Published 2026-03-20
Keywords
- Performance art,
- Object,
- Preservation,
- Archive,
- Ephemeral heritage
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
The contribution investigates the role of objects within performative practices, situating this analysis within the broader debate on the documentation of the ephemeral and on processes of transmission in the performing arts. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the text problematizes the status of the ‘performative object’ as an unstable, processual, and relational element, questioning the modalities through which it produces meaning during and beyond the action. The study also examines the transformations the object undergoes as it moves into the museum and archival sphere, highlighting the critical issues related to its conservation, the loss of context, and the possibilities of reactivation. The essay concludes with the analysis of a case study and with a set of considerations aimed at promoting an active preservation of performance heritage, one that values not only the material persistence of objects but also the processes and relationships they continue to activate over time.