The Art of Performance

What happens when a space becomes needy.

When they refuse to remain static, and be ignored by the individuals occupying them.

Performative architecture is all about interactivity - individuals must perform to experience the space fully. These spaces are ultimately user-oriented or user required, defined by what we need while our actions and experiences are defined by what the space needs from us.

The notion of performance might be a helpful approach in the process of organizing a non-linear environment where the correlation of body and space is of importance, where inhabitants both generate and become an integral part of the environment as they engage with it. When activated by the interaction between the user and space the environment exists simultaneously as a durational 'performance' and an immersive installation
environment. (Johannsen, 2006)

The Comment Wall - Where User's can write their thoughts directly into the 'Urban Diary'

These spaces create a 'virtual reality', a durational space in which users must immerse themselves and perform in order to sustain the experience. However these spaces are not completely virtual, and must pertain to the laws of real world. In order to better understand our interaction with 'virtual spaces', such as these performative programs, an American architect called Marcos Novak developed the term Eversion.

Novak has determined that we, as physical beings cannot completely immerse ourselves in the virtual environment, however merely by existing the environment leaks out into the performative spaces.