Temporary Bodies in the Underground Time-Space Continuum
Temporary Bodies in the Underground Time-Space Continuum

Summary/Abstract: An underground space is both metaphorically and physically referring to a secluded place beneath our feet, where various actions can occur in half-secrecy. Its aspect prompts concealment and confinement, two elements vital to temporary performances. This study refers to the underground art scene of Eastern Europe by solely focusing on examples of body actions performed in actual underground spaces. Defined as gray spaces, the areas that were not specifically designed for exhibitions afforded more freedom of expression in times of censorship and propaganda. Basements in particular provided nooks for unique performances. Examples from Krakow, Sibiu, and Budapest are the focus of the study, with an analysis of how the environment, location, accessibility, and the presence of human bodies in such spaces embodied the quintessence of underground actions behind the Iron Curtain. Actions such as The Lunch - In Memoriam Batu Kán by Tamás Szentjóby, Gábor Altorjay and Miklós Erdély, Prophecy II by Jerzy Beres, and The Dream Has Not Died by Alexandru Antik are the references used to define the underground space of basements and their relevance to contemporary body art.

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