[cue]aporia: a philosophy game - university of...

[CUE]APORIA:aPhilosophyGameAaronFinbloom,SaraZaltash

ConcordiaUniversity,MontrealCAaaron.finbloom@gmail.com

SchumacherInstitute,Bristol,UKsarazaltash@gmail.com

Abstract.[CUE]APORIAisanexperimentalgaminginterfacewhichcombineselementsfromFluxus/Surrealistscores,JohnZorn’sCobra,TheCommunityofPhilosophicalInquiry(PhilosophyforChildren)andTinoSehgal’sconstructedsituations.Thegameexploreshowcontemporaryscoringandchoreographictechniquescancreateperformativeinterfacesforphilosophicalpracticewhichdisruptthetechnicityofthebook,replacingitbythatofthecardandtherebyinjectingdiscursivepracticeswithludico-dramaticandembodiedelements.

ThegameentailsreadinganddiscussingashorttheoreticalpassagealongsideCueCardswhichdirecttheverbalresponsesbasedontraditionalphilosophicalstructuring(forexample:provideadefinition),surrealistmethods(forexample,onlyspeakinquestions),andimprovisatoryframeworks(forexample,userswritetheirownconversationaldirective).

ThegamewillbeactivatedatICLIasa20minuteperformanceinterventionfor3-10audienceparticipants.

Keywords:newinterfacesofphilosophicalexpression,paratextuality,philosophygames,fluxus,johnzorn,tinosehgal,cuecards

Introduction

Howcancontemporaryscoringandchoreographictechniquescreateperformativeinterfacesforphilosophicalpractice?Whathappenswhenthetechnicityofthebookisreplacedbythatofthecard;whenadiscursivepracticeisinjectedwithaludic-dramaticembodiedpractice?

[CUE]APORIAisanexperimentalgaminginterfaceIhaveinventedwhichcombineselementsfromFluxus/Surrealistscores,JohnZorn’sCobra,TheCommunityofPhilosophicalInquiry(PhilosophyforChildren)andTinoSehgal’sconstructedsituations.Thegamebeginswithachosenshorttextualpassage(forICLIatextfromInterfacetheorywillbeselected).Thistextisreadaloudanddiscussed;however,participantsareforcedtogiveverbalresponsesbasedonvariouscuecards.Someofthecardsprovidemoretraditionalphilosophicalstructuring:analogy,example,reason,definition,clarification,etc.Someofthecardsdisplaypassagesoftextitselftobereadaloud.Othercardsdeliberatelybreakandplaywithlanguage:onlysayonewordatatime,onlyspeakquestions,thinkinsilence.Whilesomecardsareleftblanktherebygivingusersachancetospontaneouslycreatecontext-dependentconversationstructures.[CUE]APORIApushesthepracticeofphilosophyawayfromthetextuallinearitypredicatedinthematerialityofbooksandarticlesaswellasthediscursivepracticeofphilosophyaimedatachievingmaterial-independentunderstandingorsemanticmeaning.With[CUE]APORIAphilosophy’stemporalitymovesalongthekairotictemporalityandludicphysicalityofthecuecardinterface,whichallowsforalterationsinbodilymovement,rhizomaticthinkingandwordplay.

This20minuteperformanceinterventionrequires3-10audienceparticipants.

PriorIterations

[CUE]APORIAdevelopedoutofaseriesofstructuredphilosophicalconversationexperimentspioneeredbyAaronFinbloominMontrealduring2015whichwereattemptstoscoreJohnZorn’sCobrawithoutinstrumentsandratherusingintellectualdialogicalinterlocutors.CobraisanimprovisationalmusicalscoreorgamedevelopedbyJohnZornininthe1980sinNewYorkCity.Thegame’sruleswerenevercodifiedbyZornandinsteadonelearnstherulesthroughexperienceorverbalexplication.Asonewhopersonallywitnessedthepieceperformedmultipletimesinthepast10years,IhavecometounderstandsthatthegameworksasaconductorusesacomplicatedsystemofCueCardstoinitiateparticularmusicalcues.JohnBrackettdescribesthisprocess:

Nineteendifferentcuesareincludedontheleft-handcolumnofthispage.Theseparticularcues—associatedwith“Operation1”—describeaneventoractionthatcanbecalledbyaplayer(“caller”)throughaspecificbodilymotion(e.g.,handsignals,pointing)thatisrelayedtotheprompterwhocaneitheracceptordeclinethecue.Iftheeventsuggestedbythecallerisaccepted,theprompterholdsupacolorcoded,rectangularcardwiththerelevantcueandshowsittotheentireensemble(thepromptermayalsoinitiatecues).Thecueisactivatedwhentheprompterlowersthecard,anactionconstitutinga“downbeat.”(Brackett2010)

Iwasinterestedinattemptingtotranslatetheimprovisationaldimensionofthispieceintoaphilosophicalandconversationdimensionwhichoccurredbyacrossaseriesofperformativeexperiments.Thisserieswascalledthe“CobraPhilosophyExperimentSeries”andhad2majoriterations.ThefirstwasatConcordia’smatralabinOctoberof2015.ThesecondwasheldatConcordia’sTopologicalMediaLabinDecemberof2015.

Iteration#1(figure1)involvedgivingparticipantsCueCardswiththelettersN,Y,Q,C,Dwhichwereabbreviationsfor:No,Yes,Question,Clarification,Definition.Inordertogiveaverbalresponseaparticipanthadtoraiseacardindicatingthekindofresponseintendedandthentheconductorwouldcallonanumberofpersonstoinitiateresponses.InadditionIalsoattemptedtotracktheconversationusingasecondaryconductorrole(figure2)whowouldwritequestions,keytermsandquotesandprojectthecontentsfortheconversationinterlocutorstoimplement.

Iteration#2sawaradicalchangeofdirectionasweexperimentedmorewithwritingdramaticandconversationaldirectivesonCueCardswithinthecontextofadevelopingconversation.Twopersonswouldbegintalkingasathirdpersonwouldwriteadirectivefortheconversation(figure3).Thesedirectivesinvolvedbodilymovement,gesture,alterationoftone,shitingofconversationcontent,andmore.Oncewritten,thewriterofthedirectivewoulddisplaythecardinfrontofthetwoconversationpartnerstherebyinstructingthemtoperformthegivenactionorprompt(figure4).

FromthisexperimentalseriesIhavetakenvarioussuccessfulcomponentsfromeachiterationtocreate[CUE]APORIA.Thegameretainstheludic,improvisatoryandstructuredphilosophicalelementsandbringsthemintoacohesivewholewhileretainingarhizomaticfluiditywhichallowsthegametoexplodeorimplodegiventheparticipants’directives.

AuthorBios

AaronFinbloomisaphilosopher,performanceartist,musicianandco--founderofTheSchoolofMakingThinking(SMT)-anartist/thinkerresidencyprogramandexperimentalcollege.Muchofhisworkinvolvesrekindlingtheconnectionbetweenthephilosophicalandtheperformativebycreatingquasi--structuredconversationsthroughgames,improvisationalscores,booklets,audioguides,dancemaps,theatricallectures,existentialtherapyandphilosophicrituals.FinbloomhastaughtphilosophyatSuffolkCountyCommunityCollege,andhascurateddozensinterdisciplinaryimmersivecoursesforSMT.FinbloomholdsanM.A.inPhilosophyandArtfromSUNYStonyBrookandcurrentlyheishousedwithinConcordiaUniversity’sInterdisciplinaryHumanitiesPhDprogram.

SaraZaltashisaliveperformanceartistcreatingboldcontemporaryprojectsthatenactanevolvingengagementwithpolitical,philosophicalandspiritualrealities.Herworkisdisarminglypersonable,enchantinglydirectandpronetoradicalism.Outofpopularmovements,digitallivesandancientpractices,Saraseeksfrontiers,pioneersandrevolutions.SaraisaFellowoftheSchumacherInstitute.SaraholdsaBATheatre,FilmandTelevision(Bristol,2008),aPostgraduateLanguageCertificateinPersianLanguageandLiterature(Tehran,2010),anMAPerformance,Culture,Context(Leeds,2012),andaGraduateDiplomainLaw(BPP).

Figures

Figure1.CobraPhilosophyExperiment#1w/CueCards

Figure2.CobraPhilosophyExperiment#1w/CueCardsandProjections

Figure3.CobraPhilosophyExperiment#2-ImprovisedCardWriting

Figure4.CobraPhilosophyExperiment#2-ImprovisedCardWritingDelivery

References

Brackett,John.2010.“SomeNotesonJohnZorn’sCobra.“AmericanMusic28(1):44-75(Spring).