Empedocles as a performer

EMPEDOCLES as a performerEMPEDOCLES as a performer
作为行为艺术家的恩培多克勒作为行为艺术家的恩培多克勒
Lecture Topic:EMPEDOCLES as a performer
讲座主题：《作为行为艺术家的恩培多克勒》
Demosthenes Agrafiotis (Greece),Male
黛墨斯仁斯 · 阿格瑞夫提斯 ( 希腊）
Time: Two hours for all （ performance,explanations,debate)
时间：全部两小时 ( 表演，解释，讨论）
Equipment: a computer with the capacity to play CD_DVD
a projector on a screen or a white wall or a" big" TV-screen
可播放 CD-DVD 的电脑、投影仪、幕布或大的电视屏幕、英文或法
文

He is active in the fields of poetry/painting/photography/ intermedia
and their interactions, with books of poetry and essays, and
exhibitions of photography paintings- drawings and installations,
both in Greece and abroad. He has a special interest for the
relations between art and new technologies, for multimedia or
intermedia projects and also for performances.
他在诗歌、绘画、摄影、综合艺术形式及媒介互动领域很活跃，著有
诗歌及其评论的著作，在希腊国内外都举办有摄影、绘画与伴有装置
的展览。他对艺术和新技术之间的关系有着浓厚的兴趣，诸如多媒体
、综合艺术形式项目和行为艺术表演。

His essays are dedicated to analysis of different forms of art as cultural
phenomenon. He has participated in different type of artistic activities:
publications, small press initiatives and mail - art / alternative - art
projects.His anthology-formatted magazine ‘Clinamen’ (1980-90), co-
published by Erato Publications in Athens (1991-94), has been active
for over a decade as an amalgam of Greek poetry and art with work
from Europe and America. 7 artists books were published based on
'Clinamen' (1980-1995). After 1996, ‘Clinamen’ is centered on
production of artists books (18). 'Clinamen' in the web (2001-).
他的论文致力于分析作为文化现象存在的不同的艺术形式。他参加过不
同形式的艺术活动：出版物、小型出版邮寄业——艺术／另类——艺术
项目。他的选集形式的杂志《趋势》　（ 1980-90 ），由雅典 Erato 出
版社共同出版（ 1980-94 ），作为希腊诗歌与欧洲和美国的作品的融合
体活跃了十余年。已有七本基于《趋势》的艺术著作出版（ 1980-
1995 ）。 1996 年之后，《趋势》专注于制作同名艺术书籍《趋势》网
络版（ 2001- ）。

From a systemic point of view, languages are open in interactions,
in reciprocal exchanges, in imitations, in adoptions, in
misunderstandings. In this eternal interaction of languages the case
of “Performance” seems to be a typical one, since the English word
“performance” tends to be adopted worldwide, as it is articulated by
large numbers of residents of the planet more and more often, from
a wider geographical perspective. The same is also observed in the
Greek area. Indubitably from a practical viewpoint and for
communication convenience, the use of an international word
facilitates the distribution of the practice it refers to.
从一种系统的观点看，语言在相互影响、相互交流、模仿、吸收、曲
解这些方面都是开放的。在语言的无限交流中，行为艺术似乎是一个
典型，因为“行为艺术”这个英文词已经在世界范围内被接受，从更广
阔的地理范畴上讲，这个星球上越来越多的人能够清晰的的发出这个
词的音，希腊也不例外。毫无疑问，从实践的角度讲，为了交流的方
便这个国际上通用的的词使它所指代的活动得到广泛的分布。
On Performance
关于行为艺术

In the Greek case “performance” was re-introduced in the Greek
Society after 1960. “Re” needs clarifications that will be provided at a
later moment. Despite the dominant tendency in the use of the term
“performance”, proposing to use the term “epitelesis (performance)” is
not due to “linguistic nationalism”, but instead it’s due to the belief that a
Greek version of the term can attribute a multitude and a wealth of
associated meanings and consequently utilise the linguistic ‘games’
that the Greek language allows.
在希腊，“行为艺术”这个词在 1960 年以后被重新提出。“重新提出”需要
的阐释将会在稍后一段时间给予。尽管主流观念倾向于使用“行为艺术”这
个词，但有建议使用“ epitelesis ( 行为艺术 )” ，这并不是出于语言民族主
义，而是考虑到用希腊语来表达这个词能带来大量的相关意义，以便接
下来使用语言本身赋予的文字“游戏”。

In this spirit, the first clues for the semiotic - conceptual schema of the
term “epitelesis” are provided (see also picture 1).Epitelesis
(performance) - ceremony (teleti), end (telos), fullstop (teleia), luxury
(polyteleia), consummation (synteleia), executant (ektelestis), I finish
(teleiono), operator [telestis], factor (syntelestis), I execute (ektelo),
personnel (epiteleio), ritual (teletourgia), effectiveness
(apotelesmatikotita), efficiency (telesforia), ritual
(teletourgiko)Performance (epitelesis) has the tinge of ceremony as it
is realized more intensely and systematically in the pre-industrial
societies with the concept of a symbolic and collective process
registered in the equivalent cultures and functions as evidence of this
cultural particularity.
在这种观念下，符号化的第一线索——我们有了“ epitelesis” 这个词的概
念图标（见图一）。 Epitelesis （行为艺术）——仪式（ teleti ），结束
（ telos ），句点（ teleia ），奢侈品（ polyteleia ），完成
（ synteleia ），实行者（ ektelestis ），我完成了（ teleia ），经营者
（ telestis ），因素（ syntelestis ），我实施（ ektelo ），人员
（ epiteleio ），当仪式（ teletourgia ）行为艺术（ epitelesis ）在前工
业化社会带有象征性观念地被更为集中和系统地认识时，有仪式的色彩
，它集中地展现了相应文化的过程，为文化独特性提供了依据。

Performance has an “end” (telos) and individual and collective
objectives (eg criticism of the social order, investigation of personal
possibilities, experimentation with codes of expression).Performance is
also offered as the objective - activity that causes admiration and seeks
assessment of its scope and effectiveness.Performance as a process
evolves, develops and is realized with all the processes of the
performers for the successful metamorphosis of material and
immaterial elements, for the achievement of quality, and, why not, for a
certain perfection, for the formation of rules relative with their métier-
profession.
行为艺术有一个“终点”，有个体和集体目标（例如，对社会秩序的批判
，对个体可能性的探讨，对表达准则的试验）。行为艺术是客观的活动
，它能引起钦佩，同时它探寻对它的规模和有效性的评价。行为艺术是
一个复杂的发展的过程，靠行为艺术家对物质和非物质因素的成功变形
得以实现，他们有着强烈的专业精神总是力求完美。

Performance “is executed” as it includes materials, actions, rules,
codes, not eternal of course but modified in continuous review and
readjustment.Performance requires strategies and tactics, as much for
its materialisation and its social reception and as much for its cultural
legality; they refer almost to a performance terminology and mentality -
“état major”.From the above sample demonstration of concepts and
contextual interconnections of “performance”, what emerges is the
diversity of linguistic levels and its social practices. However,
previously, it was reported that the performance is re-introduced in the
body of Greek society.
行为艺术需要对材料、动作、规则、准则把握，毫无疑问这些都不可能
立即确定下来而需要不断的推敲、修改、调整。行为艺术需要战略战术
，就像它的实现、社会接受程度和文化合法性学要战略战术一样；它们
归属于行为艺术术语和心态“ état major” 。从上面这个样本论证的行为
艺术的概念性和相关联系，我们可以看出语言程度及其社会惯例的多样
性。然而如上文所受，行为艺术被重新引入到希腊社会。

Why this “re-”? The question refers to whether civilizational
continuity or cultural discontinuity exists in the course of the Greek
identity and Greek society. If the issue of civilizational continuity is
accepted, then rituals, events, symbolic events can be located in the
course of Greek particularity; the question therefore asked is:
performance, as an artistic practice, is it novel or not?
为什么要“重新”引入。这个问题与希腊社会和个体到底是持续文明还
是有文化间断有关。如果持续文明这一状态是确定的，那么仪式，事
件，象征性活动就是希腊独特性的发展历程；问题又产生了：行为艺
术，作为一项艺术实践，到底是不是新兴的？
EMPEDOCLES as a performer
作为行为艺术家的恩培多克勒

Two types of answers will be attempted to the question mentioned
above. The first is based on an apposition of the contextual universe
in which performance is registered in ancient Greece and the second
on the exemplary course of Empedokles. Both answers are
supported, inter alia, in the book of Alexander – Phoebus D.
Mourelatos, “The route of Parmenides: A study of word, image and
arguments in the fragments”, transl. A. Moschona, Academic
Publications Crete, 2002, from where certain information is drawn as
well as explanatory formulations around the “performance” and
mainly around the morpheme “tel-”.
对于上面提到的问题有两种可能的答案。第一种解释是基于相互统一
的并列关系，行为艺术早已古希腊留下印记，第二种解释认为行为艺
术是 Empedokles 历程的模式。这两种观点都被认可，在亚历山大
Phoebus D. Mourelatos 的书中，“ The route of Parmenides ：一种对
片段中的言语、图像和论点的研究”， transl. A. Moschona, 克里特学
术出版社， 2002 ，在这里一定信息和围绕“行为艺术”及语素“ tel” 的解
释性公式被提出。

In the Homeric epics, the traveller advances to the destination, “finishes” and
“carries out” or realizes or “completes” his journey and the twin notions
“nostalgia/route” supplement this picture. Moreover, the consummated is the
complete, accomplished, perfect: ‘telao’ means the completion of travel.
在荷马史诗中，旅行者提前到达了目的地，“结束”、“进行”、“实现”或者说“完成”
了他的旅程，永不分离的主题“思乡／路途”萦绕在画面里。也就是说，完满就是
完全、完成、完美：‘ telao’ 意为完成旅行。
The root “tel-” refers to the achievement of thought, wish or prophecy. “Telein”
means ‘I make’ or ‘act’ or ‘act in absolute agreement to some drawing,
command, prayer, promise, prophecy’.
词根“ tel-” 与思考、意愿、预言的实现有关。“ Telein” 意味“我创造”、“行事”或者
“完全依据抽签、命令、祈祷、允诺、预言行事”。
‘Telesforia’ (efficiency) a rational cross-correlation between objectives, methods
and results under the demands of the successful, the focused, the cognate.
“Telesforia” （效率）是一种介于目标、方法和结果之间的理性的交叉关联，它要
求成功、集中、同源。

Another version of “telein” is connected with the efforts that aim to transform
the “concept into fact, whether this concept is a promise or a drawing or a
forecast or a prophecy” - (ei tetelesmenon esti - if it was meant to happen).
另一种版本的“ telein” 与致力于把“概念转变成事实的努力有关，而不管这个概念
是允诺、抽签、预测还是预言” - （ ei tetelesmenon esti- 如果注定要发生）
The verb “telao” implies completion of travel not only as a route but also
as search for knowledge and it includes the narration and the results of
this search, but also the conditions of the practical and symbolic
exploration itself. The images of the “end (telos)” are combined with
the “belt”, the “circle” and all the relative pictures.
动词“ telao” 蕴含的旅途的完成不仅仅指路程还包含对知识的探索，对
探寻结果的描述，当然还包含实践的条件和和探寻本身的象征意义。“终
点（ telos ）”的形象与“条带”、“圆周”及相关的图像相结合。

The indications mentioned here do not exhaust of course the whole
subject, however they allow for the historic background of “telein”,
(epitelesis, teleiosi (completion), consummation) to be
demonstrated; at the same time, impressions from shaman and
Orphic practices and deliveries are distinguished.
这里提到的象征当然不可能详尽无遗地揭示所有的主题，然而它却给
我们了一个论证“ telein”(epitelesis, teleiosi ( 完满 ) 历史背景的机会 ;
同时也把对萨满和奥菲士习俗有了区分。

However, beyond the diachronic reports, is it possible to propose an example -
performer from a diachronic perspective? The case of Empedokles as a poet,
philosopher, social activist, political reformer, as a singular cultural presence, could
play the role model, the beginning and constitutive origin. In the books “Nature” and
“Purifications” (cf. in G.S. Kirk, J.E. Raven, M. Schofield. “The presocratic
philosophers”, Transl. Dim. Kourtovic, Educative Institution of National Bank,
Athens, 2006), it emerges that Empedokles is on the verge of the shaman or
mythological past and the philosophical reflection, keeping the poetry as support
and orientation. The story - fable concerning the sandals that Empedokles left as he
fell in Aetna in order to unite with the fire - one of the four constitutive elements of
world according to his theory. He simultaneously leaves behind the golden sandals
as proof of his absence from our “useless” world, but he also links us with the
foundation of this ephemeral world. It is not accidental that Hölderin considered
Empedokles as the original, fundamental, and initial/incipient Greek poet.
然而，除了历来的报道，有没有可能有一个从历时角度出发的行为艺术者作为一个
范例？ Empedokles 就是这样一个范例，作为诗人、哲学家、社会活动家、政治改革
家，他无论是从起始还是本质根源的角度看都是以一种独特的文化方式存在。从《自
然》和《净化》（ cf. in G.S. Kirk, J.E. Raven, M. Schofield. 《苏格拉底前的古希腊
哲学家》， Transl. Dim. Kourtovic, 国家银行教育学院，雅典， 2006 ），我们可以
看来 Empedokles 是游走在萨满或者神话的过去和哲学的沉思之间，始终把诗歌当作
精神的支持和指引。这个寓言讲到了他为了要和火焰融为一体而跳下 Aetna 落下的
鞋子，根据他的理论火是构成世界的的四种元素之一。他同时留下了这双金鞋作为他
离开这个毫无意义的世界的证据，但是他却把我们于这个世界的基础连在一起。这也
就不奇怪为什么 Hölderin 认为 Empedokles 是希腊最早的、奠定基础的诗人。

If the above become accepted, then the reference to the
performance in modern Greece resembles rather a renaissance, a
re-introduction of a lost model of pushed-away possibility.
如果上面的观点被接受，那么现代希腊对行为艺术的参考就颇像一场
文艺复兴，一场对已逝榜样的追溯。

If, however, the assumption of cultural discontinuity is accepted, how is it
possible to comprehend the emergence of performance in the modern societies?
According to this viewpoint, the performance functions as a symptom of its social-
cultural particularity, that could be summarised in the following way: in the
modern societies of abundance, in the technological powerful countries, the
symbolic dimension has receded because of the culture of rationalism; rituals
were limited in the hunt for effectiveness; the search of first causes gave its place
to novelties and innovations. The performance is perhaps a “desperate” effort to
retain elements and nuances from the shaman or mythological activities that were
dominant in the prehistoric and first-historic societies or the societies before the
written word. In other words, performance is the attempt to achieve the rebirth of
the savage, the fundamental and the original.
然而，如果希腊文化有间断，又该如何理解行为艺术在现代社会的出现？根据这
一观点，行为艺术反映社会文化的独特性，具体可以概括为以下几个方面：在富足
的现代社会，在科技发达的国家，由于文化的理性化，行为艺术所蕴含的象征意义
被弱化；在寻求有效性的过程中仪式收到限制；对动机的探寻要为新奇和革新让
道。行为艺术恐怕要做绝望的挣扎去维持来源于萨满或者神话活动中的元素和微妙
之处，它曾在史前、第一历史时代或者这说更早的没有文字的时代占有统治地位。
换句话说，行为艺术正在试图达到其原始、基本、独创的重生。
In this regard, performance has the element of “new” and “original”.
这样说来，行为艺术的特点就是“独创性”。

Beyond the validity of the two approaches of performance, beyond the
issue of whether it is “eternal” - or simply an introduction of cultural-
artistic practice, the main question revolves around the way
performance is being born and transformed in various countries.
Moreover, how does that take place in Greece?
不管这两种行为艺术的方法是否确定，不管这个问题是不是永恒的，还
是仅仅是一种文化艺术行为的介绍，问题的关键是行为艺术在不同的国
家新生、变化着。然而，这一过程是如何在希腊发生的呢？

As it emerges from the images - schematics - performance poems of
picture 2, 3, “performance” and la “performance” acquire particular
meaning in the English and French linguistic universe, without
suggesting that confusions and misconceptions do not still exist in
these cases. (eg performing arts and performance art – the former
refer to the classic theatrical performances or the musical events,
while performance art always refers to the blending of artistic
possibilities and activities with the initiative and always the presence
of the performer). Nevertheless, in other countries beyond the
western world, the same “confusion” can also be observed.
从图 2 和图 3 所示的图表和行为艺术诗歌可以看出，在语言学体系里
，英语和法语的“行为艺术”一词都有各自特别的意义，如果不加解释说
明的话，疑惑和误解就不仅仅存在于这些案例。（例如：表演艺术和
行为艺术——前者指古典戏剧表演或者音乐会，然而行为艺术却指不
确定艺术和原创性活动的融合，并且总是会反映行为艺术者。然而，
不仅仅在欧洲，同样的“困惑”仍然存在。

In picture 4 the course of performance in Japan, China and Thailand
is evident.
图 4 清楚地展示了日本、中国和泰国的行为艺术发展历程。
In Japan, it is called “performance art” and the term is pronounced as
far as possible. They transcribe the meaning as they do with all
foreign words and languages. However, the essence of performance
dates back to the theatre Noh, thus in the conjunction between
Shintoist and Buddhist tradition.
在日本，行为艺术被称为“戏剧表演艺术”，这个词的发音也被尽可能地
拉长。像对待其他外来词一样，他们意译了这个词。然而，表演的本质
可以追溯到 Noh 剧场，是对神道教和佛教传统的结合。

The Chinese call the perfromance “action art” (siyay y shou) that is
another expression for a powerful current and in the western societies
(cf. Richard Mactel (Ed.) “Art Action, 1958-98”, Inter Editeur, Québec,
2001). (Poésie action, Intermedia art, Art action, Actionism,…). This
expression has caused extensive and passionate discussions whether
performance - “action art” is not but a political action and this wouldn’t
be a simple affair in the frame of China.
中国人把 perfromance 称为“行为艺术”，这是西方社会又一流行的表达
（ cf. Richard Mactel (Ed.) 《行为艺术， 1958——98 》， Inter
Editeur, Québec, 2001). (Poésie action, 交叉媒介艺术 , 行为艺术 , 行
为主义 ,…). 这种表达引起了广泛热烈的讨论， performance 是否并非
是“行为艺术”而是政治行为，在中国这个框架下这不是一个简单的问题
。

In Thailand there is a combination of art/performance live-freshness (si-
ka-par-sdang-sod). Where “the freshness” of the human presence is
stressed as well as the originality.
在泰国，是把艺术／ performance 创见结合起来称呼。人类经历的“创
见”和独创性被同样重视。
The issue therefore remains about the universality of performance!
这个问题看来只能用世界的 performance 来限定了。

In our country, the course of modernity (modernité) continues to be uncertain,
and the fate of the extreme modernity is still more uncertain. For example, the
dialogue, also inconsistent, about whether originality exists or has existed,
historical or not, since the DADA movement or the neo-DADA or post-DADA did
not find powerful roots in the Greek artistic field. In the case of performance, the
same symptom is evident. To be more specific, in the 60s-70s there were
initiatives in the name of performance mainly from musicians (with the forerunner
Yannis Christou); in the 70s-80s sculptors and painters attempted exploring the
field of performance (with Maria Carvel’s exceptional attainment). In the 80s-90s
a relative large amount of artists tried their hand in various parts of the country,
and with different combinations of arts. (In the period of 1991-2 Julien Blaine
inaugurated the “Oven” with a line of performances).
在我们国家，现代性仍然不确定，现代性的最终命运也更加不确定。例如，自从
DADA 运动、新 DADA 、后 DADA 在希腊的艺术领域就不能找到有力的根源，关
于独创性是否还存在或者在历史上曾经存在的讨论时断时续。至于行为艺术，同
样的问题也存在。说的更却切一点，在六七十年代有一些音乐家以行为艺术的名
义提出首创精神（有先驱者 Yannis Christou ）；七八十年代的雕塑家和画家尝试
在行为艺术领域有所创见（其中 Maria Carvel 卓有成就）。到了八九十年代相比
较以往大量的艺术家在这个国家的各个部分结合各种艺术形式一展身手。
（ 1991-2 ， Julien Blaine 开始了一系列行为艺术表演“ Oven” ）。

In the beginnings of 2000 a new wave of artists from a variety of origins and
following the teachings of several schools restarted the Sisyphean work of
making performance more visible on the social map and more structured in its
practices and orientations. The new generation of artists, often with special
education or experience abroad (for example, the professor of performance
Bartolomeo Ferrando in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Valencia in Spain accepts in
his courses Greek and other European nationality students - thanks to the E. U.
programme Socrates, they investigate new routes or “nouvelles maneuvers”
according to Richrad Martel). What is surely absent from our country is a web of
institutions and processes that would support, evaluate and develop each
achievement. Moreover, Greece is absent from the map of systematic efforts on
the elevation and the evolution of performance as a particular area of artistic
and social-cultural tracks, as in the large and valid festivals of performance.
2000 初一批身份各不相同的艺术家在一些学校的引导下重新开始了 Sisyphean
的工作，他们使行为艺术在社会的地图上更加醒目，使它的实施和方向更鲜明更
有力。新一代的艺术家通常都具有独特的国外教育经历（例如，行为艺术家西班
牙巴伦西亚艺术学院教授接受了来自希腊和欧洲其他国偶家的学生，这都要多亏
欧盟 Socrates 项目，据 Richrad Martel 说他们考查新的方法）。现在可以确定的
是我们门国家缺少可以提供支持、评估、发展每一个人成就的网络制度。希腊作
为独特的艺术及文化区，在盛大的合法的行为艺术节上缺少系统的提升、评估行
为艺术的努力。

In other words, it is imperative and perhaps urgent in our country to
multiply actions as much from the artists as from teams and
institutions, in order to create a space where the explorations and the
achievements of the performers as well as of the other participants in
the performance are recapitulated; a place of exchanging experiences
of Greeks and foreign performers, a place from which the
dissemination of performance as an artistic act can draw resources
and force. That is to say, the blending of objectives and proceeding is
essential, both as utopia and as entopia.
换句话说，现在很必要甚至可以说是很迫切需要我们整个国家的艺术家
、团队、机构加大力度，来创造一个行为艺术家的探索和成绩以及行为
艺术中的每一个参与者都能得到回馈的空间；一个能供希腊和国外行为
艺术家交流的平台，一个通过行为艺术作为纯艺术举动的传播能够带来
资源和力量的舞台。也就是说，目标和行动的结合无论是作为乌托邦还
是 entopia 都是必要的。

The particularity of performance is in the variety of the artists’
background (poets, painters, dancers, actors, sculptors, musicians…),
the permanence or not of practice from their part, the mobilization of
material or immaterial means, the use or not of new technologies, the
search of places - areas beyond the established ones and, generally,
the inversion of rules and the ephemeral recombining of the
fragmented body of “art”. In this spirit, the field of performance
constitutes, above all, an open horizon, and this is offered as occasion
for the passage from the dystopia of the present to the allotopia of the
future.
行为艺术的独特性在于艺术家背景的不同（诗人、画家、舞蹈家、演
员、雕塑家、音乐家 ··· ），他们以往领域的方法是否能够保持，对于
物质和非物质手段的调用，对新科技是否采用，对位置区域的探寻超越
了已经建立的，总的说来，在于对规则的颠倒和对碎片化的“艺术”的短
暂的重组。根据这种理解，行为艺术领域由上面所有的部分在一种开阔
的视野下构成，这个从现在的反乌托邦到未来的 allotopia 的通道可以
看做是一个难能可贵的机会。

Thank you for your attention.
谢谢！

Empedocles as a performer

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