Performance art is trending toward “visceral realism,” using the human body to confront mortality and identity. Recent RISING festival performances by Oona Doherty and Florentina Holzinger suggest a shift away from traditional aesthetics toward gritty, biological, and religious explorations that critique modern medical obsession and rigid gendered expectations.
How is modern dance addressing gender and religious identity?
Choreographers are increasingly using religious iconography to explore the tension between societal toughness and personal vulnerability. In Oona Doherty’s Hard to be Soft, performed at the RISING festival, the use of incense-fuming thuribles and cathedral-like settings provides a backdrop for exploring “smouldering rage” and suppressed emotions.
This trend moves beyond simple storytelling. It uses the “sacred and the profane” to examine how identity is forged in conflict. For example, Doherty’s “Sugar Army” ensemble uses the visual language of female solidarity—slick ponytails and high heels—to represent armor against a harsh world. This reflects a broader movement in contemporary dance to portray femininity not just as grace, but as a form of defensive resilience.
Similarly, the exploration of masculinity is shifting. The “Meat Kaleidoscope” segment in Doherty’s work, featuring performers John Scott and Louis Lovett, demonstrates a trend of deconstructing traditional male strength. By oscillating between aggressive posturing and “hesitant embraces,” the work challenges the rigid, non-vulnerable archetypes often found in classical dance forms.
Why are performers using the “visceral body” to critique medical science?
A significant trend in contemporary performance is the rejection of bodily perfection in favor of biological reality. Florentina Holzinger’s recent work at the RISING festival exemplifies this by moving from the “balletic notions of bodily perfection” seen in her 2023 show TANZ toward a raw depiction of human decay and medical intervention.
Performers are increasingly using “bodily fluids” and clinical settings to critique the modern quest for immortality. Holzinger’s piece depicts a “facility” where doctors act as sadists, reflecting a growing cultural anxiety regarding transhumanism and the medicalization of the human experience. This approach uses the body as a site of protest against the surgical pursuit of eternal youth.
This shift can be broken down into three emerging thematic pillars:
- The Critique of Perfection: Moving away from the idealized, “perfect” bodies of traditional ballet.
- Biological Determinism: Using dance to explore the idea that “anatomy is destiny.”
- Mortality Acceptance: Using visceral imagery—such as the depiction of declining bodily functions—to force audiences to confront inevitable aging.
Pro Tip: Observing Contemporary Performance
When watching modern dance, look for “sensory triggers”—scent (like incense), extreme physical vulnerability, or jarring shifts in music. These are often intentional tools used to break the “fourth wall” and force an emotional, rather than just intellectual, response.
What is the future of performance art in a post-perfection era?
The trajectory of performance art suggests a move toward “extreme empathy.” By showcasing the “unmoored” and the “uncontrollable” aspects of the human body, artists are creating a space for audiences to process collective anxieties about health, gender, and death.
Comparing the works of Doherty and Holzinger reveals a dual approach to this future. While Doherty focuses on the social and spiritual frameworks that shape identity, Holzinger focuses on the biological and clinical frameworks that dictate our mortality. Together, these trends indicate that the next decade of dance will likely prioritize “humanity and kindness” over technical sterility.
As audiences become more accustomed to digital perfection, the value of “live, messy, and unscripted” biological presence in performance is expected to rise. This “visceral turn” serves as a direct counter-response to the sanitized versions of life presented in digital spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RISING festival?
RISING is a major arts festival held in Melbourne, Australia, featuring a wide array of local and international dance, music, and visual arts.
How does dance reflect social changes?
Dance acts as a physical manifestation of societal shifts, using movement to explore changing views on gender, medical ethics, and identity.
What is “transhumanism” in the context of art?
In art, transhumanism refers to the exploration of how technology and medicine attempt to transcend human biological limitations, often critiqued through the lens of bodily autonomy.
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