i tre corpi

1 ANDREA PAGNES (VESTANDPAGE) ON PERFORMATIVE ACTIONS So we have talked about four of the five invisible senses: concentration, imagination, attention and readiness/alertness (visceral attraction). Which is the fifth invisible sense? All these mentioned senses allow us to awaken within ourselves the possibility of going towards ‘memory’, in which we are entirely situated. With ‘memory’ we do not intend the act of remembering, as the remembrance is limited to the embodiment of a mental representation of an experience that is restricted on the recognizable data of reality; while thus memory, although being inseparable from our body presence and including the remembrances of our experience, constitutes a source that contains visible and invisible streams of our own being. (Kassim Bayatly) 1 The term ‘action’ comes from the Latin word actionem (nom. actio) and from the pp. stem of the Latin verb agere, and from the pp. stem of the later Latin verb activare. It means the state or process of doing; to set in motion; to operate and organize activity to accomplish an objective; the causation of change by the exertion of power or a natural process; a movement, a manner of movement or a series of movement; a behavior, a conduct (also habitual). In some other cases the term action can indicate to urge, to drive, to chase, to stir up. With particular reference to performativeperformer as primary element - action-maker - of the action itself with performer's performing body. However, whether the presence of the performer’s body has to operate and act within the action itself, and in which measure it must be visible, perceptible, and tangible to be said performative action, it is not precisely defined yet. To analyze the idea of the body as essential element of any performative action, and investigate the possibility of action and representation on the surface of the so-called visible body, it is maybe useful to revisit some specific cultural prodromes about the word ‘body’. In his above-mentioned book, Kassim Bayatly writes that the Arab culture states three different expressions to define the word ‘body’: Gesem, Gesed and Beden. These three terms are clearly specified in what they refer to and in how, consequently, they indicate the three single, distinct elements (or bodies) by which the body is subdivided: Gesem- is the body-body, the concrete2 Gesed- is the mind-body; the brain; for the Latin- intelligenzia: the mental structure, which supports and controls the Gesem (body-body). Beden- is the psyche-body, the psychosomatic element of soul movements and true, transparent and subtle emotions, which equally can express themselves through the Gesem (body-body), and also influence Gesed (body-mind). The ‘three bodies’ reciprocally influence each other. Therefore the question is- to analyze a particular, performative action, which of these three bodies is more helpful and suitable to try and give the action a precise definition? Of course the action pertinent to the Gesem (body-body) is easily perceptible and clearly definable; but what happens if the action is due to the use of Gesed (mindbody) and/or Beden (psyche-body)? Can these two bodies be in action without having an obvious, visible output (expression) on the Gesem (body-body) surface? How can we perceive them? The task for any artist, which works with/through the artist's own body, as material for representation/action, would have always be to achieve a natural equilibrium and balanced strength between those ‘three bodies’. Hence, during an actual performance, it may happen that we – as spectators - do not visually perceive any action of the Gesem (body-body), but it will be always important to remind that in those moments the Gesed (mind-body) and Beden (psyche-body) of the performer are somehow set in motion, and that theyIf these three subtle bodies are elements that belong to the performer’s body once it is activated to operate during any performative action, they consequently interfere with all the following categories, which should be properly analysed as aspects of the ‘three bodies’ of the performer, not just as an artist, but more, as human being.