediscursiveandpoliticalimplicationsthatgoalong. 5 InthecaseofEpidaurus, the experience of performance is conditioned through the symbolic poweroftheancientsiteaswellasbythespecificinstitutionalstructuresin place.thisdynamicisreminiscentofmichelfoucault snotionofheterotopia asamateriallyenactedutopia. 6 Fromthatperspective,therecentvicissitudesof theepidaurusfestivalcanindeedhelptounravelthevarioustransformationsof thenationalimaginingsanddiscoursesinandthroughperformance. Fromthebeginningofhistenureasdirector,Loukossetouttoreformthe HellenicFestival,implementinganumberofdrasticchangestothetimespan andthesettingoftheevent.theperiodofthefestivalwasmovedtoearlyto mid-summer,whileaseriesoftheatresandotherbuildingsinathensaddedthemselvestoitsofficialvenues. 7 Theuseofpost-industrialspaces,suchasanold warehouseonpiraeusstreet,topresentformsofcontemporaryperformance 13.Ontherevivalofritualsinfestivals,seeSiouzouli(2009). 14.ForadiscussionofGreekdramainEuropeanfestivals,seeSiouzouli(2014). 15.Onecouldreferhere,forinstance,tothegreatemphasisgivenonthechoiceofspaceby RichardWagnerandMaxReinhardt,foundersoftheBayreutherFestspiele(1871)andof thesalzburgerfestspiele(1920)respectively. 16.Ioannidou(2011)usesFoucault stheorytoanalysethenationalandculturalimplications ofperformingancientdramainepidaurus.leontis(40-66)andhamilakis(16-17)also refertothenotionofheterotopia tostressthematerialdimensionofancientruinsandits significanceforeuropeanandgreekimagination,respectively. 17.Until2005,theHellenicFestivaltookplaceintheOdeionofHerodesAtticusandoccasionallythetheatreofLucabettusinAthens,theancienttheatreofEpidaurusandtheSmall Odeionbythesea,atthesiteoftheancienttownofEpidaurus.

4 112 Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli shouldbeseenasimmediatelyrelatedtotheopeningupofthehellenicfestival torepertoirebeyondgreekplays.in2008,pinabausch schoreographedversion ofgluck sorphée et Eurydice inaproductionoftheparisoperaballetwas shownintheancienttheatreofepidaurusand,inthenextyear,the Athensvenues hostedromeocastellucci shighlypraiseddivina Commedia,consistingoftwo performancesandaliveinstallation.atthesametime,establishedgroupssuch asgreekarttheatre(theatrotechnis)orthetheatricalorganizationofcyprus (ΘΟΚ)wereexcludedfromtheEpidaurusFestivalaftertwodecadesofcontinuousparticipation.Mostsignificantly,twentieth-centurydramamadeitswayto Epidaurusforthefirsttimein2007withSamuelBeckett shappy Days inaproductionoftheroyalnationaltheatreofbritain.althoughbothoperaanddance andmoderndramahadbeenperformedintheepidauruspreviously,after2006 similarprojectswerepromotedinaregularandprogrammaticbasis,makinga statementaboutthepresentandthefutureoftheinstitution. 8 Althoughtheso-called Loukos era arguablybroughtaboutacrucialshift inlong-establishedpracticesinthehistoryofepidaurus,thediscussionabout thesacrednessofthespace,theauthorityoftheancienttext,andthegreekownershipofantiquityneverceasedtoaboundinthediscoursessurroundingthefestival. 9 NordidsimilarviewseverlosetheirpowertointerferewithaudiencereceptionandtoconditionresponsestotheproductionspresentedinEpidaurus. AnatolyVasiliev s2008medea withthemunicipaltheatreofpatrasanddimiter Gotscheff sthe Persians in2009inaproductionofthenationaltheatreof GreecegaverisetomuchcontroversyintheGreekpressandmediaandprovide themostrecentexamplesofstagingswhichwere,accordingtosomecommentators,profaneencroachmentsontheancientmonument. 10 Whatismorestriking, however,istheoccurrenceofanidealizedviewofancientdramaintheofficial discourseofthepost-2006festival.thephantasmalrelationshipbetweenancient dramaandcontemporaryperformancewasinvokedbyloukoshimselfinresponsetothecriticismthathehadprioritizedathensoverepidaurus: Thecritique...wasthatEpidaurushasallegedlyforfeiteditsnationalprofile. Ifindtheseviewsnarrow-minded.AsifBeckett shappy Days withdeborah Warner, Pina Bausch s Orphée et Eurydice or Shakespeare s Othello by ThomasOstermeierwerenotthenaturalcontinuityofAeschylusandtheother greatancientauthors!(dimitropoulos2013) Eventhoughthequotedpassageseekstochallengethedeep-rootedconviction thatepidaurusshouldbeusedexclusivelyforproductionsofgreekdrama,it nonethelessreiteratesanappropriationoftheclassicalpastasameanstolegit- 18.Bellini snorma andcherubini smedea werestagedinepidaurusin1960and1961,respectively.productionsofnon-ancientdramaintheancienttheatreincludeshakespeare s The Winter s Tale,Cymbeline,andThe Tempest directedbypeterhallin1988and,more recently,peterstein sstagingofkleist spenthesilea in OnthesacrednessoftheancienttheatreofEpidaurus,seeSiouzouli(2009). 10.OnGotscheff sproduction,seeioannidou(2010).

5 Crisis,RupturesandtheRaptureofanImperceptibleAesthetics 113 imizeculturalpracticesofthepresent.ironicallyenough,loukos statement agreeswiththeearlierresponsestoprofaneproductionsinthattheybothlink aestheticvaluetoasenseofrespecttotheancientsite:therespectduetoepidaurusisusedtodeterminetheaestheticvalueofmodernperformanceand,ina similarway,certaintheatricalperformancescanmakeaclaimtoepidaurus throughtheirequalstandingtotheworksofclassicalantiquity. 11 From Listed to Ruptured Texts Amidstthecrisis,thereverentancienttext,whichhastobeprotectedagainst theviolationofperformance,facesfurtherchallengesaspartofalargercultural economy which is put in question. The idea of listed texts [κείμενα διατηρητέα], 12 whichwascoinedtoadvocatetheintegrityoftheclassicaltexts, seemstoloseitsvalidity.inanurbanlandscapeofderelictlistedbuildings,ruined publicspaces,andvandalizedmonuments,thelistedtextfailstofinditsarchitectoniccounterpart.ontheotherhand,asthecountrygoesdeeperintosocial, political,andeconomicdecline,nationalistfeelingsandrhetoricinfiltratethe publicsphere,notleasttheofficialagendaofthevariouscoalitiongovernments thathaveruledinthecountry.in2013,thepoliticalcontroversysurroundingthe managementofthehellenicfestivalentailedcallstorestoretheepidaurusfestivaltoitsfunctionasaneventdedicatedtotheperformanceofancientdrama. Theunderlyingpurposewastocreateaclear-cutseparationfromtheAthensFestival,whichisfocusedoncontemporarytheatrepractice.Eventhoughthewhole issuewasresolvedwiththeconfirmationofloukos appointment,theministry ofculturehadalreadypublicizedlong-termplanstoorganizeanancientdrama festivalinepidaurus(tzevelekou2013).itistellingthatthepersonproposedto actasitsartisticdirectorwaskostasgeorgousopoulos,thecriticandtranslator whocoinedtheterm listedtexts. AfurthersuggestionwasthatthefuturefestivalwouldaddressforeignandGreektheatrecompaniesaswellaseducational organizationsanduniversitiesthatshareaninterestinancientdramaandeven inviteacompetitionamongtheparticipatinggroups.apartfromtheobviousattempttosimulatetheatreperformancesinantiquity,thefutureeventwouldestablishlinkswithothereuropeanancientdramafestivals.asthethenassociate MinisterKostasTzavarasexplained,theeventwouldbemodeledupontheFestivalofSyracuse,inwhichtheatregroupsaresubsidizedbythepermanentorganizationofancientdramaINDA.Thereisanotableparallelbetweenthisplan andtheinitialplanstoestablishancientdramafestivalsintheinter-warperiod. In1936, thecritickostisbastiasproposedtotheroyaltheatre 13 theuseofthe OdeionofHerodesAtticusforanancientdramafestival.Bastiasmadeastrong caseoftheperformanceofancientdramaintheopenair,referringtotheexample ofsyracusefestival(64). 11.Onfestivalsandtheconstructionoftradition,seeSiouzouli(2010). 12.CoinedbyKostasGeorgousopoulos(2004). 13.OfficialnameoftheNationalTheatreofGreeceatthetime.

6 114 Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli TheadherencetothelineageoftheEpidaurusFestivalinthecontextof thecrisisshouldbeunderstoodasareinventionofaculturaltraditionthatseeks toascribesensetothepresent.theperformanceofancientdramaservesnot justastheusualcelebrationofcontinuitywithantiquitybutalsoasanaffirmationofthecountry smoderninstitutionsandculturalpractices.thedialectics betweenpastandpresentisnotunknowninsimilarculturaleventsandbyno meansisitlimitedtoepidaurus.themajorityofeuropeantheatrefestivals werefoundedinthewakeofthenineteenth-centurynationalwarsandthetwo WorldWarsinthetwentiethcentury,providinganaestheticresponsetopolitical andculturalcrises.performancebecameacommunalexperiencewhichcould help to heal collective traumas by means of demonstrating commonalities amongpeopleandcultures.inseveralinstances,themeansfordealingwiththe variouscrisesweresoughtintheallegedoriginofwesterndrama,namelygreek tragedy. Asorganizedeventswithasetculturalagendaaswellaswidernationaland politicalfunction,festivalshaveconsistentlyprovidedanappropriategroundto determinewhatconstitutes classic dramaandhowitshouldbestaged.the rathervexeddebateontherelationshipbetweentextandperformance 14 hasenjoyedaparticularpopularitywithintheatrefestivals.theoldconceptofwerktreue isconjureduptocriticizedirectorialapproachesoreventodemarcatethescope andlimitsoftheatrefestivals.anotablerecentexampleisthecaseofthe2005 Festivald Avignon.Thechoiceoftheavant-gardeartistJanFabre,whostepped inasassociatedartisttocreateavariedprogramme,triggeredanunprecedented debateonthe fallof(dramatic)theatre inavignonandnostalgiccallsfora theatreofwords [le théâtre des paroles](banuandtackels2005).thesymbolically chargednamegiventothecontroversyspeakstotheclassicalconnotationsascribedtotheideaofthedramatictext:whathadtakenplaceinavignonwasa new querelle des ancients et des modernes (BanuandTackels2005). IntheEpidaurusFestival,theprimacyofthedramatictextisinextricably linkedtotherespectduetotheancientpast.theuseofanancienttheatreasa performancespaceisinstrumentalinreproducingthelogocentriclogicthatpermeatesgreece srelationshipwiththeclassicalpast.withinthenarrativeofcontinuitywithantiquitythetextisindispensablenotaspartofacommonlyshared andrespectedcanon,notbecauseoftheaesthetic,ethical,orculturalvaluesit representsforthecommunity,butpredominantlyasafocalpointendowingcontemporaryculturewithmeaning.thetextreifiestheabstractideaoftheorigin itpredicatesanditis,thus,impossibletodeposewithoutcausingthewholeconstructofthegreekculturallegitimacytofallapart.thecontemporaryperformanceaestheticsinlarge-scaleprojectsandinternationalcollaborations,which 14.ThisoppositionalrelationshipbetweentextandperformancecametotheforeinGerman scholarshipattheearlytwentieth-century,leadingtothedevelopmentofthedisciplineof TheatreStudies(Fischer-Lichte,The Transformative Power of Performance 29-37,and Dionysus Resurrected).

7 Crisis,RupturesandtheRaptureofanImperceptibleAesthetics 115 werepromotedbythefestivalafter2006,couldnotdestabilizethislogictothe extentthatitremainedtiedtoanestablishedavant-garde. AftertwoyearsunderausterityinGreecein2012,budgetshortagesfaced bythefestivalseemedtoimpedeplanningforthesummer.thedirectorconcededthattheuncertaintyaroundthefundingoftheeventmadetheatrecompaniesfromoutsidegreecereticentabouttheirpayment,puttinginternationalcollaborationsatrisk.after2006,thepolicyofselectingproductionswasdescribed asathoroughprocessbasedonaestheticcriteria,oftenexcludingthosecompanieswhichhadpreviouslyenjoyedtheprivilegeofasecureplaceintheprogramme.however,thecrisismarkedthecomebackofthesecompaniesonthe stageofepidaurus. Whenaskedtocommentonthecriteriainplacefortheselectionofproductions,Loukoscandidlyrepliedthatthisyearhiscriteriawere nottospend money (Dioskouridis2013).Thefinancialshortagesweredirectlylinkedtoa furthershiftintheselectionprocessandthedecisiontooffermoresupportto youngthea-tregroupsworkingonlow-costprojects.performancepiecesby younggroupsfeaturedinthe2012and2013festivalprogrammes,yet,intheir majority,theywerepresentedintheathensvenues;and,althoughthe2014 EpidaurusFesti-valopenedwithaproductionofEuripides shelen byayoung ensemble,therespecttotheclassicaltraditionwasrelishedbythepress. 15 Nonetheless,wewouldliketoproposeviewingtheopeningoftheFestivalto youngartistsasadestabilizingnewdynamicwhichchallengestheexistinginstitutionalandculturalpracticesinamoreradicalwaythantheinternational collaborationsoftheprecedingyears.whilstthelargescaleproductionsdepartedfromusualrepresentationsoftheclassics,theywerestilloperating withinaprinci-pleofartisticandculturallegitimacy.bycontract,youngartists areinvitedtopresenttheirprecariousperformancesatamomentofalarger political,social,andculturalrupture.thisispotentiallythemomentofapostmodernexplosionofthe sacredtimelesstext tofaceuptoitspoliticalpossibilitiesthroughasymbiosiswithcontemporaryculturaltexts,whichdonot solelychallengeitsstatusbut,infact,causeadisruptiontothesymbolicand culturalorderitrepresents. Precarious Performances OneinstancewhichencapsulatesthebreakwiththenarrativesoftheFestival wastheproductionbyanestisazasandprodromostsinikorisepidaurus: A Documentary stagedatthesmallodeionofepidaurusinthesummerof2012.this wasaperformancepiecerecountingthehistoryoftheepidaurusfestivalsince 15.Onerecentexampleisthearticleofthewell-knowncriticAntigoniKaraliinthenewspaper Ethnos, commentingontheopeningofthe2014festival: DimitrisKarantzas,thedirector whoattheageof26 conquered Epidaurus,gavehisfirstcredentials:herespectedthespace andthetext.theorchestrawasempty,itwasbreathing.euripides s[sic]wordwasheard purethroughtheexceptionaltranslationbydimitrisdimitriadis.

8 116 Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli theinitialuseofthespaceinthelate1930s.thedramaturgyintegratedarchival materialintheshapeofphotographsandoriginalfootagefromlandmarkproductions,accountsoffamousactorswhohaveparticipatedintheperformances, andmemoriesfromthefestivalsharedbythelocalpeople.thetext,developed drawingonvariousmaterials,wasdeliveredintheperformancebytheprofessionalactorsrenipittakiandnikoskarathanos,aswellasbymembersofthe localcommunity,whileatheatrescholar 16 wasdisplayingboardswhichpresentedafullrecordoftheproductionsofancientdramathathavetakenplacein theancienttheatre.atsomepointthetheatrescholarmadeastatementquestioningtheveryfoundationsoftheinstitution: ThiswholeEpidaurusprojecthasaminorflaw:thereisnottheslightest evidence textualorother whichcantestifytoperformancesofgreek tragedyorcomedyhavingtakenplaceintheancienttheatreofepidaurus. There are some testimonies of music and dramatic competitions, but nowhereareperformancesoftragicdramaoraristophanesattestedto.this isnosecret,butasacredoblivionplaysanimportantroleinservingthe constitutionofthecollectivenationalimagination. 17 Thisexampleisofparticularinterestnotbecauseofitsexplicitcommentonthe nationalpoliticsofthefestivaloritsemphasisonthearcheologicallandscape anditssignificanceforthelocalcommunity(oneofthelocalparticipantswas theinhabitantofahousenexttothesmallodeion,whoexperiencedthediscoveryofthetheatre),butasanexampleofperformed history.thehistoryofthe Festivalinitsvariousformswasenactedinthepresenttime.Theperformance itselfbecameagestureofinterrogationofhistoriographybyopposinglivepresencetothetextualrepresentationofpastexperience. Ahistoryinperformanceopposesitselftothepatternsoflinearity,continuity,andprogressrepresentedbythewrittentext.InEpidaurus: A Documentary, theinteractionofthe manytheatricalenergies, asfreddierokemputsit( ),brokewithauthorshipidentifiedwithasinglewritingsubject.theexplosionofindividualmemoryproducedstorieswhichwereimpossibletosynthesize intoacoherentwhole.thus,thehistoryoftheepidaurusfestivalwasnotsubjectedtoamasternarrative,butinvolvedthepluralityofstances,attitudes,and perspectives.thenotionsofaunifiedidentity,tradition,andnationalcommunity weregivenupinfavorofdisparateculturalvoicesandmaterials.thefunction ofprofessionalactorsintheshowwasreminiscentofrokem sideaoftheactor asawitnessandhyper-historian(rokemop.cit.,202).thesewereactorswho hadappearedinepidaurusonafrequentbasisandwereinvolvedinlandmark productions.inthecontextofthedocumentaryonthefestival,theirpresence offeredanembodimentofitshistory,whilealsorewritingitinperformance Intheperformance,thispartwasplayedbytheco-authorofthisarticleNataschaSiouzouli. 17.Textrecitedintheperformance. 18.Ontheentanglementbetweenindividualandcollectivememoryinperformance,seealso Siegmund(2007).

9 Crisis,RupturesandtheRaptureofanImperceptibleAesthetics 117 Itwouldbepossibletoviewperformanceasanactthatcausesthedominant discoursetoenterastateofcrisis,whereitbreaks,facesitsdiscontinuities,and fallsintopieces.anotherexamplethatexploredsimilarideaswasdimitrispapaioannou sdance-theatrepieceprimal Matter [Πρώτη Ύλη]thatwaspresented intheathensfestivalin Here,twomaledancersexperimentedwithvariousformsofbodilycontactinanever-failingprocessofsupplementingand completingeachother.thevisualcontrastbetweenthenakedbody mainlyresemblingancienttorsosandbrokenstatues andaperformerdressedinblack highlightedthefragmentationofpartsandmembers.theimpossibilityofwholenessintheshowbecameaquestioningofidentityasasolidconstruct.atthe sametime,aseriesofrepetitiveactsofferedaself-referentialcommentonperformanceasapossibility in crisis.bothepidaurus: A Documentary andprimal Matter representtheemergenceofaperformativeaestheticswhichdisruptsthe totalizingnarrativeswithinwhichthefestivalhasoperated.whatisimportant toemphasizeatthispointisthatsuchadisruptionisnotmadepossiblemerely throughthe(postmodern)crisisofthemedium,beitthetextortheperformance itself;rather,ithappensintheprecariousmomentinwhichinstitutions,narratives,andbodiesarepushedtoreachtheirlimits. 20 Imperceptible Aesthetics TheeconomiccrisisanditsimpactontheHellenichavedestabilizedFestivaldestabilizetheinstitutionalcontextsofproduction,generatingdiffracted performanceswhichunsettlelong-establishedofficialpoliciesandnarratives. Thesystemofexclusionsthatdefined accesstothetheatreofepidaurusacross time,fromthemonopolyofthenationaltheatretotheacceptanceofestablishedgreekgroupsand,morerecently,ofacclaimedinternationalproductions, seemstowane.thecanon,beittheclassicalorthecanonizedavant-gardeof thebigtheatrefestivalsandinstitutions,doesnotsitwellwiththerealityof contemporarygreece.thisconditionseemstosignifyaperformativeorindeed a postdramatic turninthehistoryofthehellenicfestival.theemphasishere liesontheopen-ended,contingent,anddissipativecharacterofperformanceas opposedtotraditionaltheatre.the precariousperformance, asdescribedhere, bringsforwardtheunsecuredandexposesitscontingencyinordertopropose alternativepossibilities. 21 Therearecertainparallelsbetweentheprecariousperformances,asunderstoodhere,andtheformsofsocialandpoliticalinteractioncurrentlyinthemaking.ThesocialthinkersDimitrisPapadopoulos,NiamhStephenson,andVassilis Tsianoscoinedtheideaof imperceptiblepolitics (83-94)whichreferstopost- 19.Foradocumentationoftheproject,seethewebsiteofDimitrisPapaioannouat: 19.dimitrispapaioannou.com/en/current/primal-matter. 20.Onfragmentationandperformance,seePrimavesi(2009). 21.Onthedifferentnotionsofprecariousness/precarityanditscorrespondenceswiththeatre, seelorey(13-29).

10 118 Eleftheria Ioannidou and Natascha Siouzouli liberalmodesofbeingoutsidetherepresentablepowerrelationsandregimesof control: Imperceptiblepoliticsdoesnotrefertosomethingwhichisinvisible,but tosocialforceswhichareoutsideofexistingregulationandoutsidepolicing.imperceptiblepoliticsisfirstandforemostaquestionofdeployinga newperceptualstrategy;thesensesarehonedlesstoreflectionandmore todiffraction i.e.,nowperceptioninvolvestracingdisturbanceandintrusioninsteadofmirroringexistingconditions.(112) Theshiftofperceptionsuggestedintheabovepassageseemstoresonatewith thestrongentanglementbetweenpoliticsandaestheticsintherecenthistoryof thehellenicfestival.indeed,thenewwaysofdoingaestheticsinaconditionof crisiscouldbeviewedasonesuchimperceptiblemode;changesininstitutional intentandtheimponderabilityoftheunstableeconomicsituationleavespaceto animperceptibleinterplaywiththediscursiveandaestheticnorms.here,aswell asinthesocialandpoliticalrealm,theprecariouspresenceofthebodyescapes theorderofrepresentationand writes/performsback, destabilizingandunsettling.intheseperformances,culturalpracticescommonlyassociatedwithpostmodernism,suchasnon-representability,presentness,fluidity,andfragmentation,canclaimtheirfullpoliticalpotential. Epilogue Atatimewhencalculationstrythevalidityofrescueplansandeconomic models,nationalaswellaseuropeanprojectsareputinquestion,massmovementsemergeanddissolve,theorieswillinevitablyproliferatebutoftenfailto cometogripswithafluidwiderlandscape.performancecanindeedbeviewed asaneffectivewaytorespondtoaswellastoeludecurrentsocio-politicalexigencies.itoffersastrategicwaytoperceiveresistancethroughthepossibility ofturningtheinherentcontingencyoftheperformance,whichper definitionem eludesplanningandcontrol,toanimperceptiblepractice,or,inotherwords,to atacticsofsubtleandmaybeunrulychange.performanceshouldbeunderstood nolongerasarepetition,whichreinforcesidentitiesandcommunities,butasthe precariousactofthebodywhosefutureisnoteasytopindown,letalonetoprescribe. Dr Eleftheria Ioannidou University of Birmingham, U.K. Dr. Natascha Siouzouli Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

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