Performance art in Slovakia (1960s-2000s)

Artists

Milan Adamčiak (1946), Ivan Štěpán (1937-86), Róbert Cyprich (1951-96), Peter Bartoš (1970), Ján Budaj (1952), Peter Meluzin, Ladislav Pagáč (1949), Viktor Oravec (1960), Milan Pagáč (1960), Vladimír Kordoš (1945), Ľubomír Ďurček, Peter Rónai, Michal Murin (1963), Richard Fajnor, Vladimír Železný, Juraj Bartusz, Roland Farkas, József R. Juhász, Miroslav Nicz, Juraj Dudáš, Mário Chromý.

Groups

Labyrint Theatre (1978-?, theatre + body art + performance, Adamčiak), Temporary Society of Intensive Living (1979-81, Budaj), Artprospekt P.O.P. (1979-85, performance + body art + happening + rituals, L Pagáč, Oravec, M Pagáč), Balvan (1987-92, Beňo, Miklušičáková, Murin, Šefčáková), Transmusic comp. (1989-96, Adamčiak, Machajdík, Murin..), Disk Theatre (Uhlár, Karásek), Stoka Theatre (1991-2006, Uhlár), GUnaGU Theatre, Spoločnosť pre šírenie a pestovanie patafyziky, HUBRIS, Lengow and HEyeRMEarS (Murin, Cseres), Kafron (Kafúnová, Rónaiová).

Festivals

Transart communication intermedia art festival (*1987, Nové Zámky, at the peak period 1990-92 performances by Jana Želibská, Milan Adamčiak, Július Koller, Juraj Bartusz, Stanislav Filko, Anna Daučíková, Miroslav Nicz, Ľubo Stacho, Peter Kalmus, Anabela Žigová and others), Evenings of New Music (*1990, Bratislava), San Francisco Performance Art Festival (1991, Bratislava), IFEM music forum (1992, 94, Dolná Krupa Castle), FEM music festival (1995, 96, Bratislava), Sound Off music festival (1995-2002, Bratislava, Šamorín, Nové Zámky, Nitra), ...Medzi... (1996, Skalica), Next music festival (*2000, Bratislava), Multiplace new media culture festival (*2002).

Works

Sisyphus' works, 1960s. Milan Adamčiak.
Igelitový zábal, 1968. Ivan Štěpán. Performed at Nocturno Danuvius 68 Biennial. Theatre and dance elements.
Music sytola for 6 tape recorders, 2 gramophons and Orpheus' instrumentary, 1969. Milan Adamčiak and Róbert Cyprich. Performed at I. Evenings of New Music in Ružomberok.
zoo-manifests and zoo-actions, 1970s. Peter Bartoš. Used fish, pigeons, chickens.
Water Music, 1970. Milan Adamčiak, Jozef Revallo, Róbert Cyprich. Modernized Georg Friedrich Händel’s original composition. Performed at the indoor swimming-pool of the college dormitory JC Hronec in Bratislava.
Dislocation II, 1970. Milan Adamčiak. Performed at the III. international seminar for New Music in Smolenice.
Family Sunday Lunch, 1979. Temporary Society of Intensive Living. At the public space in plattenbau neighborhood in Bratislava.
Lattice, 1980. Peter Meluzin.
Football, 1981. Peter Meluzin.
Symposiums in nature, 1981, 82. Artprospekt P.O.P.. Existentialist comments on endurance of men in extreme conditions.
Kazimír, 1984. Artprospekt P.O.P. with Róbert Cyprich, Vladimír Kordoš, Radislav Matuštík, and Peter Meluzin. Ritual in open country.
Pocta Munchovi a Przybyszewskému, 1987. Michal Murin.
Výkrik pod röntgenom, 1987. Michal Murin.
Contra-verzia, 1988. József R. Juhász.
Sebaexhumácia, 1989. Michal Murin.
Hommage à F. X. Messerschmidt, 1989. Vladimír Kordoš. Performance consisting of Kordoš' lecture on Messerschmidt, projection of his works, preparation for the action and live interpretation of his head-sculptures. Recorded on video. Performed at the Transart Communication festival in Nové Zámky.
12 Minutes, 1989. Peter Rónai. Performed at the Transart Communication festival in Nové Zámky.
Sebaukameňovanie, 1990. Michal Murin.
Try Your Luck, 1992. Peter Rónai. Performed at the Transart Communication festival in Nové Zámky.
Archeomusic, 1992. Michal Murin. Murin uses natural material (wood, leaves, soil, straw) for creating sound objects brought into play during performances.
Luxus-fluxus, 1994?. Peter Rónai. Antiperformance. Accompanying program to the exhibition Fluxus in Germany 1962-1994 at the House of Art, Brno.
Meet Radio Artists, 2000. Lengow and HEyeRMEarS. Internet live acoustic performance (first in Slovakia). Performed at the Art's Birthday Party in Klik Klub in Nové Zámky.

Elements of performance in theatre

Tanap. Disk Theatre.
Impasse. Stoka Theatre.
K.P.B. Stoka Theatre.
Pasole. Stoka Theatre.
Rysavá Jalovica. Stoka Theatre.
Hommage à Fredy Mercury. Stoka Theatre.
Dance of Hypochondre. Balvan.
Archeoteater. Balvan.
Object and Wind. Balvan.
HLT, 1991. GUnaGU Theatre.
K.P.B Recitation of Texts by Viliam Klimáček, 1991. GUnaGU Theatre.
Rekonštrukcia mašiny na myškovanie mozgov. Spoločnosť pre šírenie a pestovanie patafyziky.
Predávanie televízora na nám. SNP. Spoločnosť pre šírenie a pestovanie patafyziky.
Burlaci na Volge pred SNR. Spoločnosť pre šírenie a pestovanie patafyziky.
Krikľavé trúbky ničoty, 1991. HUBRIS.
Odysseus, 1992. HUBRIS.

Exhibitions

Výhonok, 2000 in GMB Bratislava. Curator: Radislav Matuštík.
Art of Action 1965-1989, 26 April - 19 August 2001 in Slovak National Gallery. Curator: Zora Rusinová (Radislav Matuštík resigned).
Art of Action 1989-2000, 7 April - 7 May 2001 in Elektráreň Tatranskej galérie, Poprad and 12 September - 20 October 2001 in Gallery of Nitra. Curator: Lucia Gregorová-Stachová.

Articles

Pavlína Morganová. Art of Action 1989-2000. In: Profil 3/2001. http://www.profil-art.sk/01_3/006-15.htm (Czech)
Andrea Bátorová. To repeat the unique. Interview with Zora Rusinová, curator of Art of Action 1965-1989 exhibition. In: Profil 3/2001. http://www.profil-art.sk/01_3/016-29.htm (Slovak)
Andrea Bátorová. Do you consider action art revolutionary? Interview with Lucia Gregorová-Stachová, curator of Art of Action 1989-2000 exhibition. In: Profil 3/2001. http://www.profil-art.sk/01_3/030-39.htm (Slovak)