Artistic Expression Through Action: Time, Space, Body
Performance art can be defined as an action and a physical presence in time and space.
It is a fleeting, ephemeral discipline, at times politically incorrect and, in some cases, deliberately unsettling.
Archives and documents of the performing arts continue to inspire new generations of artists at every stage of the creative process, increasingly influencing contemporary visual culture as well.
The Performance course proposed by Marta Jovanović focuses both on individual and group practice, and on the development of critical thinking around the discipline. From the initial idea to the performance open to the public, the classes guide participants through the creation of a complete performative work. Performance theory and history are integrated into the course structure as fundamental tools for consolidating a conscious approach, while light physical exercises and trust-based practices form part of the training in each session.
The course is open to everyone, regardless of their artistic or professional background.
The proposed approach brings together, in a vertical and in-depth way, individual research on expression through the body with the relationship to space and to the community that inhabits it. The aim is twofold: on the one hand, to strengthen critical awareness of the discipline; on the other, to support the necessary personal research that accompanies any attempt at authentic artistic reworking.
A high-quality performative practice is in fact rooted in the individuality of the performer, but must also be able to engage in dialogue with a diverse audience that is sensitive to contemporary languages.
The course does not end with its final presentation. Rather, it seeks to open students up to unexplored expressive potential, through a body that does not simply narrate, nor merely explain or show, but instead expresses, evokes, and denounces.
No prior skills or experience are required, but an authentic openness to research and sharing within the common space of the classroom is essential: a willingness to learn that goes beyond technical limits and responds first and foremost to a personal expressive urgency.
At the end of the course, a certificate of attendance is issued upon completion of at least 8 of the 10 scheduled lessons, and is valid for the possible recognition of 2 CFA.
Course type: group session – in-person
Participants: Max 15
Frequency: weekly, on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 lessons – total of 40 hours
Cost: € 590.00 in a single payment or in two instalments of € 300.00 each
Materials: none / any materials for performance activities are at the student’s expense
Requirements/support: none
Language: Italian
Lecturer: Marta Jovanovic
Location: RUFA – Via degli Ausoni, 7- 00185 Rome
Registration starts: November 1, 2025
Registration closes: February 20, 2026
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 evolution of the work throughout the course.
Practical advice: it is recommended to wear comfortable, layered clothing that allows free movement, as light physical exercises will be included during the lessons.
Lesson 1 — Introduction to Performance Art
Theoretical content
• What performance art is: definitions, contexts, differences from theatre and dance.
• Historical origins: Futurism, Dada, Fluxus, body art.
• Performance as an ephemeral experience: the role of the audience, presence, time.
Practical exercises
• Grounding: breathing and grounding exercises to develop bodily presence.
• Observing/Observing oneself: conscious walking exercises, use of the gaze.
• The body as material: small, slow, repeated actions to understand the body as language.
Lesson 2 — Body, space and time
Theoretical content
• Analysis of performative space: indoor/outdoor, museum/public space.
• Time in performance: duration, repetition, endurance.
Practical exercises
• Space mapping: slow exploration of the environment to recognise limits, possibilities and frictions.
• Timed actions: repetition of a gesture for 5, 10 and 15 minutes to perceive time within the body.
• Exercises in stillness: holding a prolonged position 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 one’s own story and amplifying it.
• Voices of the body: vocal exercise using non-linguistic sounds as a tool of expression.
• Micro-narratives: small actions emerging from personal memories.
Lesson 4 — Archive, documentation and traces
Theoretical content
• Documentation in performance: photography, video, text, material traces.
• How to build a personal and professional archive.
Practical exercises
• Writing the action: each participant describes a performed or imagined action in a maximum of 5 lines.
• Documenting others: practical photography and video exercise during small actions by peers.
• Self-archiving: creation of an initial folder/archive structure.
Lesson 5 — Development of personal ideas
Theoretical content
• How a performance is constructed: concept, actions, materials, duration, 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 responses.
Individual development of the performance: concept, intentions and artistic direction.
Lesson 6 – Performance
Presentation of students’ first performances.
Collective discussion and analysis.
Lesson 7 – In-depth exploration and Feedback
Critical feedback, in-depth discussion of emerging themes and further development of the work.
Final Project
Lesson 8 – Towards the Final Performance
Structuring and refinement of the final performative project.
Lesson 9 – Final Performances
Lesson 10 – Presentation of the final performances with related documentation.
Final discussion.
14 March 2026
21 March 2026
28 March 2026
11 April 2026
18 April 2026
9 May 2026
16 May 2026
23 May 2026
30 May 2026
6 June 2026
Marta Jovanović is a performance artist and lecturer with a mission to promote and facilitate the further progress of the discipline.
Founder of the Performance Art Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Belgrade, artist-in-residence at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles in 2017, Jovanović is the subject of the documentary film “Born Just Now,” by American director Robert Adanto, which has won numerous international awards. Her works, “Pionirka,” “It is My Body,” “Love,” and “Motherhood,” are held in significant 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 has written a compendium of her early works entitled “Marta Jovanovic: Performing the Self,” published by the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at the City University of New York. In the book “New York New Wave,” Battista places Jovanović among the most urgent contemporary feminist artists in New York.
Instagram: Marta Jovanović
RUFA Students and Alumni: 50% discount
Former students of RUFA Short Courses and Summer Programs 2024–25: 10% discount
University students: 5% discount (upon presenting a valid university ID or transcript)
Course package/groups/family: contact corsibrevi@unirufa.it for tailored solutions
For all enrolled students, without the need for specific requirements, fee reductions are available based on the date of registration:
Very Early Bird: by 1 November 2025 → €501.50 (–15%)
Early Bird: from 1 November to 23 December 2025 → €531.00 (–10%)
All students holding certification pursuant to Law 104/92 are entitled to a 20% discount on the registration fee, regardless of the selected time frame.
To request it, documentation must be sent to the registrar’s office at corsibrevi@unirufa.it.
Enrolling in a short course entitles students, for the month in which the course takes place, to access special agreements with local businesses.
The benefits include discounts on creative materials and lunch breaks at venues near the campus locations.
Each year, the Short Courses Office will provide an updated list of participating businesses.
For course information, fill in the form and you will be contacted.
Listen to the protagonists of the “Performing Rome” Summer Course