Performance, Transparency, and the Cultures of Surveillance

Placing the disciplines of performance studies and surveillance studies in a timely critical dialogue, Performance, Transparency, and the Cultures of Surveillance not only theorizes how surveillance performs but also how the technologies and corresponding cultures of surveillance alter the performance of everyday life. This exploration draws upon a rich array of examples from theatre, performance, and the arts, all of which provide vivid illustration of the book’s central argument: that the rise of the surveillance society coincides with a profound collapse of democratic oversight and transparency—a collapse that, in turn, demands a radical rethinking of how performance practitioners conceptualize art and its political efficacy. The book thus makes the case that artists and critics must reexamine—indeed, must radically redefine—their notions of performance if they are to mount any meaningful counter to the increasingly invasive surveillance society.

Plasand disciplinele studiilor de performanta si ale studiilor de supraveghere intr-un dialog critic in timp util, Performanta, transparenta si culturile supravegherii nu doar teoretizeaza modul in care functioneaza supravegherea, ci si modul in care tehnologiile si culturile de supraveghere corespunzatoare modifica performanta vietii de zi cu zi. Aceasta explorare se bazeaza pe o gama bogata de exemple din teatru, spectacol si arta, toate care ofera o ilustrare vie a argumentului central al cartii: ca ascensiunea societatii de supraveghere coincide cu un colaps profund al supravegherii democratice si al transparentei - un colaps care, la randul sau, necesita o regandire radicala a modului in care practicienii de performanta conceptualizeaza arta si eficacitatea sa politica.