Performance

Artistic expression through action

Performance art is action and physical presence in time and space. A fleeting, ephemeral discipline, at times politically incorrect or unsettling, it continues to inspire new generations of artists and influence contemporary visual culture.

Request information

Time, space, body

The Performance course led by Marta Jovanović focuses both on individual and group practice and on developing critical thinking around the discipline. From the initial idea to a performance open to the public, the lessons guide participants through the development of a complete performance work.

The course is open to everyone, regardless of their artistic or professional background.

Approach and objectives

Performance theory and history are integrated into the course structure as essential tools for developing an informed approach, while light physical exercises and trust-building practices form part of the training in every session.

The course does not end with its final presentation. Rather, it aims to open students up to unexplored expressive possibilities, through a body that does not simply tell a story, explain or show, but expresses, evokes and challenges.

Body and authenticity

No previous skills or experience are required, only a genuine willingness to explore and share within the common space of the class: a desire to learn that goes beyond the limits of technique and responds first and foremost to a personal expressive urgency.

The proposed approach deeply combines individual research into expression through the body with the relationship between space and the community that inhabits it. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to strengthen critical awareness of the discipline; on the other, to support the necessary personal research that accompanies every attempt at authentic artistic reinterpretation.

High-quality performance practice is rooted in the individuality of the person taking action, but must also be capable of engaging with a diverse audience that is sensitive to the languages of the present.

At the end of the course, participants who have attended at least 8 of the 10 scheduled lessons will receive a certificate of attendance, which may be used for the possible recognition of 2 CFA academic credits.

Course type: group – in person
Number of participants: Max. 12
Attendance: weekly, Saturdays from 2 pm to 6 pm
Duration: 8 lessons – 32 hours total
Cost: €490.00 in a single payment or two instalments of €250.00
Materials: none, except for the final performance, to be provided by participants if required by their project
Requirements/materials: none
Language: Italian
Lecturer: Marta Jovanovic
Campus: RUFA – Via degli Ausoni, 7 Rome
Scheduled annual sessions: Winter Session > 9 January – 27 February 2027

Important note: The following programme should be considered indicative. The structure, content and exercises may vary depending on the group, the number of participants, specific needs and the natural development of the work throughout the course.

Practical advice: Participants are advised to wear comfortable, layered clothing that allows freedom of movement, as light physical exercises will be included during the lessons.

Lesson 1 — Introduction to Performance Art
Theoretical content
• What is performance art: definitions, contexts and differences from theatre and dance.
• Historical origins: Futurism, Dada, Fluxus, body art.
• Performance as an ephemeral experience: the role of the audience, presence and time.
Practical exercises
• Grounding: breathing and grounding exercises to develop bodily presence.
• Observing/Observing oneself: mindful walking exercises and use of the gaze.
• The body as material: small, slow, repeated actions to understand the body as a language.

Lesson 2 — Body, space and time
Theoretical content
• Analysis of performance space: indoor/outdoor, museum/public space.
• Time in performance: duration, repetition, endurance.
Practical exercises
• Mapping the space: slow exploration of the environment to identify limits, possibilities and points of friction.
• Timed actions: repetition of a gesture for 5, 10 and 15 minutes to perceive time through the body.
• Exercises in stillness: maintaining a position for an extended period to understand tensions and energies.

Lesson 3 — Identity, autobiography and the political body
Theoretical content
• Identity, gender, intimacy and vulnerability in performance.
• The body as a personal and political archive.
Practical exercises
• An autobiographical gesture: identifying a gesture that tells something about oneself and amplifying it.
• Voices of the body: vocal exercises using non-linguistic sounds as a means of expression.
• Micro-narratives: small actions emerging from personal memories.

Lesson 4 — Archive, documentation and traces
Theoretical content
• Documentation in performance: photography, video, text and material traces.
• How to build a personal and professional archive.
Practical exercises
• Writing the action: each participant describes an action they have performed or imagined in no more than 5 lines.
• Documenting others: practical photography and video exercises during short actions performed by fellow participants.
• Self-archiving: creation of an initial archive folder/structure.

Lesson 5 — Developing personal ideas
Theoretical content
• How a performance is constructed: concept, actions, materials, duration and context.
• Artistic references: analysis of relevant case studies.
Practical exercises
• Guided brainstorming: conceptual map of one’s own idea.
• Testing a key gesture: each participant tries out their central gesture in front of the group.
• Circular feedback: respectful and constructive feedback.
Individual development of the performance: concept, intentions and artistic direction.

Lesson 6 – Performance
Presentation of the students’ first performances.
Group discussion and analysis.

Lesson 7 – In-depth exploration and feedback
Critical feedback, further exploration of emerging themes and development of the work.

Final Project

Lesson 8 – Towards the Final Performance
Structuring and refining the final performance project.

Lesson 9 – Final Performances

Lesson 10 – Presentation of the final performances with related documentation.
Final discussion.

JANUARY
09/01/2027
16/01/2027
23/01/2027
30/01/2027

FEBRUARY
06/02/2027
13/02/2027
20/02/2027
27/02/2027

Marta Jovanović is a performance artist and lecturer whose mission is to promote and facilitate the continued development of the discipline. Founder of the Performance Art Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade and artist-in-residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles in 2017, Jovanović is the subject of the documentary film “Born Just Now”, directed by American filmmaker Robert Adanto and winner of numerous international awards. Her works “Pionirka”, “It is My Body”, “Love”, and “Motherhood” are held in important private and museum collections. The performance “BelgradeMermaid” opened the Belgrade Biennale in 2018, while the following year its continuation, “Mermaid’s Tale”, became a virtual reality performance. Curator Kathy Battista wrote a compendium of her early work entitled “Marta Jovanovic: Performing the Self”, published by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the City University of New York, while in the book New York New Wave, Battista places Jovanović among New York’s most urgent contemporary feminist artists.

Studenti e Alumni RUFA: agevolazione del 50%
Ex studenti Corsi Brevi e Summer Academy RUFA: agevolazione del 10%
Studenti universitari: agevolazione del 5% (previa esibizione del libretto universitario)
Pacchetto corsi/gruppi/famiglia: contatta corsibrevi@unirufa.it per soluzioni personalizzate e un orientamento gratuito sulla combinazione di corsi per semestre

Per tutti gli iscritti, senza necessità di requisiti particolari, sono disponibili agevolazioni in base alla data di iscrizione:

SUBJECT	ECTS
The links between form, structure and function of objects. Study of the principles underlying a sustainable design methodology and the different strategies. Realization of a complete project: prototype, model or layout.	6
Knowledge of common graphic elements and tools for technical drawing: construction graphics, metric scales, basic elements of orthogonal projections, axonometric projections and techniques for architectural metric survey. Representation of an architecture, or parts of it, with furnishing elements and details, using the most appropriate scales.	6
AutoCad: basic commands and principles. Hatches, backgrounds and masking, texts, dimensions. Creation and application of dimensioning blocks on scale 1:3 of the drawing, modification of existing objects, raster graphics, insertion of squares and scale ratios. Development of an assigned project: representation of plans, sections, prospects and details.	6
Realization of concrete objects starting from intuitions, graphic sketches, design forms not yet finalized. All the way to three-dimensional models that conclude the design process. Final report related to the work carried out during the course, as well as time and costs estimates for the production of the final object.	6
Focus on the peculiarities of sustainable design materials and their rational use in industrial production. Assessment of the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the materials analyzed; in relation to the technologies, advantages and risk levels related to their processing. Deepening of the characteristics of natural and artificial materials such as wood, stone, stoneware, resin, composites, etc., in relation to their practical applications, with the aim of identifying their requirements and evaluate the appropriate and sustainable choice according to the type of project.	8
Learning the correct method of analyzing objects, ideas and contemporary design forms. Encouraging the development of a critical sense in the acquisition and review of historical data. International design context and movements from the late nineteenth century to the second world war.	6
First approach to developing and drafting interior spaces. Study of shapes and space. Understanding measurements based on functional and ergonomic standards connected with humans.	12
Interior design	8
Applied technology	4
Introduction to parametric modeling with an overview of the software Rhinoceros, used in the job market. Two-dimensional parametric design and three-dimensional modeling. Photography in a virtual environment: lights and materials for rendering. Control parameters for 3D printing.	6
Design knowledge necessary for the realization of models and prototypes using innovative digital technologies. Development of theoretical and practical activities to become aware of digital production systems such as: 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling.	4

Tutti gli studenti in possesso di certificazione ai sensi della Legge 104/92 hanno diritto a un’agevolazione del 20% sulla quota di iscrizione, indipendentemente dalla fascia temporale scelta. Per richiederla, è necessario inviare la documentazione alla segreteria all’indirizzo corsibrevi@unirufa.it.

L’iscrizione a un corso breve dà diritto, per il mese in cui si svolge il corso, ad accedere ad alcune convenzioni attive con esercizi commerciali.
Le agevolazioni riguardano sia l’acquisto di materiali creativi che le pause pranzo presso locali situati nei pressi dei campus. Se interessati si prega di fare richiesta del file aggiornato.