ça a l’air synthétique bonjour hi

Abstract

Coming from different artistic and cultural backgrounds in theatre, dance, and media arts, Burcu Emeç, Michael Martini, Nien Tzu Weng, and Roxa Hy zoom in on labour, constructed intimacy, and consent within participation in their transdisciplinary performance Ça a l’air synéthique bonjour hi. Considering the notion of participation in its broadest sense—such as in a community, an economy, and politics—what factors can encourage, discourage, or limit it? In order to explore these factors, the four artists turn to the model of a participatory performance. Realizing that many experiences of participatory art contain troubling, awkward, and often non-consensual elements, they interrogate how this form of performance can offer a parallel to larger questions about participation in an economic and political system.