There are no prerequisites for this course.

The Performance course offers students the opportunity to detach their artistic practice from fixed patterns of thinking and expectations. By approaching performance as a personal, process-oriented activity rather than a public performance, it encourages experimentation, intuition and a renewed joy of creation. The course creates space for exploration, play and the unexpected within a safe, non-judgmental context.

The concept of this interstudio course only allows for a limited number of participants: check 'learning content' for the admission procedure.

Is performance something for you?

Do you feel like you are searching for your artistic practice – stuck in a style, paralysed by overthinking, or discouraged by the idea that art always has to have a concept or that the artist has to be a genius? Then this course is here to help you rediscover the essential joy of creating and to break open your work.

Are you primarily interested in performance for an audience or camera, do you already work processually within a conceptual framework, or are you satisfied with your current practice? Then this course will probably not meet your expectations.

This elective approaches performance in an unusual way: not as a scripted or choreographed performance, but as a self-directed act in private, in which the artist is the only spectator – driven by curiosity about what the action might unleash.

How can you apply?

The format only allows for a limited number of participants. Please send to yuki.okumura@ap.be before 15/9/2025 (11:59 p.m.) the following information: 1. a short text (max. 250 words) in which you indicate the struggle you have been experiencing in your artistic practice, mentioning a few works of yours, 2. and a few images or links illustrating these works. You will be notified by 19/9/2025 at the latest whether you can start this interstudio course.

Artistic Practice

Based on a series of home and classroom assignments focusing on four forms of performativity (passive, interactive, auto-active and contra-active), you will work on developing your own performative projects, supported by physical and mental exercises. For example, you will re-enact historical performances or rewrite existing artist interviews to find your own voice.

At the end of each phase, you share your work with the class. It could be either performed live or presented in the form of immediate physical outcomes or traces. Indeed, performance is a private act not to be shown to others, but ‘sharing’ it has its own significance in that it encourages people to perform the same procedure for a different result or inspires them to conceive their own ideas in similar settings. A small exhibition to 'share' the participating students' works may be organized during or after the course.

Lectures and/or tutorials

Lectures by the tutor to introduce various works from history and today, while also outlining the genealogy of performativity across different fields. Possible subjects include: Action painting (Jackson Pollock, Harold Rosenberg); Experimental music (John Cage); Happening (Allan Kaprow, Hi-Red Center); Fluxus events (George Brecht, Yoko Ono); Postmodern dance (Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Simone Forti, Trisha Brown); Conceptual art (Douglas Huebler, Vito Acconci, On Kawara, Lee Lozano); Video art (Bruce Nauman, Bas Jan Ader, Peter Campus); Fashion (Martin Margiela, A.F. Vandevorst); Institutional critique (Michael Asher, Andre Cadere); Lecture performance (Hito Steyerl, Walid Raad); Delegated performance (Tino Sehgal, Alexandra Pirici, Claire Bishop).

At least one guest artist lecture to take place, on their own performative practice.

Individual tutorials to be tailored for each student.

Text material to be discussed in each lecture will be given in advance or on site. Images of the performative works discussed will be put on screen.

Your attendance and active participation are required for this course.

Permanent evaluation, 50%
active participation and reflection during the classes.

Assignment evaluation, 50%
performative and writing assignments