artists in the field

7/25/2019 Artists in the Field

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Artists In the Field: Between Art and Anthropology

by Fernando Calzadilla and George E. Marcus

Introduction (Marcus)

By the mid-1!"s# I had $ust about gi%en u& ho&e that the aesthetic issues that

'ere im&licated in the so-called Writing Culturecritiue o anthro&ology during the

1*!"s (1) 'ould be de%elo&ed by anthro&ologists themsel%es. Beyond the critiue

o the authority o ethnogra&hic te+ts and o the conditions or the &roduction o

,no'ledge in the traditional mise-en-scne o eld'or,# these issues might ha%e

dened the ground or rethin,ing the longstanding orms and &ractices o

anthro&ological research (the emblematic and dening eld'or,/ethnogra&hy

&aradigm o the disci&line) that are so much challenged at &resent as

anthro&ologists in%ol%e themsel%es 'ith more com&licated conditions and ob$ects o

inuiry (0). For anthro&ologists to ha%e e+&lored the aesthetics o inuiry 'ouldha%e reuired styles o thin,ing# rhetoric# and &ractice--,eyed to the notion o

e+&erimentationthat &ro%ed unacce&table to the boundary ,ee&ing institutional

and &roessional rules o order in the academy. 2hile anthro&ology during the

1*!"s 'as in3uenced more than e%er (and %ice %ersa) by theoretical de%elo&ments

in the academic humanities through interdisci&linary mo%ements that 'ere

themsel%es caught u& in sel-images e%o,ing historic a%ant-gardes (the 4theory4

tendency in literary studies# or e+am&le# had this imago)# it 'as still obliged to be

social scientic# and denitely not art. 5hus# any e6orts at e+&erimentation 'ith the

ethnogra&hic orm# beyond te+tual maneu%ers# 'ere understandably limited# largely

rhetorical# and 'hen substanti%e# idiosyncratic and certainly marginal.

7erha&s# this is as it should ha%e been. 2hile there ha%e been some remar,able

e+&erimental te+ts e+&loring the relation bet'een culture# the anthro&ological tas,#

and aesthetics# &roduced through and rom the trend o 1*!"s critiue (8)# the urge

to e+&eriment in the sense o artists" &ractices 'ithin the restricted connes and

norms o social scientic disci&linary &ractice 'as bound to generate many more

'or,s o unclear %ision and uncertain address in terms o to 'hom and or 'hom

they 'ere directed. 9till the most com&elling as&ects o the Writing Culture critiueo the 1*!"s o&ened uestions about brea,ing the authoritati%e rames# not only o

traditional ethnogra&hic 'riting# but by im&lication o the traditional &ractices and

&roessional regulati%e ideals o eld'or, in the name o such notions as

collaboration# &oly&hony# re3e+i%e inuiry# and dialogue. 5hese 'ere indeed radical

alternati%e suggestions or hints or &ractice# and they could hardly be ser%ed by

mere modications in the 'ay ethnogra&hies 'ere 'ritten or e%en traditional

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&ro$ects o eld'or, 'ere conducted. :ttem&ts to do sothe body o 4e+&eriments4

'e ha%e'ere or the most &art considered to be 'ea,# rhetorical# and

idiosyncratic. ;ne might conclude then that more radical e+&eriments# touching

u&on the aesthetics o eld'or,# 'ere something that anthro&ologists# o&erating

bet'een the critiues o the 1*!s and the changing conditions o research in the

1!s on'ard# could benet rom# but 'hich# because o the 'eight o the

&roessional a&&aratus o &o'er# authority# tradition# and sel-interest# they could

not do or themsel%es in any coherent 'ay. ;nly artists# 'ho understood the tas, o

ethnogra&hy more dee&ly than most other artists ha%e in the heady era o

disci&linary mi+ings that 'e ha%e $ust gone through# might# in &ursuing their o'n

license# sho' anthro&ologists something im&ortant about their methods that they

could not see as clearly or themsel%es. 5his is 'hat the collecti%e 'or,s o :bdel


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unusual engagement bet'een a &ractice o anthro&ology understanding the

necessity o rethin,ing the &aradigm o method at the heart o the disci&line# and an

initiati%e among artists strongly in3uenced by this same de%elo&ment in

anthro&ology# but ocussed on disci&linary norms and constraints o art criticism

(see the a&&endi+ to gain a sense o ho' this e%ent 'as antici&ated by the

anthro&ologists at ice). 5his e%ent# ,no'n asArtists In Trance(subtitled# New

Methodologies in the Work with the Other in Latin Aerican Art)# occurred at ice in

the s&ring o 1# and 'as su&&orted by the ne'ly ormed 5ransart Foundation.

5he %arious &erormances and installations 'ere meant to e+&lore the

conce&t o e%ocation (D) and its relation to ethical &ractice. In some cases artists

de%elo&ed ethnogra&hies o themsel%es using installation as a s&atialization o sel-

narrati%es and critiue. In other cases# artists e+&lored conce&tually ho' cultural

,no'ledge is constructed and ho' anthro&ologists re&resent cultures. 9till otherartists e%o,ed the ethos o community mediating %alues in &o&ular culture#

uestioning such traces o cultural domination as etishism# colonialism# and te+tual

authority in art history.

For me# the center&iece o this 'or,sho& 'as The Market Fro !ere

(hereater# 5MF


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account o the &rocess 'hich &roduced 5MF


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4com&etence4 being &erormati%e. 5hat is# the true standard o $udgment o

ethnogra&hic inter&retation and translation is 'hether the anthro&ologist 4gets it

right#4 not as $udged by his &roessional &eers but by the &eo&le he studies.

Com&etence al'ays begins 'ith language# and anthro&ological ol,lore oten

ocuses on 'ho among the s&ecialists in an area or region s&ea,s the language li,e

a nati%e.H 5o some e+tent# this %ery dee& but under&layed and romantic ideal o %ery

serious ethnogra&hy e%o,es the much disdained and nai%e 4going nati%e4

syndrome. 9till# anthro&ologists ha%e oten sustained in their $udgment o

ethnogra&hy the related notion o com&etence or &erormati%ity. 5his &erha&s had

its most elaborate and scientistic e+&ression in the ethnoscience/cogniti%e

anthro&ology/ne' ethnogra&hy mo%ement o the 1!s and 1!s (). Indeed# the

ability to &lay bac, category systems in s&eech to the nati%e# to 4elicit4 action rom

them 'as to become the highest scientic standard or anthro&ology. ; course# thismo%ement e%entually ell on hard times once it 'ent beyond color and ,inshi&

categories. But something o the same ideal has al'ays been &resent in the

inter&reti%e/symbolic mo%ement as 'ell. In the eld# one is constantly testing one"s

inter&retations and understandings by nding 'ays to &lay them bac, to inormants.

Finally# there 'as the brie surge into 4theater anthro&ology4 in the late !s

and early *!s# based on the interesting &artnershi& o ichard 9chechner and =ictor

5urner# and the 'ritings o Eugenio Barba# among others. 5he main ins&iration or

this in anthro&ology 'as the later 'or, o =ictor 5urner# 'ho early on had a strong

sense o the %alue o understanding ethnogra&hic settings in dramatistical terms.


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e+&erimentally e+&lores tendencies dee&ly a &art o the ethos o the disci&line

ha%ing to do 'ith a combination o scholarly distance and a more acti%e

&artici&ation in a culture but still 'ithin the rame o &roessional eld'or,. 5he

idea o collaboration# shared authorshi and 4the dialogic4 stood or these

tendencies in the 1*!s critiue# but they could (dared) not go beyond the

con%entional notions o eld'or,# e%en though they u&set them rom 'ithin their

boundaries. 5he idea o &erormance had this &ossibility o going urther# but mainly

it has remained a theoretical artiactanother ins&iration 'ith 'hich to rame the

longstanding &ractices.


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mar,et# and ndez"s ideas 'ent ar beyond collecting 'or,s on the sub$ect.

ndez in%ited young artists to create s&ecic 'or, that dealt 'ith the relation

bet'een the Ma%ao and Coche. Ma%ao is a contem&orary art museum housed in a

5ra%ertine marble building 'ith a resemblance to 2ashington"s Jational Gallery

Coche is the main ood distribution center or the city 'ith truc,s &ouring in and out

rom all o%er the country. 5hey are located in the outs,irts# surrounded by lo'-

income (arrios in a densely &o&ulated area. 5he elitist museum is in the hi&&odrome

grounds and its &atrons are not e+actly those o the community 'here it sits. 2ith

these &remises# ndez and I a&&roached the artists and in%ited them to get in

touch 'ith Coche to de%elo& 'or,s that 'ould address issues o art mar,et#

community# the 'hite cube neutral s&ace o the gallery# and the re-'riting o it# the

desecration o the museum s&ace# the se&aration bet'een high and &o&ular culture#

ho' the mar,et loo,ed at the museum and %ice %ersa# the ethnogra&hic other# thee&hemerality o the mar,et against the &ermanence o the museum# etc. My $ob

'as to create the dramaturgy o the s&ace# to &lace the artists" 'or,s in the museum

and design the s&ace to ma,e a coherent statement o the 'hole e+hibit# something

or 'hich my s,ills as theater designer and mar,et lo%er 'ere a&&ro&riate. :s our

meetings 'ith the artists gre' so did ideas and &ro&osals. 5he museum authorities

became concerned about the budgetary and &olitical im&lications and the &ro$ect

'as cancelled. But ndez and I had been enthralled by the mar,et idea.

:ter ndez"s %isit to the Ae&artment o :nthro&ology at ice @ni%ersity#

'here the course/e%entArtists In Trance'as ta,ing sha&e# the idea o &resenting a

ma$or 'or, on the &o&ular mar,et rose rom its ashes. 5his time ndez and I

'ere co-authoring the in%estigation/realization. Bound by a set o gi%en

circumstances such as a s&ecic date and e%ent 'ith a &re-established theme# the

&ro$ect had a di6erent &rocess. 2e 'ere not orchestrating the 'or, o other artists

'e 'ere the artists realizing the 'or, itsel. 5he in%estigation 'as not centered on

one s&ecic locale but on the mar,et"s general relationshi& 'ith the city# 'ith the

e&hemeral# the transient# and the no-&lace that &arado+ically constitutes "mar,et"

because it only e+ists in the &assing o hands.Both ndez and I# in di6erent %enues# had been in%ol%ed in ethnogra&hic

research. ndez during his 9ierra Maestra &ro$ects in Cuba (see ootnote ?)#

mysel in the a&&roach to scenic design and its later im&lementation as the

ethnogra&hic study o the &eo&le# their costumes# and &laces or the &iece. 9ho'ing

the structure that held together the scenic design ser%ed the &ur&ose o

em&hasizing the ethnogra&hic data that I collected in direct eld'or, or through


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others" accounts (*). :lthough it 'as clear that this 'as an artistic endea%or# the act

that 'e 'ere &resenting it 'ithin the conte+t o theArtist In Trancee%ent at the

Ae&artment o :nthro&ology o ice @ni%ersity also made clear that it 'as a re-

%isiting o the debates about ethnogra&hic method. 2e started 'ith the

ethnogra&hic a&&roach by ro%ing the =enezuelan mar,ets# tal,ing to &eo&le# to

%endors# establishing lin,s and &ossible inormants until 'e narro'ed our interest to

t'o o the most %isited and &o&ulous mar,ets in Caracas# $l Mercado de Catia# and

$l Mercado +uinta Crespo(). 5his ,ind o mar,et is under munici&al control they

are administered by the city council and each %endor is allotted a stand according to

the ty&e o merchandise s/he sells. Jemesio# a &lantain %endor at Catia# had been in

the same s&ot or ?8 years 'hen 'e met him. 5he medicinal herb %endors &rescribe

and ad%ise on matters o health# lo%e# and ha&&iness.

Mercados Li(res are class bound they are not modern su&ermar,ets. 5heye%o,e the street air# the bazaar# the historical &lace o encounter mar,ed by

e+change. Both Catia and Luinta Cres&o are situated in lo'-income areas o the city#

uite central# and on busy nodal intersections. 5hey are nested in their o'n early

1!!s buildings# o&en na%es 'ith high ceilings a mi+ture o church and industrial

construction surrounded by a myriad o (uhoneros(illegal street %endors) 'ho use

the circulation s&ace to dis&lay their merchandise. 5he scene is one o sensual

chaosN %endors ha',ing their 'ares# &atrons# the aroma o coo,ed meals# &eeled

oranges# the colors o cloth# $e'elry# the noise o children# the loud music# etc.

E+ce&t or Luinta Cres&o and Coche# Mercados ibresare not o&en e%eryday# 'hich

increases the number o &eo&le 'ho might mingle during business hours# rom da'n

until noon. Catia"s mar,et days are 5uesday# 5hursday# and 9aturday. ;thers

throughout the city %ary# but most o them 'or, on 9aturday as o&&osed to the

traditional 9unday street air. 2ithin this conte+t# ndez and I# both longhaired

&eo&le# loo,ed out o &lace 'ithout sho&&ing# instead ta,ing &hotos# recording# and

ma,ing notes o e%erything. 2hat is the role o the artist as ethnogra&herO

2hile describing the relationshi& bet'een aesthetic uality and ideological

tendency# 2alter Ben$amin in his 18? essay# :uthor as 7roducer#H (1!) calls orartists o the let to side 'ith the &roletariat.


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mar,et as an obser%er# 'hether I 'as otheringH or being othered.H 5he uestion o

ideological &atronage came to the ore 'ith &roblems o misidentication and o%er-

identication. Is there a critical distanceO For artists 'or,ing as ethnogra&hers the

relation inormant/ethnogra&her 'as bound u& in identity &olitics. It 'as either

im&licated in the &roblematic o class struggle and ca&italist e+&loitation or it 'as

im&licated in the discourse o race and the colonial sub$ect.

:s 'e 'al,ed the mar,ets# greeting &eo&le 'e 'ere seeing re&eatedly#

tal,ing to Jemesio# 'hom 'e had recently met# or Francisco# my orange archand

or some years no'# 'e e+&erienced the essentialization o identity# or the othering

o the sub$ect o study# thus &re%enting the ,ind o identication so necessary in

terms o cultural &ertinence or &olitical alliances. Ben$aminQs Rim&ossible &laceQ 'as

turning into an im&ossible &resence because the inormant/ethnogra&her &aradigm

'as not unctioning or our &ro$ect. 5here is no &ure outside rom 'here to obser%enor did 'e 'ant to be in that &lace (i it e%er e+isted). ;therness is irremediably

bound u& in conditions o historical tem&orality 'here one &re%ailing other succeeds

the old other only to be su&erseded by another. ose&h Kosuth asserts that

SbTecause the anthro&ologist is outside o the culture 'hich he studies he is not a

&art o the communityU'hereas# the artist# as anthro&ologist# is o&erating 'ithin

the same socio-cultural conte+t rom 'hich he e%ol%ed.H (11) Je%ertheless# our role

as obser%ers o the mar,et as &henomenon immediately &laced us outside o its

social matri+ des&ite my &ersonal and biogra&hical &ast in%ol%ement 'ith mar,ets.

In our a&&roach# the only di6erence 'ith anthro&ology 'as that 'hile the

anthro&ologist is trying to acuire cultural 3uency in another culture# 'e 'ere

acuiring cultural 3uency in our o'n culture. Vet# the ob$ectication created by the

&ractice o obser%ation negated the intention o the inuiry.

2hat 'e loo,ed or in the relation inormant/ethnogra&her 'as a sub$ect that

could relate to alterity 'ithout essentializing it. 5his sub$ect is the sub$ect o the

threshold# the boundary# the liminal sub$ect that can $ourney bet'een sub$ects and

ob$ects# bet'een sameness and di6erence is the sub$ect ca&able o inhabiting the

bet'eenness o images and conte+ts. 5he sub$ect that can e+&lore the olds o theunconscious# e+&lore the dialogue bet'een the re3ection on the 'et as&halt and the

shado's on the &lastic co%ering the (uhonerostand. : sub$ect that can transit the

bet'eenness o trance-gliding on aesthetic ualities# on beauty# 'ithout betraying

ideology (10).

5he methodological res&onse to the uestion 'as the othering o the sel. 5he

ethnogra&hic eld'or, then# 'as not about the mar,et# or its &eo&le# but about us in


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relation to the mar,et. 9el-othering is not 'ithout ris,s though. ames Cli6ord"s The

,redicaent o" Culture(18) addresses the issue o ethnogra&hic sel-ashioning and

ethnogra&hic surrealism as 'e ha%e seen it in eiris and Bataille. 5he danger o sel-

absor&tion and narcissistic accounts 'as e%ident rom the beginning. =accination

against this danger# 'hich could ha%e resulted in ideological betrayal or the

&ri%ileging o orm o%er content# 'as in trance.


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role o democratic citizen. 5he &olitical s&ace o democracy 'as established by the

&artici&atory# collecti%e audience o citizen s&ectators. Theoria# the 'ord rom 'hich

"theory" comes# im&lies# as has oten been noted in contem&orary criticism# a orm o

%isual regard 'hat is less oten noted is that Theoriais the normal Gree, or oPcial

&artici&atory attendance as s&ectator in the &olitical and religious rites o the state.

Goldhill succinctly synthesizes t'o o our ma$or concerns to translate or

enact 'hat 'e 'ere e+&eriencingN %isual regard and &artici&atory attendance#

Theoriain its ull ascri&tion. 2ith this idea in mind# 'e then thought about a &lace#

about the topoio our 'or, and ho' it 'as going to be &resented. 7artici&atory

attendance could be &erormati%e in the sense that it could be an action carried

through s&ace# 'hich 'ould in turn gi%e us the s&atialization o time.H : s&ace that

could be 'al,ed# transited# read li,e a te+t 'ithout being literal to 'hat it attem&ted

to describe too, sha&e as the stronghold o our 'or,. 5he s&ace became the bird in3ight and rom there that structure became the 'or,. It did not contain the e+hibit#

because there 'as no e+hibit# the structure itsel# inside and out# 'as the result o

our interaction 'ith the material and the e+&eriences gathered in the mar,ets. :

mo%ement bet'een &laces# a s&atialization o the unconscious.

In the garage o Fuenteo-e*una(1) 'e built the structure out o sca6olding

&i&es# clam&s# and use-mangled 3oorboards# a cross-li,e sha&e consisting o t'o

na%es# each one measuring 0 by eet# about eet high 'alls# and 18 eet high

on the a&e+ (the roo 'as cross-gabled). 5he 3oorboards 'ere raised 1*4 abo%e the

ground. :s soon as the structure 'as u the relationshi& 'ith the 'or, changed.

5here 'as a &hysicality no' that sto&&ed all s&eculations about orm. 5he s&ace

'as readable and the eld'or, had accumulated &lenty o ,no'ledge and

e+&erience to start lling it u&. 2e began to bring materials and ob$ects into it. 5he

image o the lit (uhonerostand 'ith &lastic sheet co%erings became our meta&hor

or s,in# or surace# or shelter. Ailuted as&halt 'as a&&lied to the &lastic sheets

beore +ing them to the structure to gain o&acity# to gain color s,in-li,e te+ture as

it 'ra&&ed around the &i&es ollo'ing the structure"s contours. 5he as&halt on the

&lastic became the medium 'ere light reracted# tinted# and deormed the shado'sthat ltered through olds and stains. :s&halt 'as also a reerence to the oil industry

that has ruled the =enezuelan economy or the last ! years. 2e co%ered the 'hole

structure# gi%ing 'alls to all o its sides and lea%ing only one o&en end to enter and

e+it. 5his solution# o course# 'as not reached 'ithout many hours# days o

discussion and trials.


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inter&reted. :lready the idea o te+t conditioned the 'ay 'e 'anted to s&read on

the structure.


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the &erormer# the "I#" stands outside obser%ing and to some degree controlling. Clearly# a

com&le+ o&eration engages both cogniti%e and a6ecti%e systems simultaneously# 'ithout

either 'ashing out the other. : similar "tri&le state" accom&anies some ,inds o trance#

'hile in other ,inds o trance the eelings may be so &o'erul as to blot out entirely the

",no'ing hal" o the &erormer.

:lthough one might conclude rom 9chechner"s e+&lanation on the di6erent

unctions in%ol%ed in the &rocess that they are contradictory# i not o&&osite# another

occurrence ta,es &lace# 'hich Eugene A":uili calls Rrebound#Q during the trance

e+&erience (01)

In s&ite o the mutually e+clusi%e relation bet'een the ergotro&ic and tro&hotro&ic

systems# ho'e%er# there is a &henomenon called Rrebound to su&eracti%ityQ or tro&hotro&ic

rebound# 'hich occurs in res&onse to intense sym&athetic e+citation# that is# ecstasy# the

&ea, o ergotro&ic arousal. : rebound into samadi at this &oint can be concei%ed o as a&hysiological &rotecti%e mechanism SUT Meaning is RmeaningulQ only at that le%el o

arousal at 'hich it is e+&erienced# and e%ery e+&erience has its state-bound meaning.

Auring the R9elQ-state o highest le%els o hy&er or hy&oarousal# this meaning can no

longer be e+&ressed in dualistic terms# since the e+&erience o unity is born rom the

integration o inter&reti%e (cortical) and inter&reted (subcortical) structures. 9ince this

intense meaning is de%oid o s&ecicities# the only 'ay to communicate its intensity is the

meta&hor hence# only through the transormation o ob$ecti%e sign into sub$ecti%e symbol

in art# literature# and religion can the increasing integration o cortical and subcortical

acti%ity be communicated (11N!0).

It is clear rom the descri&tion ho'# once into the s&ace# ndez and I

'ould go into the ,ind o trance described by 9chechner in the liar segment

including the sym&athetic e+citement reerred by A":uili. 5a,e $ust this one

e+am&le o the many in 'hich this ha&&enedN 'hile &erorming in the 0er(atero

s&ace# 'e 'ould engage in the e%ocation o the mar,et e+&erience# the dialogues#

the eelings im&rinted in our memory and by RbecomingQ the 0er(atero'e 'ould

gi%e %oice# as in a mediumistic trance# 'ithout re&resentation and ne%er sto&&ing

being oursel%es# to the e+&erience and the collecti%e memory 'e incarnate asmembers o the community 'here and or 'hom 'e 'ere 'or,ing. 9een rom the

outside# the creati%e e+&erience might ha%e seemed $ust a little o6# maybe a

e%erishly engagement in the &rocess o creation# 'hich is not strange or any artist

'ho has e+&erienced this ,ind o trance. From the inside# it 'as a schizo&hrenic

dialogue o multi&le %oices# a %igorous acti%ity that translated into building# tying#

lling# dis&laying# all in accordance to a meaning Rde%oid o s&ecicity#Q being

18

18


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meta&hor and synecdoche at the same time. elating e+terior and interior# &ublic

and &ri%ate into a seuence o images# meta-te+ts and sensations 'hose synta+

could only be that o the schizo. E%ery material had its o'n grammar 'ithin an

o%erall structure that 'as out o $oint 'ith the really real. 9aintQs images and herbs

'ere &laced in the s&ace ne+t to ob$ects that 'ere RgrammaticallyQ incorrect but that

'ithin the conte+t s&o,e the same schizo&hrenic language 'e 'ere e+&eriencing.

5he cachicaoshells used by ormer &easants to carry seeds in the eld loo,ed li,e

incantation charms 'hen &laced ne+t to the car&enter"s bench I reco%ered rom a

construction site# 'hich ater a RtreatmentQ became the table 'here I cut your

image.H 5he hangings on the string-'all that se&arated theyer(ateros&ace 'ere

scra& &ieces o iron rom a smith sho& that resembled bells to ,ee& the bad s&irits

a'ay. Bullhorns rom the munici&al slaughterhouse in Clarines# a small to'n in the

east# com&leted the grammar in order or the Rte+tQ to be read correctly# asbelonging to ayer(ateroin a &o&ular mar,et.


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on a &articular sub$ect on a &hotogra&h# cardboard tubes tied to the structure at

di6erent angles signaled to an o%erloo,ed detail# a ,not# a &oint in the structure.

From there the s&ectator could see the others seeing# the raming de%ise that rame

the ramer and se&arated our authorshi& rom the 'or,# ma,ing it one ste&

remo%ed# since no' it 'as not our ethnogra&hy but RhisQ though he 'as our creation.

5he in%ention o the Rethnogra&herQ o&ened the &ossibility or a critiue o the

ethnogra&hic &resence# the ma&&ing o the other and his im&ossibility to gras& it.

5he ethnogra&her"s oPce 'as also the &lace 'here the 'or, re3ected u&on itsel# an

im&ossible inside/outside signaling a ction. 2hich oneO 5hat is or the s&ectator to

re3ect on. 5his mo%ement# the shiting &oint o %ie' created the necessary distance

or the 'or, to re3ect u&on itsel and or the s&ectator to re3ect on her &artici&ationN

I this is not the re&resentation o a mar,et# i this is not an ethnogra&hy o the ,ind

belonging to natural museums# then 'here am IOH For many o the ice @ni%ersity'or,ers 'ho %isited the e+hibit# the immediate reaction 'as to say $ust li,e the

mar,et o my hometo'nH 'hether they 'ere rom MW+ico# Ecuador# 7erX# or

Jicaragua. 5here 'as an instant connection 'ith a memory# something amiliar#

recognizable. 5he &arado+ is that 'hat &eo&le sa' in the 5MF< 'as the trace o a

&erormed e%ocation or e%erything in the installation had been altered#

mani&ulated through our sub$ecti%ity and distanced through the ctionalized layer o

the Rethnogra&her.Q 2ith s&ace and time ma&&ed onto a ctional character# the

&redominant mode o modern eld'or, authority SUT Ryou are thereU because I 'as

thereQH 'as disru&ted.

Auring the time o the e+hibit# the class o anthro&ologist Luetzil CastaYeda

(5e+as @ni%ersity at


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and are Catholic as a result o the 9&anish colonization# but as I said beore# 5MF< is

not a re&resentation o a mar,et# is an e%ocation# is the trace o a &erormance in

the s&ace. E%ocation enacts the &ast 'hile re&resentation re-&resents the &ast.

E%ocation does not resort to mimesis 'hile re&resentation does. 2hile in trance

during the creati%e &rocess o the yerbatero s&ace I 'as not re-&resenting any o the

%endors 'ith 'hom I had interaction I 'as e%o,ing a situation# enacting a memory

through my o'n sub$ecti%ity# thereore the outcome is di6erent than the

re&resentation o a mar,et# that 'hich 'ould be more a,in to the curiosity cabinet#

the natural science museum# the ethnogra&hic e+hibit# the ob$ect as historical

e%idence o ethnogra&hic authority.

2hat ha&&ened in the other s&aces# or e+am&le in the buhonero s&ace# the

rst one ater the Rethnogra&her"sQ %estibule# 'as along the same lines o the

yerbatero"s. 2e bought the catrerom a %endor at the 9an uan mar,et inBaruisimeto and later &lace it in the installation along 'ith the altar# the

razorblade# the ,nie# but not in the manner the %endor 'e bought it rom 'ould

ha%e had it in "real" lie but in relation to the s&ace 'e 'ere &ro&osing him# a s&atial

consciousness 'here ction and reality mingled in the surace# in the s,in o the

&lastic co%ering that 'ra&&ed around. 5he bags ull o cloth s&o,e o the %iolence in

the streets# the bags hanging rom the chic,en 'ire that ser%ed as ceiling and

de&osit# s&o,e o the transitory &lacement o their lie. 9imilarly# in the 'omen

%endor"s s&ace# the em&ty dry-cleaner"s bags s&o,e o the %iolence against 'omen#

'omen %iolated# missing testimonies# li,e ghosts among the &arty dresses sold in

the mar,et 'ith the illusion o a Cinderella night. ;ld %inyl records RramedQ the

s&ace as they 'ent around# li,e music in a $u,ebo+.

5he last s&ace# the s&ace through 'hich one e+ited the installation# 'as

dedicated the Fiesta# the celebration o the e%ent and the git# the %endors" &resents

to their oreign audiencesN car%ed gures# rice bags 'ith saints inside them#

decorated alse 'omen nails# and a &arrot that s&o,e English. 9ince the &arrot could

not tra%el# (there is a &rohibition to ta,e them out) 'e substituted the &arrot 'ith a

coc, 'hen 'e got to 5he @nited 9tates.5he Mar,et From


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case# 'e chose to use some o anthro&ology"s methodology and content and ma,e

them com&lementary to the creati%e &rocess# to the sub$ecti%ity o the artist# in this

'ay liberating them rom the burden o RotheringQ and ethnocentrism# allo'ing

di6erence to coe+ist. 2hat the discourse o the 5MF< &ro&osed 'as the dismantling

o anthro&ological authority# lea%ing the trace o the &erormance# the scenogra&hy

o a &lay that created its o'n scri&t as it &layed itsel on s&ace. Most interesting is

the act that this trace# the act o installing# the &erormance o an e%ocation

corres&onds to ethnogra&hic ,no'ledge e+ercised in the eld'or,. It is not about

the ob$ects themsel%es transcending essentialist categorizations but about a

method o inuiry that o&ens conditions o &ossibility or the e+istence o

e+&erimental s&aces 'ithin ossied disci&lines.

:lthough anthro&ology made an in-de&th critiue o the disci&line in the early

1*!s# the shoc, treatment has not &roduced the results that 'ould e+&and the eldo the disci&line. etrenchment uic,ly too, &lace ater ac,no'ledgement o the

crisis and old orms o ethnogra&hic narrati%e reada&ted to the ne' &aradigms. :rt

on the other hand has been mo%ing steadily to'ard the commodication o the art

ob$ect# regardless o its &olitical in%ol%ement. 5he a+iomatic characteristic o the

system ma,es it almost im&ossible to brea, through the 'all as this one mo%es

urther as 'e mo%e or'ard. In this regard# 5MF< as discourse &ro&osed an

installation that e+&erimentally a&&roached social issues concerning %iolence#

indigence# and marginality at the same time that it sub%erted the art mar,et on its

o'n tur.


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stereoty&ically) as artists rom R5he 5hird 2orldQ 'ho see, an academic

anthro&ological conte+t in 'hich to introduce themsel%es to Jorth :merica. Gi%en

the ine%itable misrecognitions o any situation o rst contact# :bdel ndez"s

idea o actually 'riting in antici&ation o the encounter is a hermeneutically 'ise

and ingenious strategy or ma,ing &resu&&ositions# biases# sus&icions# and &re-

imaginings e+&licit so that at least they might not dog our res&onses as

unchallenged and unrecognized already e+isting RattitudesQ 'ith 'hich 'e

e+&erience the &ro$ect as it unolds.

For me# the critiues o the 1*!s o anthro&ological rhetoric and

re&resentation (and more broadly o rhetoric and re&resentation themsel%es) 'ith

'hich 'e are associated distincti%ely as a de&artment are unullled in their

&ossibilities or changes in the doing o anthro&ology. Certain %ersions and degrees

o the sense o the limits o re&resentation 'ere broadly recei%ed by anthro&ologyand associated academic elds 'ithout a thorough e+&loration o changes in

&ractices. 5his &otentiality lay in the unullled aesthetic dimension and ideal o the

critiue. 2ithout nostalgia or that moment in the 1*!s# and 'ithout any

e+&ectation o reca&turing une+&lored &ossibility raised by thatmoment# one ho&e

and desire or us in theArtists In Trance&ro$ect is the o&&ortunity to see some o the

issues that 'ere ali%e in the 1*!s critiue return in 'holly une+&ected and no%el

orms in the 'or, o the artists &erormed and &resented in this &ro$ect. Being tired

o and a little disa&&ointed by 'hat has been made o the critiue in anthro&ology# I

&ersonally 'ant to see 'hat has been made o the same issues rom a com&letely

di6erent &oint o origin (and not one that 'e can necessarily easily share or e%en

ully understand)# but 'hile trying %ery hard not to submit the 'or, o these artists

to the enclosed anthro&ological court o $udgment.H

For me &ersonally# and my o'n &re%ious interest in the

ethnogra&hy/sociology o art 'orlds# my ho&e is that 'e 'ill be &artici&ating in a

ascinating case study o art 'orld &olitics# a&&ro&riation# and %alue creation. 2hat

is to be made and understood by the choice to &resent this 'or, as a 4course4 'ithin

the academy and 'ithin anthro&ology (but at one o the centers ,no'n or thestrong sel-uestioning o these conte+ts)O :rtists once 'ell su&&orted in the

academy o socialist Cuba# no' li%ing by 'hate%er means in e+ile# and 'anting to

&resent themsel%es 'ithin the connes o a relati%ely secure# &ri%ileged# and

mundanely critical @.9. i%ory-to'erH out&ost# but ine%itably attracting more or less

attention rom art 'orld institutions# congure $u+ta&osed sites o acti%ities that are

1*

1*


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bound to stir ambi%alence on the sides o both guests and hosts that 'ill bear

'atching and understanding.

:t least &art o my o'n antici&ation is in terms o this ethnogra&hic 4eye4 and

conte+t or understanding o 'hat 'e are doing. :s o no'# 'e# the ice

anthro&ologists# are already as hosts in the &osture o s&ectators# reactors#

res&onders# rather than &erormers along 'ith the artists. 2ill this initial &osture be

changed or any o usO I yes# then there is real unoreseen &ossibility or us in these

e%ents. I no# then 'e 'ill ha%e to struggle mightily not to be $ust an audience# or to

all in the comortable role o anthro&ologists o trying to gure out this &iece o

4otherness4 'hich initially is %ery much &resented to us as such.

I thin, there is in our de&artment much o&enness and unarticulated &ositi%e

eeling to 'hat 'e might see and e+&erience# but gi%en the 'ary &oint-counter&oint#

critical edge o academic en%ironments# I also thin, the initial rece&tion 4inantici&ation4 o this &ro$ect is articulated &rimarily in terms o doubts# sus&icions#

and concerns. I thin, it is &recisely the nature o these deensi%e res&onses that it is

so im&ortant to ma,e e+&licit here in this 4'riting in antici&ation4 e+ercise# so that

they cannot innocently dominate later discussions as embedded and e+tremely

resistant attitudes that are unac,no'ledged at the outset and merely there to be

conrmed. It is thus im&ortant to &resent them or 'hat they are beore the e%ent#

so to s&ea,# as o&ening desires# an+ieties# and sus&icions# that may or may not ha%e

any rele%ance or the &ro$ect as it actually unolds. 42riting in antici&ation4 thus is

li,e an inoculation that gi%es at least immunity rom the com&le+ly moti%ated critical

aculty 'ith 'hich academics consume e%erything including themsel%es.

9o# here# in brie list orm# are the sorts o 4concerns4 or s,e&ticism both that I

ha%e thought o mysel and that I ha%e heard 'hen I mentioned this &ro$ect to

%arious colleagues both here at ice and else'here (or e+am&le# at Je' Vor,

@ni%ersity and Columbia on a %isit in Jo%ember)N

1. :gain# our tendency to submit this entire e%ent to the anthro&ological or

ethnogra&hic 4court o $udgment.Q 5he artists in trance themsel%es become

immediately an ethnogra&hic ob$ect or us--ob$ecti%ized and distanced. ;urtendency 'ill be to ma,e them--the artists-- the &rimary 4other.H 2hile there is %alue

in this# and it is &robably ine%itable since in the rst instance# 'e are to be more

s&ectators than &artici&ants# still# the danger is that by &artici&ating as

4anthro&ologists4 'e might miss the &oint# or at least crucial dimensions o the

e+&erience. 9o against the reinorced tendency to dene this e%ent in terms o the

anthro&ological mise-en-scene# 'e should also ta,e this o&&ortunity and s&ace to

1

1


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&lay once again 'ith the identity 4anthro&ologist.H 5o do this# 'e 'ill ha%e to thin,

careully 'hat other us-them identities are a%ailable to us# besides that o

anthro&ologist and artist (as anthro&ological sub$ect).

0. elatedly# there is a &ro&rietary mood in contem&orary @.9. anthro&ology#

heightened by the recent a&&ro&riations by humanities mo%ements li,e cultural

studies o things li,e culture and ethnogra&hy 'ith little credit to or in%ol%ement

rom anthro&ology. 5hus the &ossible sensiti%ity that this &ro$ect might be yet

another a&&ro&riation# 'ith im&lied incom&etence# lac, o con%iction# etc# o 4our4

anthro&ology 'ithout consultation. 5he &oint or those o us in this &ro$ect is that

this &ro&rietary reaction ormation is %ery much ali%e and easily stimulated.

7articularly in our 4culture contact4 setting it can ta,e u& a lot o time.

8. In Je' Vor,# the immediate res&onse o someone 'ho uic,ly read o%er

the brochure or the &ro$ect-- 'hy are there no 'omen artists in this grouindicating that by this lac, o inclusi%eness# that the &ro$ect is o less interest# less

&rogressi%e than it might other'ise ha%e been. 5he general &oint is that identity

&olitics &redominates in @.9. academia# and it is bound to ha%e a strong im&act on

the rece&tion o this 'or,.

?. :ter the ailures o so-many historic a%ant-garde# there is a general

s,e&ticism about the (alse) ho&es o contem&orary a%ant-garde or the ca&acity o

grou&s such as :rtists in 5rance to esca&e being a%ant-garde in any o the di%erse

modernist senses.

CanArtists In Tranceesca&e# e%en in the moment o its o&eration in our

de&artment# rom the authority o art 'orld institutions# 'hich i they do not secretly

desire# then at least 'ith 'hich they must negotiateO Is there any &ossible

a%oidance o the seduction o this a&&eal and the art 'orld"s ine%itable ability to

dene artists in trance com&letely 'ithin its eldO

D. elatedly# 'ithout more &rior ,no'ledge o the grou there is &robably

some sus&icion o the artists in trance conorming to the sociological model o a

charismatic cult# enclosed and 'ith strong internal &rinci&les o authority o&erating.

2hile our de&artment itsel has oten been described# accusingly# as this sort oormation# and 'hile there is nothing illegitimate about such grou&s--in act# the

most creati%e things historically ha%e emerged this 'ay through circles# teams#

&artnershi&s# intense associations-- they are not in the current mood &olitically

correct. It is as much their doctrinaire or authoritarian side that is li,ely to be &ointed

out# e%en by their riends# as their creati%e side (such grou&s 'ere recei%ed much

0!

0!


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di6erently# and &erha&s more nai%ely in the "!s# but alas# the mode o rece&tion is

%ery di6erent no').

. Finally# and again relatedly# there might be the sense rom this side that

the artists are too theoretical# too 4academic4# and not trans&arent enough in their

social commitments and concerns. 5his eeling might relate to the &resent moment

here o e+haustion 'ith theory# or at least theory# as a mode o discourse. :bstract

theoretical discourse 'as a challenge o the 1*!s# that some regret and others are

relie%ed is no' in 4bad odor4# so to s&ea,. Much more desired are &erormances#

through art# anthro&ology# or 'hate%er named eld# o the im&lications o theoretical

debate that 'ere aired in the 1*!s. I the genre o ethnogra&hy has truly blurred

'ith others# anthro&ologists see, some sort o ,inshi& in the &ractices and

&erormances o artists in trance that cannot be resol%ed by theoretical e+&osition.

; course# as 'e all ,no' rom the classes 'e teach# 'e are still mired in theoreticale+&ositions o the 'orld in a didactic conte+t. :nd so# 'e a&&roach 'ith a certain

amount o tre&idation the artists in trance 'ho ha%e chosen to communicate 'ith us

and others in the %ery conte+t--a course-- 'hich has traditionally been constrained

by a &rocli%ity or the lecture# or theoretical e+&osition.

...:nd no' that 'e ha%e made these com&le+ attitudes in antici&ation

e+&licit# on 'ith the sho'Z

01

artists in the field

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