A gesture in art

Artist Tania Bruguera has often talked about her concern regarding the relationship between the real and the symbolic in art. One way in which I extend this discussion and how it manifests in her performative project the Francis Effect (2014) is by looking at the relationship between the real and the symbolic as it pertains to the law, and I do so by particularly looking at the symbolism of gestures inside a courtroom. The courtroom is a space of representation. The seated judge represents the law, while the accused and the accuser need to be represented by those familiar with the letter of the law and the manners of the courtroom. The utterances, actions, and gestures performed inside the courtroom are theatrical and symbolic, but they have real consequences once those involved have stepped outside of the courtroom. Using ideas related to the performative nature of legal proceedings, I reframe the Francis Effect as not just engaging with the letter of the law but mirroring the manner in which the symbolic becomes the real, the law is upheld as legitimate. I propose a theory of the gesture in art, especially as it manifests in some contemporary socially engaged art projects, tracing its lineage to the cultures of protest and differentiating its concerns from avant garde movements. I frame these gestures as resisting the formation of a narrative.