Alle Beiträge von Ulf Otto

Computational Theater Studies (CTS) #1: video/annotation

LMU Munich, Institute for Theater Studies, 4.- 6. October 2023,
organized by Ulf Otto (LMU Munich), Nora Probst (Univ. Cologne)

Live or not, the theater of today is shared, negotiated and remembered within digital cultures, inevitably being turned into data and subjected to computation.

Accordingly, theater research is confronted with digitalization not only as a topic and a framework of contemporary performances, but also as an epistemological game changer, potentially decentering canonical narratives, or on the contrary reinforcing older academic biases with newly industrial ones. Increasingly digital tools and computational approaches, already established in related disciplines, become employed by theater scholars, necessitating both a methodological exploration and a critical reflection of the changing epistemic technologies and related research practices. How to make sense of performance data?

Following up on a virtual workshop series we organized in 2022, we will address these issues by initiating a new hybrid series of workshops that will foster international and interdisciplinary exchange. We will bring together a small group of theater scholars with colleagues from neighboring disciplines like Film Studies and Art History on the one hand, and Computer Science and Machine Learning on the other. With this we are pursuing a trifold aim: to connect questions, approaches, and results of individual research projects, to collaboratively explore tools and practices hands-on and to explore possibilities for ensuing cooperation. For that aim, each workshop will focus on one specific data type and compile a corresponding data set, that will be shared among participants six months in advance for preparatory exploration and as a hands-on reference point during the workshop.

CTS#1 will open the series with a focus on performance recordings and explore how to make sense of video data from a Theater Studies point of view. Its focus will lie on practices of annotation, the defaults of available tools, and the potential use of computer vision algorithms. In particular, three topics will be addressed:

  • Manual annotation as a research practice: what features, what segmentations, what vocabularies do different research agendas employ?
  • Evaluating and comparing annotations: what standards and formats can be used to share, merge and further analyze results?
  • Publishing and referencing videos: what forms of publications, data models, research infrastructures are needed to reference performance snippets?

The workshop will take place on site in Munich. If you are interest in joining us, please contact ulf.otto [] lmu.de.

NEU: „Re-socializing emptied spaces: a queer-feminist performance, the theatrical apparatus and its (post)pandemic epistemology“ (IJPADM)

International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media 19.1, doi: 10.1080/14794713.2023.2172523 – (FREE EPRINT)

The suspension of operations during lockdowns facilitated a new perspective on performance: the absent came to appear as a determining factor of not only the pandemic, but became evident as constitutive of late modern theater cultures. Based on a description of the lockdown performance A Room of Our Own (2021) by the feminist collective Swoosh Lieu, it is shown how contemporary practice is relocating performance within its entanglement with the social spaces of reproduction. Emphasizing the realities of exclusion that the performing arts rest upon, the paper argues against a theory of performance as an enclosed event of participation based on an idealized idea of the social as a homogeneous microcosm. It calls instead for an empirics of assembly, and more generally to question a thinking of performance along the lines of interaction and communication. Adopting Karen Barad’s concept of posthuman performativity to Theater Studies, it foregrounds the mediating function of performance in its articulation of the world and proposes to reconceptualize theater as an epistemological apparatus to invigorate a strong program of theater studies that refocuses on the socio-political real of theatricality.

NEU: „Post-performance: pandemic breach experiments, big theatre data, and the ends of theory“ (TRI, open access)

Theater Research International (TRI) 48.1, S. 24-37, doi: 10.1017/S0307883322000384 (OPEN ACCESS)

Abstract

All became data during the pandemic. Lockdowns made manifest what had developed for some time: that theatre has become inextricably entangled with digital cultures, the performing arts being increasingly encountered as a growing stock of multimodal fragments, textual discourses and networked communications. And, it is argued, it is precisely this appearance of theatre as (big) data that might prove to be the game-changer post-pandemic, and that this game-changer might be solely an epistemological one: what is known about theatre, how that knowledge is organized, and who is involved in organizing this knowledge, are rapidly changing. Based on an exemplary analysis of the discourses of legitimation that compensated for the loss of presence in German theatres, and the associated imperative to innovate production, this article estimates the epistemological consequences of theatre returns as data to advocate for a reconceptualization of theatre beyond performance.

„Rethinking Theater and Technology“ [11.11.]- Presentation at the conference Diffractive World-Making (Bloomington)

Diffractive World-Making: Theatre & Science Beyond the Capitalocene

Indiana University Bloomington, Cook Center

November 10-12, 2022

Conference Organizers: Teresa Kovacs & Kevin Rittberger

Diffractive World-Making: Theatre & Science Beyond the Capitalocene starts from the smallest possible constellation: one playwright, one philosopher. Berlin-based playwright Kevin Rittberger meets feminist and philosopher of science Karen Barad. On the basis of Barad’s book Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning and subsequent works, Rittberger explores the potential of a ‘diffractive theatre’ for our technoscientific age. At the same time, Barad explores our ‘troubled time/s’ and offers a queer, postcolonial critique that gives the impulse for our discussions on aesthetics and ethics. The initial encounter provides an opening through which to engage with concepts like response-ability and multi-species aesthetics, as well as with issues like colonialism, shrinking population, reproductive justice, and a critical theory for a damaged planet.

The conference itself takes up Barad’s method of diffraction and expands to an exceptional international cast of leading critics, artists, and theorists that think-with and nearby Barad and Rittberger, including McKenzie Wark, Rebecca Schneider, Tavia Nyong’o, Karin Harrasser, Ulf Otto, Bini Adamczak, Alison Calhoun, Penda Diouf, Luiza Prado, and Tzveta Kassabova.

Aim is not just to shed light on the entanglement of the sciences and aesthetics, but to demonstrate how productive it can be to read them through each other. In so doing, we can investigate their potential to radically rework established Western concepts and categories of causality, time, and space, and contribute to rethinking the troubled times in which we live.

Conference Program

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Cook Center, IU Bloomington

5-8pm

Introduction by the conference organizers Teresa Kovacs and Kevin Rittberger

Entangled Lecture

Karen Barad:

Troubling Time/s. Undoing the Future.

Kevin Rittberger:

breaking through the fourth, fifth, sixth wall…? on diffractive theatre

Reception

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Cook Center, IU Bloomington

10am-12pm

Talk

Rebecca Schneider:

Gesture, Redaction, Diffraction, and Flight: Arts of the Interstice

Dialogue

Alison Calhoun and Ulf Otto:

Rethinking Theater and Technology: Early, Late and Never Have Been Moderns

1-3pm

Talk (via zoom)

Bini Adamczak:

Fractional Relationality

Talk

Tavia Nyong’o:

Relationality? No Thanks! On Black Performance and its Critical Refusal

3.15-5.15pm

Reading

Penda Diouf:

colonial stories: from France to Namibia. Read by Eboni Edwards

Talk

McKenzie Wark:

Dysphoric Planet

6.30pm

FAR Arts Center

Dance

Tzveta Kassabova:

Prometheus. Beginnings. Based on plays by Kevin Rittberger

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2022

Cook Center, IU Bloomington

10am-12pm

Talk

Karin Harrasser:

Violence and the Care for Images: Doing History with Strangers

Conversation

Art and Agency: On Mind, Matter, and Media

with Karen Barad, Karin Harrasser, Tavia Nyong’o, McKenzie Wark moderated by Rebekah Sheldon

1–3pm

Reading and Workshop:

Penda Diouf, Kevin Rittberger:

„Blackout White Noise.“ On ‘ethico-onto-epistem-ological’ writing

Talk

Luiza Prado:

WAVES/WEEDS/WORLDS

4pm

Performance

Luiza Prado:

The Sermon of the Weeds

This conference is supported by the following Indiana University’s departments and programs: Germanic Studies, Presidential Arts and Humanities Program, The Office of the Vice President for International Affairs, the Cultural Studies Program, Art History, French and Italian, Theatre & Dance, Comparative Literature, Cinema and Media Studies

This conference is held in person. However, we are happy to share a zoom link with those who cannot travel to Bloomington but would still like to attend the conference. To receive a link and for any other information regarding the conference, please contact Teresa Kovacs (tekovacs@iu.edu)

„Ästhetische Dimensionen (post-)digitaler Interaktionsräume“ [30.8.] – Panel auf der Tagung Verschwörung, Fake und Gewissheiten an der ZHdK

Verschwörung, Fake und Gewissheiten. Fragen zum Beitrag der Künste und ihrer Theorien in Zeiten des gesellschaftlichen Wandels

Jahrestagung des Doktoratsprogramms »Epistemologien ästhetischer Praktiken«, Fr., 28. – So., 30. Oktober 2022

Panel 5: Ästhetische Dimensionen (post-)digitaler Interaktionsräume

Medienwissenschaftliche Perspektiven, So. 30. Oktober 11.00–13.00 Uhr 

Soziale Netzwerke und Smartphone-Applikationen schaffen es durch ihr interaktives Design und das Vorhandensein stetig neuer Inhalte, die Aufmerksamkeit der Nutzer:innen an sich zu binden. Welche digitalen Inhalte dabei den Nutzer:innen präsentiert werden, hängt stark von den teils undurchsichtigen Algorithmen der digitalen Plattformen und auch den durch die Anwendungen gespeicherten personenbezogenen Daten ab. Neben den algorithmischen Komponenten scheint auch der ästhetischen Dimension im Bereich der Kommunikation und Interaktion in digitalen Räumen eine entscheidende Rolle zuzukommen. Wie wird das ästhetische Empfindungsvermögen durch die digitalen Inhalte kontrolliert und welche Interdependenzen eröffnen sich in dem Machtgefüge zwischen datengetriebener Algorithmizität und (post‐)digitaler Interaktion?

Ulf Otto, Sabine Himmelsbach, Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken

„Kunst und/als Intervention“ [29.9.] – Vortrag und Diskussion auf der Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft

Matters of Urgency

15. Kongress der Gesellschaft für Theaterwissenschaft

Kunst und/als Intervention

Forum, 20. September 2022 Seminarzentrum Raum L113 Moderation: Doris Kolesch & Matthias Warstat

Fragen der Rolle und Relevanz des Theaters und der performativen Künste werden häufig als Anspruch auf gesellschaftliche Wirksamkeit formuliert: Aufführungen sollen – im Selbstverständnis vieler Theaterschaffenden und Performer*innen ebenso wie im Urteil zahlreicher Forschenden – soziale Prozesse verändern, sich in politischen Konfliktlagen positionieren oder in sie eingreifen und Öffentlichkeiten adressieren bzw. sie überhaupt erst (mit-)hervorbringen. Zur Beschreibung dieses Verhältnisses von (theatraler bzw. performativer) Kunst und Gesellschaft wird häufig der Begriff der Intervention verwendet. Das Panel möchte das Potential und die Reichweite des Interventionsbegriffes für Theater/Performance und Theaterwissenschaft erkunden. Dabei sollen folgende aktuelle Forschungsvorhaben und Veröffentlichungen vorgestellt werden und miteinander ins Gespräch kommen:

  • Silke Felber: “Intervening (with) Smells” (Forschungsprojekt)
  • Doris Kolesch: „Akustische Störungen. Postkoloniale und queere Potentiale sonischer Interventionen“ (Forschungsprojekt im Sfb „Intervenierende Künste“)
  • Ulf Otto / Johanna Zorn: „Ästhetiken der Intervention: Ein- und Übergriffe im Regime des Theaters“ (Buchpublikation Berlin: Theater der Zeit 2022)
  • Matthias Warstat: „Teilhabe und Dissoziation: Spannungen politischen Theaters im 20. Jahrhundert und in der Gegenwart“ (Forschungsprojekt im Sfb „Intervenierende Künste“)

„Evidenz der Wiederholung. Reenactments als wissenschaftliche Methode“ [20.9.] – Vortrag am Forschungsinstitut für Musiktheater in Thurnau

Symposium „Wagnertheater! Historisch informiert?

20. bis 22. September 2022

Zeichnung zum Bühnenbild von Wagners Oper Siegfried

Während die historisch informierte Aufführungspraxis in der Alten Musik und darüber hinaus inzwischen weit-gehend durchgesetzt ist, spielt die Idee der wissen-schaftlich fundierten Interpretation im Theater kaum eine Rolle. Zu flüchtig sei das Medium von der Anlage her, zu zeitspezifisch, zu wenig rekonstruierbar. Das Publikum von heute würde eine (in der Praxis unmögli-che) historisch akkurate Aufführung anders aufnehmen als die Zuschauenden der Uraufführung. Die Parame-ter der leiblichen Kopräsenz von Performenden und Zusehenden und die damit verbundene andauernde Feedbackschleife wären also grundlegend anders kon-stituiert.
Dennoch wurden der Einbezug von historischer Aus-sprache, Mimik und Gestik in die konzertante Auffüh-rung des Rheingold durch Concerto Köln unter der mu-sikalischen Leitung von Kent Nagano im November 2021 von Mitwirkenden, Besuchenden und Fachpresse sehr positiv beurteilt. Im nächsten Schritt stellt sich das Forschungsinstitut für Musiktheater (fimt) der Universi-tät Bayreuth im Rahmen des DFG-Erkenntnistransfer-projekts „Wagnergesang im 21. Jahrhundert – histo-risch informiert?“ in Kooperation mit Concerto Köln und Kent Nagano die Frage, ob sich die Fragestellungen der historisch informierten Aufführungspraxis auch auf eine voll-szenische Produktion anwenden ließen. Die-ser Frage soll im Rahmen der Konferenz Wagnerthea-ter! Historisch informiert? nachgegangen werden. In drei Sektionen (Reenactments als Methode von Thea-ter und Theaterwissenschaft, Historische Spiel-, Dekla-mations- und Gesangspraxis, Historische Ausstattung) diskutieren Expert*innen aus Wissenschaft und Praxis die Potenziale und Grenzen eines solchen Experi-ments.
Interessierte sind herzlich willkommen, die Konferenz zu besuchen. Der Eintritt ist kostenlos.

Das Programm sowie weitere Informationen finden Sie im Flyer: Hier herunterladen.