French Literature Reviews - 2026
Anne Bénichou (ed.), Lieux et milieux des arts vivants. Performer l'institution
Theatre and Performance
Under the scientific editorship of Anne Bénichou, this publication offers a polyphonic approach to the emergence, since the 2000s, of new institutional forms dedicated to performance art practices.
Reflecting a phenomenon that many describe as the "performative turn" in museums, the turn of the millennium has seen the rise of new organizations dedicated to live and performance art practices. Conceived by artists, academics, activists, independent curators, and museum professionals, these structures vary widely in their forms, stages of development, mandates, and operational procedures. What they share is placing performativity at the core of their activities in various ways: the performativity of the artistic practices they engage with; the importance of sensory experience; performative approaches to the production and dissemination of knowledge; and the web performativity they leverage through their websites and databases. This book aims to understand the impact of these young organizations on the art worlds, as well as their effects on the communities and environments in which they evolve. Do they help forge new networks and renew the modes of artistic production, dissemination, and cooperation? Within which cultural economies do they operate? To what extent and in what ways do they succeed in rethinking the social role of art? How do they engage with today's societal challenges regarding education, inclusion, the environment, and decoloniality?
Featuring investigations into nine North American and European organizations and one collective: Performa, If I Can't Dance I Don't Want to Be Part of Your Revolution, Fondation du doute, Musée de la danse, Watermill Center, Marina Abramović Institute, TOHU, Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics, Liberate Tate, alongside other institutional experiments recounted through the testimonies of their key protagonists.
Contributions by Anne Bénichou, Lisa Bouraly, Gabrielle Larocque, and Marie Tissot, as well as Geneviève Chevalier, Sylvie Coëllier, Dena Davida, Steve Giasson, Jérôme Glicenstein, Alix de Morant, Katya Montaignac, Lynsey Peisinger, Valérie Perron, Chantal Pontbriand, Christian Rizzo.
This collective volume examines the structural shifts within contemporary art institutions, connecting with broader sociological and curatorial debates concerning the institutionalization of ephemeral practices. By analyzing organizations founded by artists, curators, and activists across North America and Europe, the book situates itself within current discussions on the relationship between live art and established cultural spaces. It investigates how these alternative structures navigate institutional frameworks while prioritizing sensory engagement, participatory dynamics, and unconventional models of knowledge production within the contemporary cultural landscape.
Researchers, curators, and students interested in contemporary aesthetics, museum studies, and the sociology of art will find this volume a valuable resource for understanding the operational realities of performance-based organizations. It offers analytical tools to address critical questions regarding cultural economies, audience inclusion, and the societal responsibilities of art institutions today. The volume will particularly benefit those seeking comparative perspectives on how independent initiatives and museums adapt to the evolving demands of live and interdisciplinary artistic practices.
Discover the table of contents, read the introduction, and browse the opening pages of the book…