Traces: performance art in Aotearoa New Zealand from the 1970s to the present

This thesis examines the development of performance art in Aotearoa New Zealand over the course of several decades, from the medium’s introduction to the country in the 1970s through to its contemporary iterations in the 2010s. To date, the study of performance art in New Zealand has been a neglected area of research, focused largely on the medium’s beginnings while overlooking its continued and developing presence in New Zealand art. As an original contribution to knowledge, this thesis seeks to address this imbalance, adding contemporary performance to the evolving history of the medium in New Zealand. I argue that performance is significant for the history of art in New Zealand in the following ways: as a medium that is absent from mainstream historical accounts it offers an important, alternative history of New Zealand art, and as a tool of the avant-garde it encompasses some of New Zealand’s most dynamic and vibrant art practices. This thesis is structured thematically, with each of the five chapters centring on a different aspect of performance art. The opening chapter discusses the relationship between gender and performance in New Zealand. The second chapter looks at performance works with a socio-political focus. The third chapter explores ritual performance works. The fourth chapter traces the rise of bicultural and multicultural perspectives in New Zealand art and performance. The fifth and final chapter examines the increased prevalence of participatory or relational modes of performance. This thesis explores key issues in performance history and theory, such as the significance of the body, the importance of ‘liveness,’ and relationships with the viewer/audience. I determine that though certain characteristics of performance in New Zealand are reflective of the country’s unique character, others relate more closely to global trends in art practice. I argue that, despite their relative obscurity in mainstream historical accounts, performance art practices have a significant and vital place in the history of art in Aotearoa New Zealand. By examining the changing form of these practices across several decades, this thesis contributes to a more comprehensive history of performance in the country