For quite some time the concept of reenactment has enjoyed popularity as an artistic practice used to visualize and contemporize the past. More recently the term preenactment has started to receive a great deal of attention. Preenactment as a performative practice does not deal with the revision or replication of an historic event, instead it sets out to experiment with fictitious time(s) and space(s). How can one conceptualize the temporality of preenactment when the vectors, intensities and affects go beyond an allegedly fleeting moment? Similar to how reenactment always provides a prospective dimension, preenactment always includes a retrospective dimension which is why we conceive of it as (P)reenactment. We thereby encourage establishing a new perspective of the notion of reenactment, whereby reoccurrence, repetition or duration does not stand at the forefront, but rather as a beginning, as a means of relief, a process of transition and means of reorientation.              

The interdisciplinary conference aims at examining Pre-, Re-, as well as En-actments that are not just based on artistic practices, but include social, medial, political and activist phenomena. To what extent can artistic (P)reenactments influence – especially in terms of anticipation – political relationships and vice versa? To what extent is the theory of (P)reenactment capable of redefining the relationship between art and politics? Which role do cultural-historic preconditions play in our courses of action and habits of perception?

Moreover, the conference aims at conceptualizing (P)reenactments beyond their definition as live performances by drawing on the discourse in media studies. (P)reenactments are to be understood as phenomena not only within artistic frameworks, but are encountered in other social contexts as well.

Along with the temporal and spatial dynamics of (P)reenactments one has to address their different affective potential. In (P)reenactments, thecapacity to move and be moved takes place between the poles of memory/history and vision(s) of the future. Comprehending (P)reenactments as affective events allows to focus on aspects that have until now been overlooked by research on reenactment, but have gained great significance within the field of affect studies.            

The goal of this conference is to promote an interdisciplinary exchange on the various dimensions of (P)reenactment outlined above. Speakers are invited from various fields, including: theater studies, media studies, literary studies, political science and social sciences. In addition to promoting an interdisciplinary dialog among scholars the conference will incorporate artistic interventions and contributions from practitioners of (P)reenactment from various fields.

                                

Keynotes

Rebecca Schneider

Oliver Marchart

 

Lecture Performance

Friendly Fire!

 

Artist Talk

Nina Tecklenburg (Interrobang)

Sven Lindholm und Hannah Hofmann (Hofmann & Lindholm)

moderated by Doris Kolesch

 

With contributions in English and German by

Friedrich Balke

Benjamin Beil

Francesca Laura Cavallo

Adam Czirak

Veronika Darian

Susanne Foellmer

Friedrich Kirschner

Heiko Kirschner

Daniela Kuka

Maria Muhle

Sophie Nikoleit

Friederike Oberkrome

Verena Straub

Robert Walter-Jochum

Michael Wetzels

 

Organized by

Adam Czirak, Sophie Nikoleit, Friederike Oberkrome, Verena Straub, Robert Walter-Jochum and Michael Wetzels – Working group “(P)reenactment”, part of the collaborative research center “Affective Societies”.

An event of the Collaborative Research Center 1171: “Affective Societies”, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, in cooperation with ICI Berlin.

 

Participation in this public event is free of charge, registration is not necessary.
The program of the event will be published on this website before the conference.