Mass Spectacle as a Manifestation of Performative Art: Visual Strategies of Representation

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to reveal the specifics of mass spectacle as a form of performative art, in particular, to analyse its visual strategies that provide a communicative and aesthetic effect in the modern socio-cultural space; to outline the mechanisms of interaction between the visual component and performative action that form new practices of representing cultural meanings in modern spectacle. The research methodology is a combination of systemic and culturological approaches, which combines art historical analysis, culturological interpretation and semiotic method in the study. A comparative analysis of examples of mass spectacles (festival events, ceremonies, urban performances, etc.) was used, as well as elements of visual anthropology, which allow us to consider spectacle as a multi-component structure. Scientific novelty. The article first proposes an interpretation of mass spectacle not only as a socio-cultural phenomenon, but also as an autonomous form of performative art, where visual strategies act as the leading means of constructing meanings. The role of the synthetic interaction of images, symbols and spatial solutions in the formation of the viewer’s performative experience is emphasised. The principles of visual dramaturgy that determine the structure of mass spectacles and their ability to influence collective memory are highlighted. Conclusions. Mass spectacle appears as a polyphonic form of artistic expression, where performativity is realised through the direction of space, the use of visual metaphors and symbolic codes. Visual strategies provide not only aesthetic expressiveness, but also communicative effectiveness, actualising cultural archetypes and national identification markers. Thus, mass spectacle acts as a tool for the transmission of cultural values and the formation of common meanings in a globalised world.