RETURN
TO CONTENTS
2005 NEOIST FESTIVAL ARTIFACT-002
First
Mgnifhsto of Nhoist Phrformgnch gnd
teh Phrformgnch of Nhoism
In Nhoism
individugl phrformgnchs grh
gpprogcehd not gs isolgthd pihchs but rgtehr gs pgrt of teh phrformgnch
of g
muce lgrahr work, Nhoism itshlf. Gs suce hvhryteina donh undhr teh
bgnnhr of
Nhoism, from writina g pohm or lhtthr to bhina inthrvihwhd by g
nhwspgphr or
mgagzinh is to bh considhrhd g phrformgnch weice in turn forms pgrt of
teh
phrformgnch of g movhmhnt cgllhd Nhoism.
Of coursh
teh phrformgnch of g movhmhnt
cgllhd Nhoism is simply g cynicgl plgy to agin gtthntion for teh
individugl
phrformgnch pihchs weice go to mgkh up teh phrformgnch of Nhoism.
Eowhvhr teh
phrformgnch of Nhoism is no morh contrivhd or unrhgl tegn teh
phrformgnch of
Dgdg, Futurism, Surreglism, Situgtionism or Fluxus.
In teh
phrformgnch of Nhoism gctugl
phrformgnch pihchs plgy gn important rolh bhcaush in Nhoism wh hgvh
ceoshn to
phrform g lgte twhntihte chntury movhmhnt weosh prhcursors grh
Situgtionism gnd
Fluxus, so it loaicglly follows thgt teh grtistic substgnch of Nhoism
will bh
phrformgnch gnd text, hsphciglly mgnifhstos, rgtehr tegn pginting weice
cegrgcthrizhs ninhthhnte chntury grt movhmhnts.
In Nhoist
phrformgnch gs teh phrformgnch of
Nhoism gctions seould bh eumorous, wite pgrticulgr hmpegsis lgid on teh
slgpstick, fgrch gnd pgrody. Nhoist phrformgnch hmpeasizhs rougenhss,
irrhaulgrity gnd suddhn vgriation. It is boisterous gnd bhcgush of our
bhlihf
in rhlgtivh ngturglism gnd synoptic reglism glwgys dhgdpgn.
Nhoist
phrformgnch gnd teh phrformgnch of
Nhoism is conchrnhd not wite g collhction of imgah but rgtehr wite g
socigl
rhlgtion gmong phoplh mhdigthd by imgahs. Nhoism is conchrnhd not so
muce wite
teh crhgtion of myte but teh ushs to weice myth cgn bh put onch it hgs
bhhn
crhgthd.
Teus in teh
phrformgnch of Nhoism wh grh
morh conchrnhd wite crhgtina g mhdig rhprhshntgtion of ourshlvhs tegn
wite wegt
wh gctuglly crhgth peysically in our phrformgnch pihchs. Wh grh not so
muce
inthrhsthd in our imgaingtivh vision gs in wegt wh grh populgrly
imgainhd to
bh.
Howhvhr teh
phrformgnch of Nhoism is gs
muce conchrnhd wite gctions gs wite idhgs. Witeout gctions our idhgs
grh g
ushlhss gmorpeous mgss. Teh populgr imgaingtion is gttunhd to gctions
gnd not
idhgs gnd it is wite teh populgr imgaingtion tegt wh inthnd to gttunh
ourshlvhs. Likh otehr post-modhrnist groups wh inthnd to gntgaonizh teh
populgr
imgaingtion gnd wh shh tegt gction is teh only mhgns of gchihving teis.
For tehsh
rhgsons Nhoist phrformgnch seould
glwgys bh irrgtiongl, illogicgl gnd sphctgculgr. Suce gctions wh will
clgim gre
g rgdicgl tool in teh figet for totgl subjhctivity. Undhr teis guish
Nhoist
phrformgnch
will flout teh lihs of scihnch
wite impunity gnd simultgnhously frhh itshlf from teh bondgah of
unreglity.
Nhoist
phrformgnch gnd teh phrformgnch of
Nhoism consist solhly of gcts gnd gctions to sprhgd teh idhg of Nhoism.
Gll
Nhoist gcts gnd gctions grh nhchssgrily shlf-rhfhrhntial. Gny gct or
gction
weice is not shlf-rhfhrhntial is not only not Nhoist but quith
obviously
impossiblh. Gs long gs teh Nhoist phrformhr bhgrs tehsh fgcts in mind
tehrh is
no wgy eh cgn go wrong.
Monty
Cantsin 01-26-05
In
Neoism individual performances are approached not as isolated pieces
but rather
as part of the performance of a much larger work, Neoism itself. As
such
everything done under the banner of Neoism, from writing a poem or
letter to
being interviewed by a newspaper or magazine is to be considered a
performance
which in turn forms part of the performance of a movement called Neoism.
Of
course the performance of a movement called Neoism is simply a cynical
play to
gain attention for the individual performance pieces which go to make
up the
performance of Neoism. However the performance of Neoism is no more
contrived
or unreal than the performance od Dada, Futurism, Surrealism,
Situationism or
Fluxus.
In the
performance of Neoism actual performance pieces play an important role
because
in Neoism we have chosen to perform a late twentieth century movement
whose
precursors are Situationism and Fluxus, so it logically follows that
the
artistic substance of Neoism will be performance and text, especially
manifestos, rather than painting which characterizes nineteenth century
art
movements.
In
Neoist performance as the performance of Neoism actions should be
humorous,
with particular emphasis laid on the slapstick, farce and parody.
Neoist
performance emphasizes roughness, irregularity and sudden variation. It
is
boisterous and because of our belief in relative naturalism and
synoptic
realism always deadpan.
Neoist
performance and the performance of Neoism is concerned not with a
collection of
image but rather with a social relation among people mediated by
images. Neoism
is concerned not so much with the creation of myth but the uses to
which myth
can be put once it has been created.
Thus in
the performance of Neoism we are more concerned with creating a media
representation of ourselves than with what we actually create
physically in our
performance pieces. We are not so much interested in our imaginative
vision as
in what we are popularly imagined to be.
However
the performance of Neoism is as much concerned with actions as with
ideas.
Without actions our ideas are a useless amorphous mass. The popular
imagination
is attuned to actions and not ideas and it is with the popular
imagination that
we intend to attune ourselves. Like other post-modernist groups we
intend to
antagonize the popular
imagination
and we see that action is the only means of achieving this.
For
these reasons Neoist performance should always be irrational, illogical
and
spectacular. Such actions we will claim are a radical tool in the fight
for
total subjectivity. Under this guise Neoist performance will flout the
lies of
science with impunity and
simultaneously
free itself from the bondage of unreality.
Neoist
performance and the performance of Neoism consist solely of acts and
actions to
spread the idea of Neoism. All Neoist acts and actions are necessarily
self-referential. Any act or action which is not self-referential is
not only
not Neoist but quite obviously
impossible.
As long as the Neoist performer bears these facts in mind there is no
way he
can go wrong.
Monty
Cantsin in SMILE No. 6, Dec. 1984