SPACE, SITE, AND TH_R_ABTS

When we think about exploring space, we immediately make assumptions of the space we anticipate to be in even before we get there. This is natural of humans - we want to know what is in store for us before we take that risk to venture forward, because we as a species are persistent in our conquest of space. Space on earth, outer space, virtual space, cyberspace.

What drives the constant and enduring mystery of site and space? How do these seemingly passive elements of our reality have so much influence on society, religion, and human interaction?

Our past memories dictate how we perceive and experience environments that are both novel and familiar. Environments have the power to cause sentient beings to feel cautious, adventurous, happy, or sad. Some birds know when and where to fly south for warmer weather, predators know where each other's territories are so as not to overstep boundaries and risk conflict.

Similarly for humans, ever since primitive times, we have relied on environments and space for survival. In the modern world, we depend on both physical and virtual space for socialising, communication, connection, revolution, organised obedience and disobedience, or suppression.

The study and investigation of sites and spaces is essential for existing in the 21st century. As human civilization progresses, so does our natural instinct to conquer space, albeit in an increasingly over populated and finite world. In their study of the historical site-specific performance A Masque Presented At Ludlow Castle, Bennet and Sanders (2012) posit that the physical and political geography of a particular region is crucial to the themes and tensions of power and governance found within it (p. 38). Consequently, th_R_abts aims to discover these in our current sites and spaces, to uncover themes and politics that are overlooked as we continue our existence in physical and virtual space.

In Singapore, our social environment is rich with material that is useful towards the study of our socio-political history through site-specific performance. In our multicultural and highly globalised society, there are numerous intersections and points of conflict between heritage, modernisation, social hierarchy, and gender politics. All precariously curated within a seemingly rigid and repressed society. If observed intently and carefully, we can witness their manifestations in the design, architecture, semiotics, and functions of local sites and spaces. We have to see beyond the brick and cement, tiles and pipes, because site-specific performance is not always about the physical location. It is about using “place to privilege performance itself” (McKinnie, 2012, p. 23).

Therefore, beyond being a medium through which we may contemplate socio-political phenomenons, site-specific performance may then be considered a conduit which we can utilise to deepen our understanding of humanity as a whole. Pearson (2010) suggests that sites are “frequently a scene of plenitude, it’s inherent characteristics, manifold effects and unruly elements always liable to leak, spill and diffuse into performance” (p.1). Thus, site-specific performance becomes a channel that conveys stories and messages, which are etched into a physical (or virtual) site, that humans can tune into.

The interaction of the material world and abstract human perceptions in site-specific performance is at the heart of th_R_abts’s work. Our aim is to create artistic experiences that highlight the physical properties of sites, while embodying how these are translated into human stories and emotional expressions. The genre of site-specific performance offers opportunities for artists to create transformative experiences because “actual and imaginary places are put into play at the same time” (McKinnie, 2012, p. 22). As such, this genre also offers a lens through which we may make better sense of the world, encounter stories of people and places unfamiliar to us, and seek understanding of sites and histories that could be easily forgotten as humanity marches into the future.

Using site-specific art as a means to understanding our convoluted society within our globalised systems is a massive undertaking. It will not be easy, and it takes time. Nonetheless, it is imperative as artists to embark on this journey because this form of performance making “can play an important role in urban renewal” and “is one that has gained particular currency in the past decade” (McKinnie, 2012, p. 30). At present we can observe the uptick in art or community activities and projects that take place in the heartlands of Singapore, and open calls for projects where the goal is placemaking or the rejuvenation of public spaces. All of these work towards creating relationships between human living, sites, and spaces. The work of th_R_abts aims to contribute to this, while developing our own site-specific practice and platforms where this genre can be discussed openly in Singapore.

Site-specific art and performance is ultimately able to host discourse and reflection on the intersections between humanity, environment, and materiality. It allows both artists and audiences a conduit through which we can access the intangible connections we experience in particular sites and spaces. This is an avenue for us to uncover the vulnerabilities of their narratives, that they mean more to us than just being a house, shopping mall, abandoned building, or public square. By positioning sites as the focal point of a performance or artwork, social discourses and storytelling are easily facilitated. We can then foster deeper interpersonal relationships with others, who acknowledge and appreciate sites in ways that are different to our own perceptions. This naturally invigorates human connection and understanding, and it will continue to build and flourish.

REFERENCES

1. Bennett, S., Sanders, J. (2012). Rehearsing across Space and Place: Rethinking A Masque Presented at Ludlow Castle. In A. Birch & J. Tompkins (Eds.), Performing site-specific theatre: Politics, Place, Practice. (pp. 37 - 53). Palgrave Macmillan

2. McKinnie, M.(2012). Rethinking Site-Specificity: Monopoly, Urban Space, and the Cultural Economics of Site-Specific Performance. In A. Birch & J. Tompkins (Eds.), Performing site-specific theatre: Politics, Place, Practice. (pp. 21 - 33). Palgrave Macmillan

3. Pearson, M. (2010). Site-specific Performance. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.