A presentation on documenting performance art. It raises questions and proposes answers on how to create a system that can properly record an act of performance. It means relying on photographs, video, and artifacts, all new works of art in their own right. It requires careful navigation making sure not to have the document replace the performance as the work of art.

1. Cataloging
Performance
Art
Alex Watkins
Christina Manzella
LIS 653.02

2. Challenges
in Cataloging
Performance Art
Exists in a gray area between
Fine Art and Performing Arts
By its nature is fleeting, and
has no physical manifestation
To capture and preserve
Performance Art is to
transform it into something
other than Performance Art

3. Museum
Catalogs
MoMA

4. Family of Works
Repeat Restaged Re-performance Adaptation by
Original Performance: by New Artist: New Artist:
Performance: Performance:
Original Artist Minimal Changes to Major Changes to
Original Artist in
Original Artist Directs New Original Artist’s Original Artist’s
New Location, etc.
Performers Piece Piece

6. FRBR for
Performance Art
Work Cut Piece
Expression 1964
Performance
2003
Performance
Tokyo Paris
Dependent Photographs Videos Artifacts
Parts

7. Dependent Parts of Cut Piece
Dependent Parts
Artifacts Documentation
Props Products Photographs Video
Scissors Clothing Scraps

8. Metadata for Performance Art
VRA Core 4.0
Useful Elements Non-applicable Elements
•Agent •Inscription
•Date •Material
•Location
•Edition
•Measurements
•Technique
•Subject
Elements designed for physical

9. Agent
•Agent = artist
•Use Union List of Artist’s
Names (ULAN)
•Repeatable: multiple
artists or actors

10. Subject
•Multiple types of subjects
•Multiple vocabularies
•Few fit performance art

11. Archiving
Performance
Art
Performance Art by nature is an
ephemeral activity
Archives are a record comprised
of material objects
In Western culture, material
remains are proof of existence