Cancelled Time

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected contemporary performing arts in several ways, not least in the form of mass cancellations of performances and production processes in many countries around the world in the year 2020. In this article, I propose to view the interruption of performative processes as...

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Main Author: Georg Döcker
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Performance Philosophy 2022-04-01
Series:Performance Philosophy
Online Access:https://www.performancephilosophy.org/journal/article/view/330
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author Georg Döcker
author_facet Georg Döcker
author_sort Georg Döcker
collection DOAJ
description The COVID-19 pandemic has affected contemporary performing arts in several ways, not least in the form of mass cancellations of performances and production processes in many countries around the world in the year 2020. In this article, I propose to view the interruption of performative processes as the event of a time of cancellation: the transition of unrealised futures into the past, where they persist as past futures and reservoirs of what could have been. The time of cancellation from performance is juxtaposed with the cancellation of time from the politics or anti-politics of proto-fascism during the pandemic. Proto-fascist tendencies are analysed in terms of their desire for a suicidal state which signifies the will for total sovereignty over life and death and time in the moment of self-destruction. In proposing to view the time of cancellation and the cancellation of time as a political constellation of cancelled time, I argue for the politicisation of past futures from performance as a counter-measure to the destruction of the future in proto-fascism.
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spelling doaj.art-be1d5729239f4c83be0cf3c1eabad7182022-12-22T01:19:13ZengPerformance PhilosophyPerformance Philosophy2057-71762022-04-017110.21476/PP.2022.71330Cancelled TimeGeorg Döcker0University of RoehamptonThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected contemporary performing arts in several ways, not least in the form of mass cancellations of performances and production processes in many countries around the world in the year 2020. In this article, I propose to view the interruption of performative processes as the event of a time of cancellation: the transition of unrealised futures into the past, where they persist as past futures and reservoirs of what could have been. The time of cancellation from performance is juxtaposed with the cancellation of time from the politics or anti-politics of proto-fascism during the pandemic. Proto-fascist tendencies are analysed in terms of their desire for a suicidal state which signifies the will for total sovereignty over life and death and time in the moment of self-destruction. In proposing to view the time of cancellation and the cancellation of time as a political constellation of cancelled time, I argue for the politicisation of past futures from performance as a counter-measure to the destruction of the future in proto-fascism. https://www.performancephilosophy.org/journal/article/view/330
spellingShingle Georg Döcker
Cancelled Time
Performance Philosophy
title Cancelled Time
title_full Cancelled Time
title_fullStr Cancelled Time
title_full_unstemmed Cancelled Time
title_short Cancelled Time
title_sort cancelled time
url https://www.performancephilosophy.org/journal/article/view/330
work_keys_str_mv AT georgdocker cancelledtime