The Space between: Aporetic Temporalities and Embodied Participation in Contemporary Performance

This chapter explores the intersection of perception, rhythm and temporality within contemporary performance, focusing particularly on the aporetic experience and its systemic potential for transformation. Drawing from Jonas Rutgeerts’ analysis of asynchronicity in movement as articulated by the choreographers Jérôme Bell and Jonathan Burrows, the work delves into how disrupted temporalities—specifically syncopation and the suspension of rhythm—invite new understandings of time and presence. The chapter investigates how these disruptions in movement, sound and narration open a space for diverse interpretations, fostering a pluralistic sense of meaning-making. The collaborative audio work ET-Her serves as a case study to examine how a monologic discourse, accompanied by sound, can shift attention and facilitate active participation. The piece, which was broadcast during Collisions 2021, engaged the audience in a dialogue that invited movement, drawing and writing, transforming a personal monologue into a collective, immersive experience. The investigation extends to how these experiences of absence, dislocation and corporeal transparency mirror larger questions of empathy, participation and embodied listening, drawing inspiration from Lygia Clark’s somaesthetic practices and George Home-Cook’s exploration of audience dynamics in performance. This chapter explores how engaging the senses, encouraging movement, and using non-traditional notation can help break through the sense of isolation often found in aporia. Instead of seeing it as a dead end, the chapter highlights how aporia can open up possibilities for change within artistic practice. It emphasizes the importance of embodied participation and suggests that a more open, collaborative approach to art can blur the lines between art and everyday life.