The present MA thesis analyzes how body and blood functions as historical and narrative elements in Yu Hua's novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (1995). In the novel, the story and the plot can not be regarded as disparate items; the two levels of the text are tightly interwoven by what the thesis introduces as a sangvinolent narration. The term conceptualizes the use of blood as a structural element and the thrust of the text, in this case how the ability to sell blood is a prerequisite for the story and the plot. Close readings reveal the structural correlations between the blood-selling main-character Xu Sanguan in the plot on the one hand, and in the story on the other, which can be detected to have, inter alia, an effect on the temporality of the narrative. Themes linked to identity, belonging and survival (performativity, mimicry, reification and alienation) permeate the text. In the novel the body and bodily fluids are sacrificed in order to form and enforce perceptions of identity and societal roles. The rhetorical use of ‘blood and tears’ (Ch. xue yu lei) indicates thematic connections to the Chinese revolutionary literature, and furthermore, the use of flesh and blood can be read in relation to the cannibalistic discourses crucial to Chinese modernity since Lu Xun.

Videogame tinkerers, players, and activists of the 21st century are continuing, yet redefining, the avant-garde art and literary movements of the 20th century. Videogames are diverging as a social, cultural, and digital medium. They are used as political instruments, artistic experiments, social catalysts, and personal means of expression. A diverse field of games and technocultural play, such as alternate reality games, griefer attacks, arcade sculptures, and so on, can be compared and contrasted to the avant-garde, such as contemporary tactical media, net art, video art, Fluxus, the Situationists, the work of Pollock or Brecht, Dada, or the Russian Formalists. For example, historical avant-garde painters played with perspectival space (and its traditions), rather than only within those grid-like spaces. This is similar in some ways to how game artists play with flow (and player expectations of it), rather than advancing flow as the popular and academic ideal. Videogames are not only an advanced product of technoculture, but are the space in which technoculture conventionalizes play. This makes them a fascinating site to unwork and rethink the protocols and rituals that rule technoculture. It is the audacity of imagining certain videogames as avant-garde (from the perspective of mainstream consumers and art academics alike) that makes them a good candidate for this critical experiment.

This thesis explores the notion of ‘experimental voice’ in avant-garde performance, in the way it transgresses conventional forms of vocal expression as a means of both extending and enhancing the expressive capabilities of the voice, and reframing the social and political contexts in which these voices are heard. I examine these avant-garde voices in relation to three different liminal contexts in which the voice plays a central role: in ritual vocal expressions, such as Greek lament and Māori karanga, where the voice forms a bridge between the living and the dead; in electroacoustic music and film, where the voice is dissociated from its source body and can be heard to resound somewhere between human and machine; and from a psychoanalytic perspective, where the voice may bring to consciousness the repressed fears and desires of the unconscious. The liminal phase of ritual performance is a time of inherent possibility, where the usual social structures are inverted or subverted, but the liminal is ultimately temporary and conservative. Victor Turner suggests the concept of the ‘liminoid’ as a more transgressive alternative to the liminal, allowing for permanent and lasting social change. It may be in the liminoid realm of avant-garde performance that voices can be reimagined inside the frame of performance, as a means of exploring new forms of expression in life. This thesis comes out of my own experience as a performer and is informed both by theoretical discourse and practical experimentation in the theatre. Exploring the voice as a liminal, transgressive force requires analysis from an experiential perspective.

La thèse démontre l’impact du théâtre de Krejča sur l’évolution de l’art dramatique belge francophone. Elle scinde l’activité théâtrale de Krejča en Belgique en deux parties, chacune placée sous le sceau d’une réalité politique différente. La première correspond à un moment de détente dans le paysage politique tchécoslovaque et débute avant la création du Divadlo za branou. Assimilée à la seconde avant-garde théâtrale tchèque, elle inaugure aussi la série de succès internationaux de Krejča dans des pays non socialistes. La seconde période survient après la liquidation du Divadlo za branou par les autorités communistes tchécoslovaques et après le départ de Krejča en semi exil. Théâtralement, la Belgique francophone est alors en pleine émulation, qui s’observe notamment dans les propositions artistiques du « Jeune théâtre » (1976-1986). <p><p>L’arrivée de Krejča, dans les années 1960, sur la scène du Théâtre National de Belgique s’inscrit dans la dynamique des échanges théâtraux européens et dans une volonté diplomatique de rapprochement entre la Tchécoslovaquie et la Belgique. La thèse insiste sur ces rencontres entre les artistes belges francophones et les artistes internationaux car elles jouent un rôle fondamental, auquel prend part Krejča, dans l’histoire du théâtre belge de langue française. Fort de sa réappropriation de la tradition théâtrale tchèque et des concepts de Stanislavskij, Krejča est l’un des premiers à apporter en Belgique francophone un regard dépassant la dimension représentationnelle de la première lecture du texte et à proposer une alternative au manque laissé par le retard de l’avant-garde théâtrale belge francophone. Sa poétique, principalement influencée par le théâtre atelier d’E.F. Burian, le théâtre poétique de Frejka, le civilisme d’Hilar, les théories préfigurant la sémiologie théâtrale initiée par l’école de Prague et par les développements du « Mchat », rencontre un accueil mitigé parmi les journalistes polygraphes mais ne manque pas d’impressionner certains animateurs de la scène théâtrale belge à l’instar de Janine Patrick ou de Marc Liebens. Aussi trouve-t-elle notamment un prolongement dans le Théâtre du Parvis.<p><p>La thèse situe l’apport le plus évident de la poétique krejčaïenne en Belgique francophone dans le traitement dramaturgique, polyphonique et préfigurant le théâtre postdramatique, que le metteur en scène propose. A Louvain-la-Neuve, c’est à nouveau la puissance de la tradition tchèque et la conviction philosophique de Krejča qui impressionnent ses collaborateurs et se déclinent à travers les excroissances théâtrales francophones belges dont la plus manifeste est une expérience théâtrale, toujours en cours aujourd’hui :le théâtre de l’Éveil.<p><p>La dissertation délimite d’abord les spécificités de la poétique théâtrale de Krejča, puis, après une analyse des mises en scène de Krejča, elle retrace et détaille les diverses formes sous lesquelles son esthétique se manifeste :transmission d’un héritage théâtral (avant-garde historique tchèque, sémiologie théâtrale développée par l’Ecole de Prague) et littéraire (mise à l’honneur de Schnitzler et de Nestroy), prolongement de la recherche théâtrale jusqu’à l’approche postdramatique (révélation de la dramaticité des pièces de Tchékhov, importation du théâtre musical), regards dramaturgique et philosophique, écriture dramatique (influence sur l’écriture d'auteurs dramatiques, Krejča-personnage dans des pièces d’acteur)… <p><p>/ The thesis focuses on Czech theatre from first avant-garde to second avant-garde; mainly it is focusing on Otomar Krejča’s theatre and its relationship with Belgian theatre within the second Czech avant-garde theatre to the end of the Normalization. <p>Krejča worked an intensive part of his artistic life in Belgium. His Belgian theatrical activity can be divided into two distinct periods. The first one was coinciding with the foundation of his “Theatre Beyond the Gate” (Divadlo za branou) in Prague in 1965 and took place in the Belgian National Theatre in Brussels. Those years were squaring with Czechoslovakian destalinization and were particularly productive in the artistic field. In Brussels Krejča directed four plays: in 1965, Hamlet, in 1966, The Seagull, in 1970, Three Sisters, in 1978, Romeo and Juliet. The first three plays occurred before the Normalization and his departure in specific exile. The last one marked the beginning of his second period in Belgium, closely bound to Louvain-la-Neuve city. The two following Krejča’s productions were first created for the Festival d’Avignon: in 1978, Waiting for Godot and Lorenzaccio in 1979, before being performed at Atelier théâtral Jean Vilar in Louvain-La-Neuve. The three following plays were the last of Krejča’s Belgian works: Three Sisters in 1980, A. Schnitzler’s The Green Cockatoo in 1981 and Dostoevsky’s The Possessed adapted by Krejča himself in 1982. <p><p>In Belgium, the reception of his plays was mitigated. Duality between critics can be explained by Krejča’s new regard on plays, by Krejča’s use of dramaturgy. Krejča’s productions in Belgium were innovating because through dramaturgy they paved the way for something new :it was the end of a romantic Hamlet in the Shakespearian tradition and the end of Pitoëff’s aesthetic in Chechov’s productions. <p><p>Krejča’s work of art, impregnated by Czech tradition theatre of avant-garde, influenced his Belgian collaborators. Krejča was influenced by leaders in Czech first avant-garde theatre such as Burian, Frejka, theatrical theory of Honzl and Hilar’s theatre conception. When Krejča started to work in Belgium, the country was undergoing a theatrical revolution. At the end of the 1960s, French-speaking Belgium lived at the rhythm of its first avant-garde in staging. According to me, this fact is the main explanation to Krejča’s significance in French-speaking Belgium. Thanks to Krejča’s Belgian productions, a part of the first Czech theatrical avant-garde and the second Czech theatrical avant-garde penetrated in Belgium. <p><p>All of Krejča’s concepts (human beings, ethic of responsibility, importance of dramaturgy, personal appropriation of Stanislavski’s approach) slowly instilled French-speaking Belgian theatrical life. Sure an evident mark of continuity of his aesthetic cannot be seen in the long time, nevertheless Krejča’s influence was considerable and briefly materialized in many fields. It is obviously still vivid in the way some actors play, feel and teach theatre. <p><p><p><p><p> / Doctorat en Langues et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Controversy over the Nature of Dramatic Text This thesis will attempt to identify the nature of dramatic text in the context of two art forms: literature and theatre. It will investigate the changes which dramatic text undergoes when staged while also thematizing the relationship between the textual and other aspects of works of drama. The thesis will be primarily based around Czech theatre aesthetics of the twentieth century and will attempt to map and reflect on the theoretic discussion on this subject. At the same time it shall observe how these theoretic attitudes are reflected in dramatic texts themselves and in scenic practice of Czech theatre of the twentieth century.

The diploma thesis deals with the concepts of author and authorship in the photography of the Czech lands in the first half of the 20th century, taking into account the international influence, essential from the perspective of the development of photography in this region. This given era became a fruitful and manifold stage of development of the "fine art" photography and of the interest in the photographer himself. The thesis starts by giving a brief evaluation of the changing role of a photographer as an author since the very invention of photography. It then focuses on pictorialism and via the beginnings of modern photography moves on to discuss the avant-garde. In each particular development period the thesis finds outstanding authors as well as specific issues related to the subject matter of authorship, and by means of that also points out the power of an individual who is able to influence an entire generational movement. By unfolding individual development of particular authors (Drahomír Josef Růžička, František Drtikol, Josef Sudek, Jaromír Funke, Eugen Wiškovský, Jindřich Štýrský) the thesis aims to prove that every single style period in the history of photography bears specific significance for the next period; although this influence is often denied by the authors themselves in...

The impetus for this study was the question of whether the information, which has been handed down on Czech architects who worked with Le Corbusier is true or not. Working in the studio of one of the leading architects of the 20th century was a crucial formative experience for dozens of architects while also being an attractive entry in their résumés. The doctoral thesis Myth and Reality: The Czech Assistants of Le Corbusier 1924-1937 is based on vast research of primary sources abroad as well as in the Czech Republic. The thesis critically examines the information known in the literature until now. The study aims to look behind the curtain of the formation of the existing historiography of Czech architectural modernism. It proves that architects themselves often entered history by means of their self- promotion skills. Parts of the thesis consist of a verified and critical list of Czech assistants at Le Corbusier's studio in 35 rue de Sèvres in Paris, detailed analysis of how work was conducted in the studio and an analysis of related sources. The work presents 13 Czech architects who worked in the studio of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in the period between the two World Wars. The study follows individual forms of dialogue between young architects and Le Corbusier. In some cases, the research of...

This thesis investigates possible connections between the music of Erik Satie (1866-1925) and the later surrealist movement, turning to Parade (1917) in a case study that seeks to understand surrealism in music through the idea of self-exploration, a well-established interpretive approach in studies of surrealism in the visual arts. This thesis seeks to redefine surrealism in music not as a set of concrete musical characteristics, but as a collection of techniques meant to evoke subconscious turbulence by blurring the boundary between the "outside" and "inside," between conscious and subconscious, leading to a new discovery of higher or deeper truth. Satie's music aligns with the psychoanalytic elements of the discourse on surrealism. Psychoanalysis, pioneered by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and his followers in the 1890s in Vienna, permeated France around the time of the creation of the work. It inspired early surrealist techniques like automatism, illusory formal structures, collage, and stylistic allusion. This thesis demonstrates that such techniques can be discerned throughout Parade, not only in Satie's music, but also in its scenario, staging, costumes, and choreography. As such, Parade was a foundational work for the surrealist movement, with Satie's music contributing with the other media equally to the emotional and psychological impact of the ballet.

The thesis focuses on texts written and translated by members of Group 42, Jiřina Hauková and Jiří Kolář, specifically. It begins with a description of 1940s' literary context, incorporating poetical principles stated by Jindřich Chalupecký, the leading theorist of the Group 42. The research section of the thesis begins with an analysis of Jiřina Hauková's Přísluní and Cizí pokoj and Jiřího Kolář's Křestný list, Ódy a variace and Limb a jiné básně, poetry collections directly influenced and heading towards the poetic principles of the Group 42. This is followed by an analysis of the translations of poems by Dylan Thomas, Carl Sandburg and T. S. Eliot, the key being a comparison of various published versions. In case of Thomas and Sandburg, these are versions by the same translator published in different selections; in case of Eliot, these are versions by different translators. The thesis is concluded by the answer to the question whether and to what extent Jiřina Hauková and Jiří Kolář fulfil the poetic requirements of the Group 42 and to what extent their own poetics are present in the translations.

This dissertation is devoted to a monographic processing of the work of sculptress Maria Bartuszová (1936, Prague - 1996, Košice). Methodologically, it is mainly based on the compilation and evaluation of knowledge from the in-depth research of the first list of works of M. Bartuszová "Catalogue Raisonné 2012-2018", Collection of drawings and photographs from the Archive of M. Bartuszová, biography, exhibitions and bibliography. It is divided into four chapters, in which it deals with the sculpture of M. Bartuszová, its transformations in the period of her ceramics studies at the Academy of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture during the 1950s in Prague, continues by tracking her sculptural beginnings since 1961, and it deals with the circumstances of her relocation to Košice where she lived most of her life. It tracks her work during the normalization period of the 1970s until the end of the 1980s, when the totalitarian regime ended with the Velvet revolution. It explores the reasons why her work was little exhibited and also why it was little known and reflected by the professional circles. Based on the process of assembling parts of the organism of her oeuvre reconstructs technological experimental procedures, original terminology of the sculptor, creative intentions, dating of works and their...