Art in transition: Students play in the SANAA building in Essen!

Art in transition: Students play in the SANAA building in Essen!

On May 21, 2025, students from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen presented their impressive performances as part of the workshop “Black Ritual and Durational Action,” which was led by Miles Greenberg, the Pina Bausch Professor. Over a period of three weeks, the participants engaged in intensive discussions with the topics of identity, transformation and the body as memory.

A total of 15 students performed the performance entitled “Restless Sanctuaries,” which addressed the interrelationship between body and space. The performances took place over three days in and around the SANAA building and lasted six hours each. These performances transformed the building and its surroundings into ritual spaces, which was a central concern of Greenberg. Folkwang University reports that individual areas were created to support the performances and enrich them with installation, sound and multimedia elements.

Influential performance art

Performance art has its roots in the early 20th century, influenced by movements such as Futurism and Dadaism. Both movements broke with traditional art concepts and integrated the artist himself into the work in order to actively involve the viewer. In the 1960s and 1970s, performance art developed into an independent art form with pioneers such as Allan Kaprow and Joseph Beuys raising social questions and redefining the role of art. Art Online explains that contemporary performance artists often address themes such as identity and social justice and incorporate interactive elements into their works.

Nathan William Stearns, one of the performers, kept a heavy stone moving during the performances, emphasizing the physical and psychological aspect of the performance. Greenberg himself was occasionally part of the performances, combining theory with practical implementation.

Public perception and outlook

Holger Zebu Kluth, the rector of Folkwang University, praised the students for their successful artistic approaches and their commitment to developing their performances. The next Pina Bausch Professorship at Folkwang will take place in the winter semester of 2025|26, which guarantees the continuity of this important artistic engagement. The exhibition “Restless Sanctuaries” in the summer semester of 2025 will offer an additional highlight, in which works by 13 artists will be presented.

The performances were not only seen as a form of artistic expression, but also as a deep reflection on human existence and social structures. It is clear that with such initiatives, Folkwang University is making a significant contribution to contemporary performance art and is constantly developing it further.

Additional impressions of the exhibition can be found on Dance net can be read, where pictures by Ursula Kaufmann document the varied and dynamic training.