The magick of intuition and place in process-led performative spatial arts practices with reference to selected works by Marcus Neustetter and Olivier de Sagazan

Abstract

This research project interrogates the complexity of intuitive processes organised around generative ritualised actions and transient experiences in the performative and spatial arts practices of two artists. Olivier de Sagazan is a French artist. His diverse practice includes painting, drawing, photography and sculpture, as well as performances. Marcus Neustetter is a South African artist. His work focuses on a wide spectrum of practice including arts activism and public art. He favours a wide range of visual imaging modalities including drawing, projection, sound and sculptural construction. Both artists favour situationally-specific and process-related performance. In this research I focus exclusively on a study of ritualised activity in de Sagazan’s work and the transient qualities of light in Neustetter’s work. The otherworldly with its links to the magickal contexts of tacit knowledge – including the occult and esotericism – is framed in relation to critical iterations of place. Applying intuition as a multidimensional creative approach in the understanding of place-related phenomena, a phenomenological praxis of cognitive and metacognitive functioning is proposed as a necessary ingredient in a study of process-led art practices. Present moments are brought into the same conceptual ambit as embodied experiences that implicate personal histories and ontological responses, as well as emotional and sensorial encounters in real time. A mixed methodological approach is employed, drawing on a literature review and interviews, as well as an in-situ and participative engagement with de Sagazan (in France) and Neustetter (in Austria and South Africa) in their studios or workspaces. In a close examination of selected works between 1998 and 2023 by these two artists, a critical case is made for how intuitive processes impact on and intersect with the complexities of place through the agency of de Sagazan’s and Neustetter’s embodied process-led practice. This is an important aspect of the original scholarly contribution to the field of performance and installation art in this study. While not strictly practice- led research, a mixed method presents opportunities to be cognitively embodied through an integral, immersive and sensorial position. The artists’ expansive imaginings materialise through moments of internalised vulnerability and uncertainty. Latent ritualised and transiently induced engagements with materials, people, spaces and objects prompt a polyvalent functionality of place that invokes otherworldly narratives. This research shows that, to bring this into effect, requires a spatially immersive encounter with process through a fully embodied relationship to intuitive impulses and to place. In this way, a commitment to past and present memory, experience and day-to-day encounters enables a representation of personally resonant otherworldly narratives.

Le projekthi yophandolwazi iphicotha ukuntsonkotha kweenkqubo zeemvakalelo okanye ulwazi lwendalo olulungelelaniswe ngezenzo eziveliswayo zemveli, namava exeshana kwimisebenzi yobugcisa bomdlalo nobendawo yamagcisa amabini. UOlivier de Sagazan ligcisa laseFransi. Imisebenzi yakhe eyahlukileyo ibandakanya ukuzoba ngepeyinti, ukuzoba, ukufota, imifanekiso eqingqiweyo, kunye nemidlalo. UMarcus Neustetter ligcisa laseMzantsi Afrika. Umsebenzi wakhe ugxile kwiinkqubo ezininzi ezibandakanya ubutshantliziyo bezobugcisa kunye nobugcisa basesidlangalaleni. Uthanda uluhlu olubanzi lweentlobo zobugcisa obubonakalayo obubandakanya ukuzoba, imiboniso, isandi kunye nokwakhiwa kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo. Omabini la magcisa athanda imidlalo ejolise kwimeko nakwinkqubo ethile. Kolu phandolwazi ndigxininisa ngokukodwa kuphandolwazi lomsebenzi oqhelekileyo kumsebenzi ka-de Sagazan kunye neempawu ezidlulayo okanye ezingesosigxina zokukhanya kumsebenzi kaNeustetter. Okucingelekayo, okunonxulumano kwiimeko zemilingo yolwazi olungacacanga – kubandakanywa ubugqi kunye nolwazi olufihlakeleyo – kwakhiwe ngokunxulumene nokuphindaphinda okubalulekileyo kwendawo. Ukusebenzisa ulwazi lwendalo nanjengendlela yokuyila entloboninzi ekuqondeni iziganeko ezinxulumene nendawo, uyilo lophandolwazi ngokwamava oluntu kwezentlalo lokusebenza kwengqiqo kunye nokucinga ngokucinga komntu kucetyiswa nanjengesithako esiyimfuneko kuphandolwazi lobugcisa obukhokelwa yimisebenzi yobugcisa esekelwe kwinkqubo yoyilo. Amaxesha angoku angeniswa kwingqikelelo efanayo kunye namava aquka imbali yomntu neempendulo zokuba ngumntu, kunye nokudibana kweemvakalelo nesivo ngexesha langoku. Kusetyenziswa indlela yokwenza uphandolwazi exubileyo, egxile kuphononongo loncwadi nodliwanondlebe, kunye nanjengendlela yokunxulumana nokuzibandakanya no-de Sagazan (eFransi) kunye neNeustetter (eAustria naseMzantsi Afrika) kwizityudiyo okanye kwiindawo zokusebenza zabo. Uphicotho olungqale ngokusondeleyo lwemisebenzi ekhethiweyo yala magcisa mabini phakathi ko1998 no2023, lucacisa umzekelo obanzi malunga nendlela iinkqubo zeemvakalelo okanye ulwazi lwendalo oluchaphazela ngayo luze ludibanise nokuntsonkotha kwendawo ngokusebenzisa impembelelo yomsebenzi wobugcisa ka-de Sagazan nokaNeustetter okhokelwa yinkqubo yokuyila. Lo ngumba obalulekileyo kolu phandolwazi, wegalelo kuphandolwazi lokuqala kwinkalo yobugcisa bomdlalo nobufakelwayo okanye obuxhonywayo. Nangona olu iluphandolwazi olungasekelwanga kumsebenzi wobugcisa ngokungqongqo, indlela yokwenza uphandolwazi exubileyo ibonelela ngamathuba okubonakaliswa kwengqiqo ngokwemeko ehlanganisiweyo, ngokwamava neemvakalelo zabo abazibandakanya nezi ntlobo zobugcisa. Iindlela zokucinga zala magcisa ezigabalala zibonakala ngamaxesha okuchaphazeleka kwangaphakathi kunye nokungaqiniseki. Ubandakanyeko olufihlakeleyo nolwenziwa okwethutyana kunye nemathiriyeli, abantu, iindawo kunye nezinto ezibonakalayo lukhuthaza ukusebenzisa iintlobo ngeentlobo zobugcisa kwindawo evuselela amabali obugqi nolwazi olufihlakeleyo. Olu phandolwazi lubonisa ukuba ukwenza oku kusebenze kufuna ukudibana namava endawo kunye nenkqubo esekelwe kubudlelwane obupheleleyo, neempembelelo zeemvakalelo okanye ulwazi lwendalo kunye nendawo. Ngale ndlela, ukuzibophelela kwinkumbulo yexesha elidlulileyo neyangoku, amava kunye nokudibana kwemihla ngemihla kwenza ukumelwa kwamabali aguqukayo nacingelwayo.

Protšeke ye ya nyakišišo e botšološiša go raragana ga ditshepedišo tša go kwešišega gabonolo tšeo di rulagantšwego go dikologa ditiro tša go tšweletša ditlwaedi le maitemogelo a nakwana mešomong ya bokgabo bja papalo le bja lefelo ya batho ba babedi ba bokgabo. Olivier de Sagazan ke motho wa bokgabo wa Fora. Mešomo ya gagwe ya go fapafapana e akaretša go penta, go thala diswantšho, go tšea diswantšho le go betla, gotee le go dira dipapalo. Marcus Neustetter ke motho wa bokgabo wa Afrika Borwa. Mošomo wa gagwe o tsepeletše go mehutahuta ya ditiro go akaretšwa go lwela bokgabo le bokgabo bja setšhaba. O rata mehutahuta ya mekgwa ya go tšea diswantšho tša go bonwa go akaretšwa go thala, go bontšha, modumo le kago ya go betlwa. Bobedi bja batho ba ba bokgabo ba rata papalo yeo e theilwego godimo ga maemo a itšego le tshepedišo. Mo nyakišišong ye ke tsepeletše ka go lebanya thutong ya tiro ya setlwaedi mošomong wa de Sagazan le dika tša nakwana tša seetša mošomong wa Neustetter. Sa go makatša, ka dikgokagano tša sona maemong a maleatlana a tsebo ya go kwešišega ka ntle le go hlaloša ka go lebanya – go akaretšwa maatla a phagametšego tlhago le tsebo goba dithuto tše di lebišitšwego go sehlopha se se nnyane sa batho bao ba nago le bokgoni – mabapi le dipoeletšo tše bohlokwa tša lefelo. Ka go diriša tsebo bjalo ka mokgwa wa go hlama wa mahlakore a mantši go kwešišeng ditiragalo tše di tswalanago le lefelo, mokgwa wa go šoma wa go tseba dilo le wa go nagana ka dilo o šišintšwe bjalo ka selo se se nyakegago thutong ya mekgwa ya bokgabo yeo e hlahlwago ke tshepedišo. Dinako tša bjale di tlišwa tikologong e swanago ya kgopolo e le diphihlelo tše di akaretšwago tšeo di akaretšago histori ya motho ka noši le dikarabo tša tlhago, gotee le go kopana ga maikwelo ka nako ya kgonthe. Go dirišwa mokgwa wa mokgwa o hlakantšwego, o šomiša tshekatsheko ya dingwalo, dipoledišano, le go ba lefelong gape le go boledišana le de Sagazan (kua Fora) le Neustetter (kua Austria le Afrika Borwa) distudiong tša bona goba mafelong a go šoma. Ka go hlahloba ka kelohloko mešomo yeo e kgethilwego magareng ga 1998 le 2023 ke batho ba bokgabo ba ba babedi, go dirwa taba e bohlokwa ya gore ditshepedišo tše di kwešišegago gabonolo di ama le go kopana le dilo tše di raraganego tša lefelo ka setheo sa mokgwa wa De Sagazan le Neustetter wo o eteletšwego pele ke mokgwa wo o hlahlwago ke tshepetšo. Ye ke karolo e bohlokwa ya kabelo ya mathomo ya tša thuto lefapheng la bokgabo bja go dira le bja go hloma nyakišišong ye. Le ge e le gore ga se nyakišišo yeo e laolwago ke tirišo ka go tia, mokgwa wa mekgwa ye e kopantšwego o aba menyetla ya go diragatša tsebo ka go ba le boemo bjo bo feletšego, bja go tsenelela le bja go kwa. Dikgopolo tša batho ba bokgabo tše di atološitšwego di ipontšha ka dinako tša go ba kotsing le go se kgonthišege. Ditirišano tše di sa lemogegego tše di dirwago ka tsela ya setlwaedi le tšeo di hlohleletšwago ke dilo, batho, mafelo le dilo di hlohleletša go šoma ka ditsela tše di fapafapanego ga lefelo di baka dikanegelo, dikgopolo goba maitemogelo ao a bonagalago a phagametše tlhago. Nyakišišo ye e bontšha gore go dira se go nyaka kopano ya tshepedišo yeo e akaretšago ka mo go feletšego, yeo e theilwego tswalanong e feletšego le dikgoketšo tša tlhago le lefelo. Ka tsela ye, boikgafo dikgopolong tša nakong e fetilego le tša bjale, maitemogelo le diphihlelo tša letšatši le letšatši go dira gore go kgonege go emela dikanegelo tšeo di bonagalago di phagametše tlhago.