Performance Art Research Articles

Revitalizing Convolutional Network for Image Restoration.

Image restoration aims to reconstruct a high-quality image from its corrupted version, playing essential roles in many scenarios. Recent years have witnessed a paradigm shift in image restoration from convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to Transformer-based models due to their powerful ability to model long-range pixel interactions. In this paper, we explore the potential of CNNs for image restoration and show that the proposed simple convolutional network architecture, termed ConvIR, can perform on par with or better than the Transformer counterparts. By re-examing the characteristics of advanced image restoration algorithms, we discover several key factors leading to the performance improvement of restoration models. This motivates us to develop a novel network for image restoration based on cheap convolution operators. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our ConvIR delivers state-of-the-art performance with low computation complexity among 20 benchmark datasets on five representative image restoration tasks, including image dehazing, image motion/defocus deblurring, image deraining, and image desnowing.

Ecologies of Embodiment: Video Essays III

Polly Hudson, “These Hands: an EcoSomatic approach to a woman’s labour - of the body, and on the land” (6:31). This video essay is part of an ongoing practice as a gardener and dancer, a long-term project at an inner city urban allotment, entitled And So we Sow. The work responds to notions of women's labour from an EcoSomatic and eco-feminist perspective, drawing on principles from releasing dance practices particularly Skinner Releasing Technique, from permaculture, and from wider embodied engagement. // Ana Luiza Azevedo Dupas, “Practice of Resting, Reading and Translating the Text: ‘Hapticality, or Love’” (9:52). This video shows fragments of the workshop: “Practice of resting, reading and translating the text: ‘Hapticality or love’,” held online in the context of IV EIRPAC event in September 2021. From the practice of Eutony, participants of the workshop are invited to a somatic reading, and “transcreation” of the text, which is an excerpt from Fred Moten and Stefano Harney’s The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study. // Lea Spahn and Hana Magdonova, “‘Within the Memories of a Mountain’: Posthuman Embodying as Techno-material Becoming” (11:00). This video essay is based on footage from performance artist Hana Magdoňová during her 39-day stay in Hády – a renaturating quarry in the post-socialist Czech Republic. Through an immersive layering of (video)images, sounds, and spoken words, the essay depics embodied encounters with this space and reads them through feminist materialist and posthumanist thinkers highlighting the entanglement of bodies, technologies, things, and other beings on a planetary scale.

The Development of Performing Folk Songs Model to Develop Holistic Health in Elderly

This research aims to study the problems and factors in organizing activities to promote holistic health in the elderly, Elderly Social Welfare Development Center, and to develop activities in the art of performing folk songs to promote holistic health in the elderly, Elderly Social Welfare Development Center. It is a study that aims to extract knowledge about the process of organizing activities for the elderly in order to develop a form of folk song performing arts activities to develop holistic health in the elderly as a research and development model Divided into 3 phases: Phase 1 synthesizes knowledge on organizing activities for the elderly, Phase 2 develops and evaluates traditional performing arts activities to develop holistic health in the elderly, and Phase 3 uses Folk performing arts activity format for holistic health development in the elderly. The research tool used was a structured interview form and satisfaction assessment form for organizing activities. All analysis results are presented as descriptive data and tables with explanations. The findings revealed Problems and factors in organizing activities to promote holistic health in the elderly at the Elderly Social Welfare Development Center. The researcher can summarize into two issues: 1) The current condition of organizing activities to promote the health of the elderly at the 12 Elderly Social Welfare Development Centers has three formats: ordinary elderly, particular types, and centers without elderly residents. In terms of operations for caring for and promoting the elderly, there will be an operation plan for the center that promotes the health of the elderly. There are four areas: physical, mental, and social interaction and intelligence. 2) Factors in organizing activities to promote holistic health in the elderly. The Center for the Development of Social Welfare for the Elderly found that opinions and needs for bringing in local wisdom heritage, in terms of performing arts, all four regions came to organize activities to promote the health of the elderly at all 12 Elderly Social Welfare Development Centers. There were two issues: 1) Perspectives and opinions. It was found that bringing both local performing arts and four regionally organized activities to promote the health of the elderly within the center. It is a good and exciting activity. Most elderly people enjoy fun activities, including singing and dancing. It is also a matter of Folk performing arts that can understand the emotions and feelings of the elderly very well. It also helps promote and stimulate the memory of the elderly. 2) The need to bring local wisdom and heritage. In terms of performing arts, all four regions came to organize activities to promote the health of the elderly at all 12 Elderly Social Welfare Development Centers. It was found that there was a need to organize activities to promote the health of the elderly using all Folk performing arts. The aim is to organize activities that can develop the physical, mental, social, and intellectual aspects. The results of the development of activities in the art of performing folk songs to promote holistic health in the elderly have two crucial points: 1) The uniqueness of the art of folk song performance that has an impact on society is that it reflects the culture of the community, build relationships among people in the community, have fun public relations media and self-development 2) The results of creating and developing an art activity format for performing folk songs to promote holistic health in the elderly. The researcher created and developed a folk song performance art activity model consisting of 6 elements: principles of the form, Objectives of the format, content, activities, promoting factors, and evaluation

Line of Desire. The Work of Omar Matadamas Seen through Corporeality and the Philosophy of Event

This article1 is shaped by a trajectory of back and forth on various topics, starting with a minimal review of the history of performance art theory in Mexico, then analysing the place of the philosophy of the event and corporeality in performance art, and finally exploring the strategies for making desire habitable through the work of the Mexican artist Omar Matadamas. In the first section, I discuss a series of ideas surrounding the implications of performance art in the current Mexican theoretical horizon; in the other pole I recur to the work of the artist Omar Matadamas and his series Sicalíptico (2017), as well as his collaboration with Grupo D3 Chok3 (“Clash Group”), to think in the proximity of politics of intimacy and desire in art created by sexual dissidents.

Exploring the Intersection of Social Justice and Health through Art

This paper examines the role of art in advocating for social justice and addressing health disparities. It highlights how various artistic mediums such as photography, installations, performance, and visual arts serve as powerful tools to communicate the complexities of structural inequality and promote public health advocacy. The review discusses the intersection of art and politics, as well as the potential for art to shift perspectives, foster empathy, and influence policy. It delves into case studies where artistic initiatives have contributed to health advocacy, particularly in marginalized communities, and demonstrates how art can be an effective therapeutic tool for healing, empowerment, and mobilization for health equity. Keywords: Social Justice, Health Disparities, Art and Activism, Health Equity, Community Engagement.

Double-Condensing Attention Condenser: Leveraging Attention in Deep Learning to Detect Skin Cancer from Skin Lesion Images

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States and is estimated to affect one in five Americans. Recent advances have demonstrated strong performance on skin cancer detection, as exemplified by state of the art performance in the SIIM-ISIC Melanoma Classification Challenge; however, these solutions leverage ensembles of complex deep neural architectures requiring immense storage and computation costs, and therefore may not be tractable. A recent movement for TinyML applications is integrating Double-Condensing Attention Condensers (DC-AC) into a self-attention neural network backbone architecture to allow for faster and more efficient computation. This paper explores leveraging an efficient self-attention structure to detect skin cancer in skin lesion images and introduces a deep neural network design with DC-AC customized for skin cancer detection from skin lesion images. We demonstrate that our approach with only 1.6 million parameters and 0.32 GFLOPs achieves better performance compared to traditional architecture designs as it obtains an area under the ROC curve of 0.90 on the public ISIC 2020 test set and 0.89 on the private ISIC test set, over 0.13 above the best Cancer-Net SCa network architecture design. The final model is publicly available as a part of a global open-source initiative dedicated to accelerating advancement in machine learning to aid clinicians in the fight against cancer. Future work of this research includes iterating on the design of the selected network architecture and refining the approach to generalize to other forms of cancer.

Creating an Environment that Influences Children's Learning and Character Qualities

This study aimed to describe the environment created by parents for their children and its effects on academic performance and character qualities. Utilizing a survey methodology, data were collected through direct and indirect observations and analyzed qualitatively. The research subjects comprised two children from the same family. The findings revealed that the parents created an environment to engage the children in arts and physical exercise. They provided various tools such as musical instruments, laptops, smartphones, bikes, paper and coloring pencils, building blocks, toys, puzzles, and books to facilitate activities like singing, playing, reading, typing, writing, and creating. Although the language setting of these tools was in English, parents communicated with the children in Indonesian. The effects of this environment were evident in the children’s development of characteristics such as resilience, creativity, responsibility, and self-regulated learning. These traits, fostered by the environment, subsequently contributed to the children’s enjoyment and success in academic, social, language, and artistic performances. Keywords: creating environment, children learning, character qualities

Asymmetric Large Kernel Distillation Network for efficient single image super-resolution

Recently, significant advancements have been made in the field of efficient single-image super-resolution, primarily driven by the innovative concept of information distillation. This method adeptly leverages multi-level features to facilitate high-resolution image reconstruction, allowing for enhanced detail and clarity. However, many existing approaches predominantly emphasize the enhancement of distilled features, often overlooking the critical aspect of improving the feature extraction capabilities of the distillation module itself. In this paper, we address this limitation by introducing an asymmetric large-kernel convolution design. By increasing the size of the convolution kernel, we expand the receptive field, which enables the model to more effectively capture long-range dependencies among image pixels. This enhancement significantly improves the model's perceptual ability, leading to more accurate reconstructions. To maintain a manageable level of model complexity, we adopt a lightweight architecture that employs asymmetric convolution techniques. Building on this foundation, we propose the Lightweight Asymmetric Large Kernel Distillation Network (ALKDNet). Comprehensive experiments conducted on five widely recognized benchmark datasets-Set5, Set14, BSD100, Urban100, and Manga109-indicate that ALKDNet not only preserves efficiency but also demonstrates performance enhancements relative to existing super-resolution methods. The average PSNR and SSIM values show improvements of 0.10 dB and 0.0013, respectively, thereby achieving state-of-the art performance.

A Wushu Leg Gesture Recognition Algorithm Based on Random Forest and Bone Feature Extraction (RF-SFE)

Addressing the challenges of complex movement trajectories and rapid action changes in martial arts performances, this study introduces a novel posture recognition algorithm based on Random Forest and Skeletal Feature Extraction (RF-SFE) for martial arts leg movements. Unlike traditional posture recognition methods that struggle with accuracy, RF-SFE aims to provide intelligent analysis of training postures to assist practitioners in efficient training. The algorithm initially employs advanced skeletal feature extraction techniques to identify and articulate the relative positions and movements specific to martial arts. These extracted spatial features enhance the flexibility in modeling the unique dynamics of martial arts. Subsequently, Random Forest classification is utilized to categorize different leg movements, leveraging its strength in handling high-dimensional data and providing robust classification. Comparative experiments on diverse martial arts posture datasets demonstrate a significant improvement in recognition rates over baseline methods. This validates the effectiveness of the RF-SFE method in recognizing martial arts postures, offering scientific guidance for practitioners’ training regimens.

The Effects of Perceived Coaching Ability and Coach-athlete Interaction on Sport Performance in Adolescent Martial Arts Sparring Athletes

To explore the effects of coaching ability and coach-athlete interaction on the athletic performance of youth Wushu sparring athletes, this paper selected 200 youth kickboxing players from Tianjin, China as the research subjects and randomly divided them into the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group adopted the integrated training method of coaching ability improvement and interactive communication, while the control group adopted the traditional training method. The research methods included a questionnaire survey, experimental observation, and data analysis, and the training effects were compared by evaluating the athletic performance and perceived coaching ability of the athletes in the two groups before and after training. The results showed that the athletic performance of the athletes in the experimental group was significantly improved, while that of the control group was only slightly improved. In addition, the perceived coaching ability of the athletes in the experimental group was significantly improved, and the quality of coach-athlete interaction was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05). The conclusion shows that the improvement of coaching ability and good coach-athlete interaction can significantly improve athletes’ sports performance, which has a wide application prospect.

Peran Pemerintah dalam Pelestarian Kesenian Ludruk di Surabaya

Ludruk is a native East Javanese folk art originating from Jombang, but is also a typical Surabaya cultural mascot. Ludruk is a traditional drama performed by an arts group on a stage based on stories about people's daily lives. Ludruk art is part of East Java's rich and unique cultural heritage. Its preservation is important to maintain local cultural identity which can be a valuable asset for the community, due to the threat of loss and extinction. Ludruk is not only an artistic performance, but is also part of social life and preserving the community's identity can help strengthen a sense of solidarity and pride in local culture. . By choosing this topic, researchers can make a meaningful contribution to efforts to preserve and promote the desirability of ludruk art for the future. This research method is descriptive qualitative by collecting primary data through in-depth interviews and observations from related informants. Based on the research results that: 1. The role of the Surabaya City Culture, Youth and Sports and Tourism Department (Disbudporapar) as a regulator, plays a significant role in supporting arts and cultural activities in the preservation of ludruk art, ensuring that this traditional art remains alive and growing among young generation in ASPK policy.2. The role of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sports and Tourism of the City of Surabaya (Disbudporapar) as a facilitator, currently there is still a lack of support and facilities, allowing regeneration, regeneration of ludruk artists to be slow, competition with modern media, limited training: training programs are often undirected and inconsistent. 3. The role of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sports and Tourism of the City of Surabaya (Disbudporapar) as a dynamist, has been running well, but the current condition is that many ludruk groups in Surabaya have arts registration marks (TDK) and are registered at Disbudporapar. However, many of them have already died and Ludruk performances currently only rely on invitations from the Surabaya City Youth and Sports Culture Service (Disbudporapar).

Recent Research in Singing

Abstract: This “Recent Research in Singing” article chronicles four academic documents authored during 2024. A thesis by Elaina M. Frissell, “Ukrainian Symbolism in Mykola Lysenko’s Art Songs and Taras Shevchenko’s Poetry,” and dissertations by Ju Eun Oh, “Harmonizing Language and Music: The Potential Role of Voice Pedagogues in Advancing Foreign Language Acquisition Through Music,” Bixiao Wang, “Selected Chinese Art Songs of Tzu Huang: A Performance Guide,” and Edwin R. Williams, “The Interdisciplinary Music Degree: Music Education, Music Performance, and Music and Fine Arts Administration.” Each includes a complete bibliographic citation and an Author/ProQuest abstract.

The Conceptualization of Performance Art: From Theater to the Metaverse

This paper aims to explore how performing arts transition from traditional physical spaces to virtual ones, with a particular focus on the roles of conceptualization, popularization, and virtual identity in this process. Through analyzing these transformations, the paper seeks to uncover the new forms and development trends of performing arts in the era of the metaverse. The article proposes to begin by highlighting prior research in the semiotics of performing arts, briefly outlining the development of views on mimesis from Aristotle to semiotics and theories of identity performance. Subsequently, it discusses the journey of modern art through changes in its medium towards abstraction and conceptualization, tracing how shifts in media and technological innovations have propelled the development of performing arts from ancient theaters to the digital age. Examples of the abstraction and conceptualization of performing arts will be provided. Finally, the paper introduces the potential of the metaverse as a platform for conceptualized performing arts, discussing how metaverse technologies offer unprecedented immersive experiences and alter the ways in which audiences engage with performances.

Challenges and Strategies for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Modern China

Intangible cultural heritage encompasses a nation’s traditional culture and wisdom, offering a profound reflection of the lives and thoughts of its predecessors. This heritage manifests in diverse forms, including artistic performances, music, handicrafts, and festivals. Despite its cultural significance, the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage face numerous challenges in modern society. These challenges are exacerbated by rapid urbanization, globalization, and the decline of traditional practices. Previous studies have predominantly explored these issues from cultural and historical perspectives, often overlooking the critical economic factors that influence heritage preservation. This article seeks to fill this gap by examining the difficulties and problems faced by intangible cultural heritage through a comprehensive lens that includes cultural, economic, and social aspects. By analyzing these multifaceted challenges, we aim to uncover the underlying economic dynamics that hinder effective heritage preservation. Moreover, this research will propose innovative solutions to address economic challenges and enhance the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage. Ultimately, this article aims to provide new perspectives and positive impacts on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, highlighting the importance of an economic approach to its preservation and transmission to future generations.

Novi Sad cultural stations as healthy buildings for wellbeing concept

Abstract Creating spaces for all citizens through the cultural stations project within the Novi Sad - European Capital of Culture 2022 has set an example of applying the concept of well-being which involves integrating various elements that support physical, mental, and social health. Cultural stations project in the city of Novi Sad is a concept supporting cultural programming, healthy food options, mental health support, accessibility and inclusivity, as well as community engagement. Social interaction in urban areas is vital for mental and emotional well-being, fostering a sense of belonging and community, diverse cultural programming that appeals to different groups, cultural activities such as art exhibitions, performances, workshops, and community events provide opportunities for creativity, learning, and social engagement, enhancing overall well-being. Access to cultural stations, spending time there has been linked to reduced stress, improved mood, and increased feelings of well-being within 7 neighborhoods of Novi Sad. This includes providing barrier-free access, accommodations for individuals with disabilities, and programming that is inclusive and welcoming to everyone. Participation of the local community in the design, programming, and management of cultural stations is also important. By integrating these principles into the design, programming, and management of cultural stations, Novi Sad creates vibrant, inclusive, and healthy spaces that contribute to the overall well-being of its residents and visitors. Cultural stations are located in different parts of the city in order to provide accessibility to all citizens. Their arrangement is in accordance with the recommendations of green construction and restoration, and the interior and surroundings foster respect for nature and nature-based solutions. Also, they are developing different content in line with culture, but also science, health and smart solutions as a tool for well-being.

توظيف التعبيرات الفنية المستوحاة من معدات قسم السمعية والمرئية لتنمية رسومات طالبات معهد الفنون الجميلة

Our current research (The Employment of Artistic Expressions Inspired by Audiovisual Equipment to Develop the Drawings of Female Students at the Institute of Fine Arts) is divided into three chapters. Due to the importance of the topic, the problem was formulated through the following questions: To what extent do female students in the Audiovisual Department benefit from artistic expressions inspired by their specialization in developing their drawings? Additionally, to what extent does the subject of planning and colors contribute to improving the students' level and graduating them as art education teachers? The current study aims to reveal the impact of employing artistic expressions inspired by audiovisual equipment on the development of students' drawings and their artistic performance. The current study used a descriptive analytical approach in the research procedures and resulted in a set of findings that included the concept of work as being either realistic or expressive, as well as the artistic expressions and tools. The artistic expressions were represented by direct relationships influenced by the tools and equipment of the Audiovisual Department, as well as indirect relationships with the tools of the Audiovisual Department, but with a clear expressive significance. The results also addressed the development of students' drawings through form and content, which was generally verified in models (1, 2, 3, 4). As for color, the color ability used to express the idea and depict scenes was achieved according to each individual's expression. Regarding the diversity of equipment, the diversity in drawing the equipment was realized, and the results touched on the color values of the selected models.

A Certain Kind of Freedom

Άφρικα: A Certain Kind of Freedom is pivoting on artistic exploration and re-interpretation of a 'difficult' recent past. In part soundwalk, in part performance art, in part punk archaeology, in part getting lost in the dark; the work is a nocturnal rumination bringing together historical bewilderedness with first-person embodied experience of a place. The artist leads a night walk towards and inwards Agios Achillios island in Small Prespa Lake in Greece – near the borders of Albania, and North Macedonia – and back. En route, the walking audience is exposed to wildlife sounds and animal vocalisations, to orchestrated drama, and to historical records directly or indirectly concerning the broader geographical area and its significance during the Greek civil war.

Health inequalities and contemporary youth: Young people's accounts of the social determinants of health in an 'austere meritocracy'.

Young people coming of age amidst widespread socioeconomic uncertainty have a unique vantage from which to interpret how social, economic and environmental factors might influence health and the generation of health inequalities. Despite this, only a small number of existing studies of 'lay' understandings of health inequalities have focused on young people. This arts-based qualitative study builds on that body of research, in the context of the UK, to explore how young people make sense of health inequalities. Across two sites, Glasgow and Leeds, six groups of young people (39 in total) took part in online workshops to explore their perspectives. Throughout they engaged with population health research evidence; contributed to group discussions and responded creatively, via visual and performance art and by articulating their own views and experiences. In this paper, we explore how individual and structural explanations for health inequalities emerged, employing concepts from sociological studies of youth to shed light on these accounts. In particular, we argue that the concept of 'austere meritocracy', the persistence of narratives of aspiration and hard work as key to success against an increasingly hostile socio-economic backdrop, helps explain young people's perspectives on health inequalities in the UK.

Gender Fluidity in Lengger Banyumasan: Interplay of Masculine and Feminine Elements in a Traditional Javanese Dance

This study explores the intricate gender dynamics within the Lengger Banyumasan dance, a traditional performance art from Banyumas, Central Java. Known for its captivating fusion of masculine and feminine elements, the dance embodies fluid gender roles through movements, costumes, and interactions between performers. This research investigates how both male and female performers navigate and express gender identities, challenging conventional norms and highlighting the dance’s role in reflecting and shaping societal values. The findings contribute to understanding gender performativity within traditional arts, emphasizing Lengger Banyumasan's continued cultural relevance amidst modern influences.

Expanding Understandings of Curatorial Practice Through Virtual Exhibition Building

This article reflects on the translation of gallery space into a virtually immersive experience in an era of remote access. Curators and scholars such as Mary Nooter Roberts, Susan Vogel, Carol Duncan, Tony Bennet, Stephen Greenblatt, Judith Mastai, and Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett have discussed the myriad of ways in which the experience of culturally significant objects and sites in person has been critical to the study of art and its history. Focusing on theories of curation and display, I utilize practice-based examples from six virtual reality (VR) exhibitions produced in three different institutional contexts: the International Journal of Digital Art History’s online gallery, the European Cultural Center’s Performance Art program, and the Digital Humanities program at the University of California, Los Angeles. By documenting and analyzing the extended reality (XR) methods employed and the methodological approaches to the digital curatorial work, I address some of the challenges and opportunities of presenting objects in virtual space, offering comparisons to those faced when building physical exhibitions. I also consider how digital modalities provide a distinctly different paradigm for epistemologies of art and culture that offer greater contextualized understandings and can reshape exhibition documentation and the teaching of curatorial practice and museum studies.