Human Body and Public Space – Traces and Memory
Human Body and Public Space – Traces and Memory

Summary/Abstract: Almost sixty years after Wiener Spaziergang, a performance made by Günter Brus, we still find ourselves in a controversial situation. Various artistic mediums which use the human body as an actor in relation to the urban space are meant to reveal social, political or ecological attitudes. A map of different actions and interactions using the human body enriches our vision about a world which is balancing between personal and public, history and memory. This presentation will explore how mediums of visual expression such as video, performance, ephemeral installation or actions that use ceramic material, incorporate and problematize these concepts. Within this framework, urban space becomes an essential element, positioned in a clear opposition with the genuine natural space, often forgotten or betrayed. We can talk about a certain adaptability of how artists connect the human body to the urban space, many artworks using this space as a perpetually changing scene. The urban space in interaction with the human body tells a story that becomes public and can be captured by the multitude of those who can perceive it. The presence of the human body in flesh and bones is not always mandatory, artists often relate to this subject through its trace or symbolic elements such as footprints, abandoned objects, or clothes.

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